📅 Seed to Harvest Timeline
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How long until harvest?

Pick any vegetable, fruit or flower to see a full growing timeline — from germination through to the moment you can pick it — with a month-by-month sowing calendar.

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How long do vegetables take to grow in the UK?

Growing times in the UK vary significantly by plant, variety and season. A quick radish can go from seed to harvest in under four weeks. A parsnip takes the full growing season — sown in spring, harvested in autumn or winter. Knowing the seed-to-harvest time for each crop is essential for planning your plot, staggering harvests, and making sure you sow at the right time to get a crop before the season ends.

UK seed to harvest times for popular vegetables

🍅 Tomatoes
Sow indoors: Feb–Mar. Plant out: late May. Harvest: July–Oct. Total: 16–22 weeks from transplant.
🥕 Carrots
Direct sow: Mar–Jul. Harvest: Jun–Nov. Total: 10–16 weeks from sowing depending on variety.
🥒 Courgettes
Sow indoors: Apr–May. Plant out: late May–Jun. Harvest: Jul–Oct. Prolific once established.
🫘 French Beans
Sow direct: May–Jul. Harvest: Jul–Oct. Total: 8–12 weeks. Sow every 3 weeks for a continuous crop.
🥬 Lettuce
Sow direct: Mar–Aug. Harvest: 6–10 weeks from sowing. Ideal for succession sowing every 2–3 weeks.
🧅 Onions
Sow seeds Jan–Feb or plant sets Mar–Apr. Harvest: Jul–Aug. Total: 20–26 weeks from seed.
🥦 Broccoli
Sow Apr–May. Plant out: Jun–Jul. Harvest: Aug–Nov. Total: 12–16 weeks from planting out.
🌽 Sweetcorn
Sow indoors: Apr–May. Plant out: late May–Jun. Harvest: Aug–Sep. Needs warm summer to crop well in UK.

Succession planting for continuous harvests

Succession planting — sowing small amounts of the same crop every 2–3 weeks rather than all at once — gives you a steady supply throughout the season instead of a glut followed by nothing. Lettuce, radishes, French beans, spinach and beetroot all respond well to succession sowing. The seed to harvest timeline shows you exactly how long each crop takes so you can calculate your sowing intervals to keep harvests coming continuously.

Select any plant from the tool above for a complete week-by-week timeline, month-by-month sowing calendar, and succession planting advice. Use alongside the companion planting checker and monthly jobs checklist for a complete growing plan. See all free GrowGuide tools →