Growing Year Plan: Prepare for the Outdoor Season
Anyone growing outdoors must take the vagaries of the weather into account and adapt their cultivation to nature. A conscientious gardener is not caught off guard and plans planting and the work schedule months in advance. We will guide you through the key periods of the entire outdoor season, and you will learn when and how to plant each crop so that you can look forward to a truly abundant harvest.
January and February: Preparing for the season
Winter is a time for planning and preparing for spring. Start by thinking about what you want to grow in the coming season. Explore new varieties that could enrich your garden or be better suited to the given site. Did you encounter pests or moulds in the previous season? Now is the right time to consider whether to plant more resistant cultivars or even a different plant species. Create a bed plan so that you use the growing area as efficiently as possible.
Tool care: Check the condition of your tools and repair or replace damaged pieces. Invest in quality gardening supplies for professional gardeners, which will save you time and money. Think about everything that might come in handy in the next season. Do not forget sprayers, watering cans, gloves, tying wire, geotextile, plant labels and pruning shears.
Soil maintenance: If the weather allows, add quality compost or vermicompost to the beds to supply the soil with nutrients. Try not to underestimate this step; organic fertilisers need some time to break down in the soil. Mulching is an excellent way to protect the soil from erosion and keep it ready for spring planting throughout the winter.
Are you wondering which fertilisers to use when growing outdoors? Read the article Organic vs. synthetic fertilisers: Which is better for your plants?
March: First sowing and soil care
In March, nature begins to wake up, and it is time for the first outdoor sowing and soil preparation. If you grow plants that need a long ripening period (for example chilli peppers), you can start raising seedlings at home under artificial lighting. You can find out how to raise chilli peppers here.
Preparing the beds: Loosen the beds thoroughly and remove weeds. Add compost or quality growing medium to improve the soil structure and supply it with nutrients. If you are growing using the “no-till” method, where sowing is done directly into unworked soil, skip this step.
Sowing hardy crops: Radishes, carrots, parsley or peas can be sown directly into the beds. For peas, keep a distance of about 10 cm between seeds and 40–60 cm between rows. You can also start raising onions from sets or garlic.
Cold frames and greenhouses: If you have a cold frame or greenhouse, you can start raising tomatoes, peppers and other fruiting vegetables. Do not forget sufficient light and the correct temperature, and you can also try tube heaters for greenhouses.
April: The season gets underway
April is a month full of busy work for outdoor growers. The soil begins to warm up and allows the sowing of less hardy plant species.
Planting potatoes: If you plan to grow potatoes, April is the ideal month to plant them. Plant the tubers in rows 60 cm apart, at a depth of about 10–15 cm.
Sowing leafy and root vegetables: Spinach, beetroot, kohlrabi and chicory can be sown directly into the beds. Also prepare a place for herbs such as coriander, parsley or chives.
Fruiting vegetables: Start raising tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers at home or in the greenhouse. These plants need a longer growing season and will only be moved to outdoor beds in May.
May: Peak planting time
In May, your garden will begin to fill with life. As the saying goes, after the “ice saints”, that is after 14 May, you should start planting heat-loving crops directly into the beds.
Planting tomatoes and peppers: Transplant the raised tomato and pepper seedlings into sunny beds. Keep sufficient spacing between plants so that they have enough room to grow.
Sowing courgettes and pumpkins: These crops need plenty of space, ideally at least 80 cm between plants. Sow them directly into the beds as soon as the soil is sufficiently warm.
Care for young plants: Monitor the weather forecast and protect plants from any night frosts. Use non-woven fabric or film covers.
June and July: Garden care and harvesting
Summer is a time of intensive work for gardeners, but it is also when we can enjoy the first summer harvest. This period is also the peak of activity for many pests. Check the plants in the garden regularly so that you can intervene in time. An overview and detailed information on how to fight insect pests and moulds can be found on our blog.
Watering and mulching: During dry periods, do not forget to water regularly. The modern grower has a range of tools at their disposal, including automatic irrigation systems, which take care of most of the hard work for you.
Pest control: Monitor plants for aphids, slugs or other pests. Try to use ecological methods of protection against pests and diseases, such as predatory beetles or natural insecticides.
Harvesting fast-growing crops: Radishes, spinach and lettuce are ready to harvest within a few weeks of sowing. Sow these crops throughout the season so that you can harvest them gradually.
August and September: Harvest and preparation for autumn
The end of summer and the beginning of autumn are a time of abundance and preparation for the end of the season. Proper care of the garden in these months will ensure not only a flawless harvest without mould, but also a healthy start to the next year.
Harvesting: Tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, potatoes and other crops are ripening. Harvest gradually so that the plants can continue to bear fruit.
Sowing autumn vegetables: Sow winter leeks, Brussels sprouts or autumn spinach so that they have time to grow sufficiently before the frosts arrive.
October and November: The garden rests
With the coming winter, nature begins to prepare for winter rest. Spend time cleaning and caring for the soil. Remove plant residues to prevent the spread of pests and moulds.
Garden clean-up: Remove plant residues that could har