When to plant onions in the UK
Outdoors, onions go in from around 26 February in Southampton to 22 March in Edinburgh.
- Type
- Hardy Copes with cold
- First harvest
- About 140 days from planting in the UK
- Spacing
- 10 cm between plants
- In pots
- Not really better in the ground
- Straight in the ground. Plant onions where they’re to grow, not in seed trays.
Town by town
24 towns from north to south. Dates move later the further you go from the equator and the higher up. Tap a town for its full calendar.
Plant outdoorsPlant under cover (a greenhouse or polytunnel)
| TownTown, north to south | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EdinburghFrom 22 MarOutdoors 22 Mar to 12 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| GlasgowFrom 19 MarOutdoors 19 Mar to 10 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Newcastle upon TyneFrom 15 MarOutdoors 15 Mar to 8 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BelfastFrom 4 MarOutdoors 4 Mar to 9 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LeedsFrom 10 MarOutdoors 10 Mar to 2 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BradfordFrom 15 MarOutdoors 15 Mar to 5 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| PrestonFrom 8 MarOutdoors 8 Mar to 2 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Kingston upon HullFrom 5 MarOutdoors 5 Mar to 1 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| ManchesterFrom 8 MarOutdoors 8 Mar to 1 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LiverpoolFrom 6 MarOutdoors 6 Mar to 3 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SheffieldFrom 9 MarOutdoors 9 Mar to 30 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| NottinghamFrom 6 MarOutdoors 6 Mar to 29 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LeicesterFrom 5 MarOutdoors 5 Mar to 28 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| WolverhamptonFrom 12 MarOutdoors 12 Mar to 2 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BirminghamFrom 11 MarOutdoors 11 Mar to 1 May | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| CoventryFrom 6 MarOutdoors 6 Mar to 28 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SwanseaFrom 2 MarOutdoors 2 Mar to 29 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Southend-on-SeaFrom 1 MarOutdoors 1 Mar to 24 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LondonFrom 1 MarOutdoors 1 Mar to 22 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| CardiffFrom 27 FebOutdoors 27 Feb to 30 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| ReadingFrom 2 MarOutdoors 2 Mar to 24 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BristolFrom 1 MarOutdoors 1 Mar to 26 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SouthamptonFrom 26 FebOutdoors 26 Feb to 24 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BrightonFrom 28 FebOutdoors 28 Feb to 24 Apr | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
Don’t see your town? Find it by name or postcode.
Onions in other countries
When to plant other crops in the UK
Fruiting
Roots
Leaves
Beans and peas
Onion family
Brassicas
Herbs
Fruit
Also searched for
Get these dates as reminders
Bia turns this calendar into a nudge when it’s time to sow, plant out and harvest, for your plot wherever you are in the UK. Free for 2 months.
App StoreComing soonHow these dates are worked out: climate records for each town (ERA5-Land, 1995 to 2024), its frost dates and its height above sea level turn a seed-packet date into a local one. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; towns from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). How sowing dates work