What to Harvest This Month UK

You can pick something from a UK garden every month of the year. Pick too early and crops lack flavour. Leave them too long and they go woody or run to seed. Here’s what’s ready when, from forced rhubarb in January to the last leeks in December.

Whether you’ve got an allotment or a few pots on the patio, good timing means tastier crops and more of them. For planning ahead, see our seed sowing calendar.

January harvest UK

Forced rhubarb, leeks, Brussels sprouts, kale and parsnips. It’s the quietest month, but there’s still food to pick if you planned ahead.

Forced rhubarb gives tender pink stems from mid-January under a forcing pot or upturned bin. It’s sweeter than the summer crop. Our rhubarb growing guide explains forcing.

Leeks stand happily in the ground through the coldest weather, so lift them as you need them. Parsnips get sweeter after hard frosts. Brussels sprouts and kale keep cropping, and winter cabbages and stored pumpkins fill the gaps.

Handy tip: Leave parsnips in the ground until you want them. They keep better in the soil than in the fridge or shed.

Leeks, kale and parsnips pulled fresh from a frosty raised bed in January.

February harvest UK

Much like January, with sprouting broccoli and the last stored roots. Purple sprouting broccoli starts in late February in the south, and it’s one of the best winter crops. Pick the main spear first, and side shoots will keep coming for weeks.

Leeks, kale, sprouts and parsnips carry on. Use up stored potatoes and onions before they sprout. Chard and perpetual spinach may still give a few leaves in milder areas.

Forced rhubarb is at its best now. Pull the stalks rather than cutting, with a gentle twist at the base. Don’t force the same crown two years running, as it tires the plant out.

Handy tip: If your sprouting broccoli starts to flower before you pick it, the little yellow flowers are edible. Scatter them over a salad.

March harvest UK

The first spring pickings: spring onions, early rhubarb and overwintered salads. Winter crops are running out before spring sowings are ready. Gardeners call this the “hungry gap”, and it runs into late spring.

Outdoor rhubarb starts producing in the south by mid-March. Spring onions from an autumn sowing are ready to pull. Lettuces sown under cloches give their first leaves. Leeks and kale carry on until they start to flower.

It’s also time to check your list of spring gardening jobs. Start chitting potatoes and sow broad beans. What you sow now is what you’ll pick from June.

Handy tip: Use up the last leeks by the end of March. Once they start to send up a flower stalk, the middle goes tough.

What can you harvest during the hungry gap?

Sprouting broccoli, leeks, spring cabbage, chard and overwintered salads. They’re all sown the year before and stand through winter. Rhubarb and, later, asparagus join them.

Plan for the gap in late summer. Sow chard and flat-leaf parsley in late summer, and corn salad and land cress in mid to late summer under cloches. Mizuna and rocket sown under cover in autumn also crop in early spring. Spring cabbage sown in late summer can be thinned in March, using every other plant as spring greens. Perennials help most of all because they need no sowing: rhubarb, asparagus, perpetual spinach, chives and sorrel.

April harvest UK

Asparagus arrives, and it’s well worth the wait. Cut spears at 15-18cm tall, just at soil level. Our asparagus growing guide covers starting a bed that crops for many years. Stop cutting by mid-June so the plants can build up strength.

Spring cabbage is ready to cut. Broad beans sown last autumn give their first pods in the south. Rhubarb is in full swing, and March-sown radishes are ready.

Salad leaves grow fast now. Lettuce, rocket and spinach give the first fresh greens of the year. Chives, mint and parsley are ready to snip.

You may spot the first strawberry flowers under cloches in warm gardens, with fruit to follow.

Cut asparagus spears at 15 to 18cm tall, just at soil level. Stop by mid-June so the plants can build up strength for next year.

May harvest UK

Asparagus at its best, plus new potatoes and broad beans. First early potatoes planted in March can be ready by late May in sheltered southern gardens. Nothing from the shops beats a freshly dug new potato.

Broad beans from autumn sowings are cropping well. Pick them while the beans inside are still small and bright green, as big ones get tough skins. Pinch out the tips once the lowest pods have set, which helps put off blackfly.

Sow radishes little and often for a steady supply. Spring onions keep coming. Cut salad leaves and spinach regularly so they don’t bolt.

Gooseberries start ripening in late May. Pick some slightly under-ripe for cooking and leave the rest to sweeten for eating fresh.

June harvest UK

The main harvest season starts, with strawberries, new potatoes, peas and early beetroot. Suddenly the plot is giving you more than you can eat, and it only gets busier.

Strawberries steal the show. Pick every day or two, taking fruit that’s red all over and slightly soft. Net the plants, because blackbirds love them too.

Peas are ready when the pods are plump and bright green. Keep picking and they keep coming. Early potatoes are usually ready around the time the plants flower.

Beetroot from April sowings reaches golf-ball size. Pull them small for sweetness, or leave them bigger for roasting. The leaves are tasty too, a bit like mild chard.

Early carrots and turnips are ready to pull, and the first courgettes appear.

Pick strawberries every day or two, taking fruit that’s red all over and a little soft. Keep them netted, as blackbirds love them too.

July harvest UK

One of the two busiest months, with tomatoes, beans, courgettes and soft fruit. Tomatoes start ripening under glass from mid-July. Runner beans begin cropping heavily. Pick every two or three days to keep pods tender.

Courgettes are in full flow. Cut them at 15-20cm for the best texture. Miss a few days and you’ll have marrows! French beans, mangetout and climbing beans are cropping too.

Soft fruit is at its best. Raspberries and blackcurrants ripen in July, followed by redcurrants and blueberries. Gooseberries left on the bush are now sweet enough to eat raw. Cherries ripen through June and July.

Second early potatoes are ready to lift from July. Garlic planted last autumn is ready when the lower leaves turn brown. Lift the bulbs and dry them somewhere warm and airy for a couple of weeks. Our garlic growing guide has the details.

Handy tip: Pick courgettes, beans and peas every two or three days. If you leave pods and fruit to grow big, the plant slows down.

A July harvest of tomatoes, runner beans, courgettes and soft fruit, all at their best.

August harvest UK

The biggest choice of the year. Sweetcorn is ready in southern gardens. Peel back the husk and press a kernel with your nail. Milky juice means it’s ready. Clear, watery juice means give it another week.

Tomatoes are cropping well outdoors and under glass. Pick them when they’re evenly coloured and give a little when squeezed. The best vegetables to grow at home are all in full swing this month.

Onions are ready when the tops flop over and start to yellow. Lift them and dry them on a rack for a couple of weeks, until the skins rustle.

Second early and maincrop potatoes are ready to dig. Plums, damsons and the first apples join the fruit bowl. Blackberries start ripening too, free for anyone who fancies picking.

September harvest UK

Time to store and preserve the last of the summer glut. Pumpkins and winter squash are ready when the skin is hard and the stalk starts to crack. Leave them in the sun for a week or so to harden the skin, then store somewhere cool but frost-free. The RHS guide to storing pumpkins explains the details, and our guide to growing pumpkins and squash covers more.

Bring late tomatoes indoors to ripen before the first frost. Pop green ones in a paper bag with a banana, which helps them ripen. Anything still green can go into green tomato chutney.

Apples and pears take over the fruit bowl, along with autumn raspberries. Pick apples when they come away with a gentle twist. If you have to tug, they need longer.

Runner beans, beetroot, carrots and leeks carry on. In most of the UK, this is the last month for outdoor tomatoes.

Handy tip: Press your thumbnail into a squash. If it doesn’t leave a mark, the skin is hard enough for storing.

Squash is ready when the skin is hard and the stalk starts to crack. A week in the sun toughens the skin for storing.

October harvest UK

Summer crops finish and winter crops take over. Lift maincrop carrots before hard frosts and store them in boxes of damp sand in a dark, frost-free shed. They’ll keep until spring.

Beetroot and celeriac can stay in the ground a little longer under a straw mulch. Leeks are now at their best and will be a kitchen staple until March.

Late apples like Bramley and pears like Conference are ready to pick for storing. Quinces turn golden and fill the kitchen with scent.

The last runner beans and courgettes finish as the nights get colder. Autumn-sown salads under cloches start cropping. Kale is at its best and tastes sweeter after the first light frosts.

Can you harvest vegetables after a frost?

Yes for hardy crops, no for tender ones. Brussels sprouts, kale, leeks and parsnips don’t mind frost, and parsnips and sprouts often taste sweeter for it.

Courgettes, runner and French beans, sweetcorn and outdoor tomatoes collapse after a frost, so pick everything usable when one’s forecast. Bring pumpkins and squash in before the first frost too, as frosted fruit won’t store. Beetroot can be damaged by hard frost, so lift it or cover the bed with thick straw. If leafy crops freeze, wait for them to thaw on the plant before picking, or the leaves bruise.

November harvest UK

Hardy crops that shrug off frost and cold rain. Brussels sprouts taste better after a hard frost. Pick from the bottom of the stem upwards, a few at a time, and each plant keeps cropping for weeks.

Leeks, parsnips and kale are all still going strong. Jerusalem artichokes are ready once the stems die back. They don’t store well, so dig them as you need them.

Outdoor salads finish unless they’re under fleece or glass. Winter purslane and corn salad are tough and keep going into December.

Stored squash and potatoes top up the fresh pickings. Check your stores often and remove anything going soft before it spreads.

Pick sprouts from the bottom of the stem upwards, a few at a time, and each plant keeps cropping for weeks. A hard frost makes them sweeter.

Can you leave root vegetables in the ground over winter?

Yes, on well-drained soil. Carrots and parsnips can stay put and be dug as needed, often until March. On wet, heavy soil they rot or get eaten by slugs, so lift and store them instead.

Cover the rows with about 15cm of straw or cardboard before hard frost, so the soil doesn’t freeze solid and you can still dig. Beetroot needs more, about 30cm of straw held down with netting or fleece. In cold upland gardens, lift everything and store it in boxes of damp sand in a frost-free shed. Twist off the leaves first and use any damaged roots straight away.

December harvest UK

Small but worthwhile: Brussels sprouts, leeks, parsnips and kale. Stored roots fill the gaps. Christmas parsnips taste sweetest after a few frosts.

Sprouts are the star of December. Pick what you need for each meal rather than stripping the plant. Leeks and winter cabbage give you fresh greens, and chard or perpetual spinach may still be standing.

If you potted up chicory roots in October, you’ll have pale, crunchy chicons. Stored apples and potatoes keep the summer going. That’s the joy of garden to table growing: even in December, there’s something home-grown on the plate.

Handy tip: Start forcing rhubarb in late December. Put a big pot or bin over a sleeping crown, and you’ll have tender stems by late January.

Quick-reference UK harvest calendar

Here’s when the popular crops are ready. The south is at the early end of each range, and Scotland and the north usually run later.

How to tell when vegetables are ready

Look for the right size, colour or firmness. Leave crops too long and they lose flavour, and some plants stop producing.

Root veg are ready when the tops of the roots show at the soil surface. Carrots show bright orange shoulders. Beetroot is sweetest at 4-6cm across. Parsnips can stay in the ground until you want them, and get better after frost. The RHS guide to storing root vegetables explains when to lift and when to leave them.

Pods need checking often. Runner beans are best at 15-20cm, before the seeds bulge. Peas should be plump but still bright green. Broad beans are tastiest while the little scar on each bean is green rather than black.

Fruiting crops tell you by colour and size. A ripe tomato is evenly coloured and gives a little when squeezed. Pick courgettes at 15-20cm before they go watery. Cucumbers should be firm and dark green.

Dealing with a summer glut

Chutneys, pickles and relishes make the summer harvest last into winter.

Freeze it, store it or pickle it. A plan for the extras means nothing goes to waste.

Freezing works well for runner beans, broad beans, peas and soft fruit. Blanch veg in boiling water for a minute or few, depending on the crop, then cool in iced water, bag and freeze.

Storing suits root veg, onions and squash. Keep potatoes in paper or hessian sacks somewhere cool, dark and frost-free. Hang onions and garlic in nets or plait them. Winter squash keeps for months in a dry, airy room.

Preserving turns gluts into chutneys, jams and pickles. Green tomato chutney and pickled beetroot are classics. Dry herbs in bunches hung upside down in a warm room. And making your own compost from spent plants feeds next year’s beds.

Regional timing differences across the UK

The south usually harvests a few weeks before northern England and Scotland. Coastal Cornwall and Devon have the mildest weather and the longest season, and some gardeners there pick outdoor tomatoes into late October.

The Midlands and the north sit in between. Height matters as much as how far north you are. A hilltop garden in Derbyshire may be later than a sheltered city garden in Edinburgh.

The Highlands and exposed upland areas have the shortest season. Early-ripening varieties help, and cloches and fleece stretch the season at both ends. For a planting plan by region, see our vegetable planting calendar.

Ready to plan next year? Our guide to starting a vegetable garden helps you decide what to grow.

Frequently asked questions

What vegetables can I harvest in winter in the UK?

Leeks, kale, Brussels sprouts, parsnips and winter cabbage. Parsnips taste sweeter after a frost. Squash, onions and potatoes stored from summer keep you going until spring.

How do I know when vegetables are ready to pick?

Each crop has its own signs. Maincrop potatoes are ready when the leaves yellow and die back. Tomatoes should be evenly coloured and give a little when squeezed. Courgettes taste best at 15-20cm long.

What is the best month to harvest in the UK?

August gives you the widest choice. Tomatoes, runner beans, courgettes, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, sweetcorn and plenty of fruit are all ready. July is a close second.

Can I harvest something every month of the year?

Yes, with a little planning. Winter relies on hardy brassicas and stored roots. Spring brings forced rhubarb, asparagus and overwintered crops. Summer and autumn give you the most choice.

Should I harvest vegetables in the morning or evening?

Pick leafy crops and herbs early in the morning. That’s when they’re coolest and crispest. Pick soft fruit when it’s dry. Root veg can be lifted any time of day.

How do I store a glut of vegetables?

Freeze, store or pickle it. Blanch and freeze runner beans, broad beans and peas soon after picking. Keep potatoes, onions and garlic somewhere cool, dark and dry. Pickle beetroot and turn green tomatoes into chutney.

Why do my vegetables taste bitter when I harvest them?

Usually because they were left too long. Lettuce that has bolted turns bitter within days, and big courgettes go watery and bland. Picking little and often gives the best flavour.

Further reading

• Container vegetable gardening: grow crops in pots and small spaces
• Start a vegetable garden: how to begin growing food from scratch
• How to grow spinach: a handy leaf crop for most of the year
• How to grow radishes: the quickest crop in the garden
• Foraging in your garden: tasty wild plants already growing around you