Yorkshire Seeds will help you start your best growing season yet.
Spring gives gardeners a new beginning when the cold subsides and the light returns. But timing, planning, and preparation are the keys to a successful season. A month-by-month spring gardening checklist guarantees robust seedlings, healthy soil, and abundant harvests, regardless of whether you're producing flowers, vegetables, or herbs.
Let's dissect March, April, and May: what to do, clean, and get ready.
MARCH: Wake the Garden Up
Tasks, Tools & Sowing Starts
March is all about preparation. It’s time to clean tools, prep soil, and start sowing under cover.
🛠️ Jobs to Do:
Clean seed trays, pots, and tools with warm soapy water
Sharpen secateurs and check your gardening gloves
Clear dead growth from winter and compost it
Test soil temperature (aim for 6–7°C before direct sowing)
Add well-rotted compost or manure to empty beds
Wash greenhouse or cold frame glass for max light
🌱 What to Sow (Under Cover):
Tomatoes, aubergine, chillies, and peppers
Sweet peas, cosmos, and calendula
Salad leaves: lettuce, rocket, mustard greens
Herbs: parsley, coriander, dill
🌿 Outdoors (Weather Permitting):
Onion sets, shallots, garlic
Peas, spinach, early carrots
Spring onions and hardy lettuces
📆 APRIL: Sow, Harden Off & Tidy
A Busy Month for Sowing & Growth
April is when the garden wakes up—soil warms, plants bud, and sowing opportunities multiply.
🛠️ Jobs to Do:
Continue weeding to reduce competition
Mulch perennials and soft fruit bushes
Start feeding plants with organic fertiliser
Begin hardening off indoor-sown seedlings
Watch for slugs and protect young shoots
Set up support for sweet peas and climbing beans
🌱 Sow Indoors or Under Cover:
Courgettes, pumpkins, squash
Sweetcorn, cucumbers
Basil and coriander
Nasturtiums and marigolds
🌿 Sow Outdoors:
Beetroot, carrots, chard, and leeks
Radishes and turnips
Annual flowers like calendula and nigella
📆 MAY: Plant Out & Protect
From Greenhouse to Garden
May is when your garden comes alive. As the risk of frost fades, you can transplant tender plants, sow directly, and start feeding regularly.
🛠️ Jobs to Do:
Plant out hardened-off seedlings
Tie in climbing beans, sweet peas, and tomatoes
Water early in the morning or evening
Feed all crops weekly with liquid feed
Sow green manures in unused areas
Mow lawns and edge beds
Deadhead spring bulbs (but don’t cut foliage yet)
🌱 What to Plant Out:
Tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers
Sweetcorn, runner and french beans
Marrows, squash, and pumpkins
Bedding flowers like petunias and geraniums
🌿 Direct Sow:
French beans, kale, pak choi, salad mixes
Nasturtiums and sunflowers
Spinach, carrots, spring onions
Late sowings of peas and beetroot
Handy Tools & Accessories Checklist
✔️ Seed trays and modules
✔️ Propagators (heated or unheated)
✔️ Labels and compost
✔️ Organic fertilisers and slug protection
✔️ Watering can or hose with fine rose
✔️ Cloches, fleece, or mini tunnels
Pro Tip from The Managing Director At Yorkshire Seeds:
“Spring isn’t just about sowing—it’s about soil health, timing, and protection. A well-prepped garden in spring leads to fewer problems and greater harvests all year.”
Final Thoughts
Spring can feel overwhelming, but when you break it down month by month, it becomes simple. Use this checklist to stay organised and inspired—from sowing indoors in March to planting out in May, every task gets you closer to a thriving, productive garden.