What Veg Seeds To Sow In October

While it may feel like the gardening season is starting to wind down, October is a great time for gardeners to prepare for the winter months ahead and following spring.

Peas for Overwintering

Pea Telephone

Preparation: Choose a spot that gets nice & sunny. Peas prefer a neutral to alkaline soil.

Sowing: You can start your peas off indoors by sowing them in modular trays or plant straight outside. When planting outside, sow seeds around 5 cm deep and about 15 cm apart. 

Care: Once your peas are growing they shouldn’t need much watering. (except in particularly dry spells). But give them a good water once they start to flower and again around two weeks later to help the pods swell.

Harvesting: The pods should be ready to harvest once they’re filled and roughly 7 cm long. Plants should crop for several weeks.

Cut and Come Again Salad Leaves

Lettuce Bronze Beauty

Preparation: If you’re sowing your salad leaves in containers, use a peat-free multipurpose compost or garden soil mixed with compost. When sowing in the open round, you can improve soil by digging in compost.

Sowing: You shouldn’t need to sow your seeds too deep (around 1-2 cm) and cover with a thin layer of compost.

Care: Seedlings should be kept weed free and well watered. Water regularly to help the production of new leaves.

Harvesting: Use scissors to cut leaves once they are a good size.

Broad Beans for Overwintering

Broad Bean Autumn Light

Preparation: Ideally sow in well-drained soil and keep them protected with a fleece or cloche.

Sowing: Sow your broad beans roughly around 5 cm deep and 15 cm apart.

Care: Water plants well just as they start to flower and then again around a week later.

Harvesting: Start to harvest when pods are full but still small. Regular picking will encourage more pods to form.

Cauliflowers for Overwintering

Cauliflower Romanesco Jesi

Preparation: Choose a nice sunny spot and a fertile soil that is moist but free-draining. Make sure the soil is firm by treading it thoroughly.

Sowing: Cauliflowers are usually better off when started indoors in a greenhouse or an indoor windowsill. They should be ready to be transplanted outdoors as soon as their roots fill their module or pot.

Care: Water plants regularly to keep the ground constantly damp.

Harvesting: Harvest your cauliflowers when the head is large enough and firm.

Breadseed Poppies

Poppy Hunagrian Blue Breadseed

Preparation: Breadseed poppies like to be sown before the first frost into well-draining soil.

Sowing: Breadseed poppies can be sown generously and then thinned by cutting new sprouts until you have poppy seedlings growing every 12 cm.

Care: Water at least once a week while they’re still establishing.

Basil for Indoor Growing

Basil Purple Ball

Preparation: Basil plants like warmth and sunshine so choose a windowsill that gets plenty of sunlight.

Sowing: Sow your basil seeds into module trays, fairly shallow and cover with a small layer of peat-free soil.

Care: Basil is a nice easy one to care for, just keep it nice and warm and water regularly.

Harvesting: Harvest leaves as required on a cut and come again basis.

Micro Greens

Preparation: Microgreens should be started in a small seed tray lined with kitchen roll or felt (this should help to hold the water well).

Sowing: Wet your kitchen roll or felt and sprinkle your seeds on top. Keep your seed tray on a warm windowsill or in  a greenhouse.

Care: Make sure seeds are regularly kept moist by regular watering or misting.

Sowing these varieties in October should leave you with plenty of crops for harvesting throughout winter and in good stead for Spring. Happy gardening!