At a glance
One of the biggest advantages of a raised bed over a traditional garden border is that you can grow something in it almost every month of the year. With a bit of planning, the same 1.2m × 2.4m bed that’s producing lettuces in April can be growing tomatoes in July and overwintering garlic by October. The key is knowing what to plant when – and that depends very much on where you are in the UK.
This guide is written for the UK climate specifically, not the sunnier American or Australian growing guides you’ll often find when you search for planting advice. The timings here account for our cooler springs, wetter summers and milder winters than most growing guides assume.
Spring planting – March to May
Spring is the most exciting time in the raised bed calendar. The soil warms faster than open ground, giving you a genuine head start on the growing season.
| Crop | Sow/plant | Spacing | Harvest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broad beans | Direct sow March | 20cm | June–July | Hardy, can go in early |
| Lettuce & salad | Direct sow Mar–Apr | 15cm | 6 weeks | Sow every 3 weeks for continuous harvest |
| Radishes | Direct sow March+ | 5cm | 4 weeks | Fastest crop in the garden |
| Spinach | Direct sow March+ | 10cm | 6–8 weeks | Bolt-resistant varieties for spring |
| Spring onions | Direct sow March+ | 1cm (thin to 5cm) | 8 weeks | Sow thickly and thin |
| Peas | Direct sow Mar–Apr | 8cm | Jun–Jul | Provide support – even dwarf varieties benefit |
| Potatoes (early) | Plant Apr (after frosts) | 30cm | Jun–Jul | Chit first for 3–4 weeks |
| Onion sets | Plant March–April | 10cm | July–Aug | Easier than seed for beginners |
| Garlic | Plant March (or Oct) | 15cm | July | Autumn planting gives bigger bulbs |
The last frost date matters: In the UK, average last frost dates vary from late March in the south of England to mid-May in Scotland and northern England. Check your local average – planting frost-sensitive crops like courgettes and tomatoes outdoors before this date is risky. Always have fleece ready in April and May regardless of how warm it feels.
Summer planting – June to August
By June your raised bed should be in full production. This is also the time to plan for succession – what goes in as early crops come out.
| Crop | Plant out | Spacing | Harvest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Plant out May–June | 45–60cm | Jul–Oct | Bush/determinate vars best for beds |
| Courgettes | Plant out May–June | 90cm | Jul–Sep | One plant per square metre minimum |
| French beans | Direct sow May–June | 15cm | Jul–Sep | Dwarf varieties for beds |
| Sweetcorn | Plant out June | 35cm (block plant) | Aug–Sep | Plant in blocks for wind pollination |
| Cucumbers | Plant out June | 45cm | Jul–Sep | Train up a trellis to save space |
| Beetroot | Direct sow May–Jul | 10cm | Jul–Oct | Sow every 4 weeks for succession |
| Carrots | Direct sow Apr–Jun | Thin to 8cm | Jul–Oct | Deep, stone-free soil essential |
| Kale | Plant out June–July | 45cm | Sep onwards | Pick outer leaves for months |
Watch for blight in July and August. UK summers — particularly in the north and west – create ideal blight conditions for tomatoes and potatoes. Choose blight-resistant tomato varieties like Crimson Crush or Koralik if your garden tends to be wet. Remove any yellowing leaves immediately and never water overhead.
Autumn planting – September to October
Autumn is the most underused season in UK raised beds. While most gardeners are clearing up, you can be planting crops that will overwinter and produce harvests from February onwards – a genuinely hungry gap filler.
| Crop | Plant/sow | Spacing | Harvest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garlic | Plant Oct–Nov | 15cm | June–July | Best autumn crop — larger bulbs than spring planting |
| Overwintering onion sets | Plant Sep–Oct | 10cm | May–June | Specific overwintering varieties only |
| Winter salad leaves | Sow Sep | 10cm | Oct–Feb | Lamb’s lettuce, winter purslane, mizuna |
| Broad beans (autumn) | Sow Oct–Nov | 20cm | May–June | Earlier harvest than spring-sown |
| Spring cabbages | Plant Sep–Oct | 30cm | Mar–May | Cover with fleece in hard frosts |
Winter growing – what’s possible
A raised bed doesn’t have to sit empty from November to March. A simple polytunnel cloche or cold frame over the bed extends your growing season significantly:
- Lamb’s lettuce (mâche) – genuinely frost-hardy, will grow all winter even uncovered in mild areas
- Winter purslane – unusual but productive, tolerates temperatures down to -5°C
- Mizuna and mibuna – fast-growing Asian greens that survive light frosts under a cloche
- Kale – the hardiest brassica, improves in flavour after frost, harvest outer leaves all winter
- Leeks – planted in summer, stand through winter and harvest as needed
Spacing and intensive planting
The key advantage of raised beds is that you never walk on the soil, so it never compacts. This means you can plant much more intensively than traditional row-based growing. Instead of rows with walking paths between them, plant in a grid pattern with just enough space between plants for air circulation.
A useful rule of thumb: plant at half the spacing recommended on the seed packet for row growing, but ensure every plant has at least 15cm of air space in every direction. This typically increases yield by 30–50% compared to conventional spacing.
Crop rotation basics
With a single raised bed, strict four-bed rotation isn’t possible – but some basic rotation still matters. The key rules:
- Never grow the same brassica family in the same bed two years running — clubroot builds up in soil and is virtually impossible to eradicate
- Move tomatoes and potatoes each year – both are in the Solanaceae family and share diseases including blight
- Legumes (peas, beans) fix nitrogen – follow them with hungry crops like brassicas or sweetcorn that benefit from the nitrogen boost
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A raised bed that’s properly planned and succession planted will produce far more food than most people expect from the same amount of space. The key is never leaving soil bare – as one crop comes out, the next goes straight in. For more on getting the most from your raised bed, read our guide on the perfect raised bed soil mix to make sure your growing medium is working as hard as your planting plan.
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