Seasonal Growing Calendar – What to Sow, Transplant and Harvest When

Correct timing is the key to every garden's success. Sow too early and seeds rot in cold soil or sprout prematurely and freeze. Sow too late and heat-loving crops won't ripen before autumn frosts arrive. This calendar guides you through the entire year month by month: what to start indoors by the window, what to sow directly in beds, when to transplant into open ground, and when to harvest. It covers over 30 types of vegetables and herbs and is tailored to Czech climate conditions. Print it out and hang it on your shed wall – it will be your guide from the first sowings in February through to kale harvesting in December.

Climate Zones of the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic lies in a temperate climate zone, but local conditions vary significantly by elevation, location, and microclimate. For gardeners, two dates are critical: the date of the last spring frost and the date of the first autumn frost. The frost-free period between them determines what can actually be grown in your area.

Zone Overview

USDA Hardiness Zones: The Czech Republic ranges from zone 6b (mountain areas, lows around -20 °C) to zone 8a (warmest lowlands, lows around -12 °C). Most gardens fall into zones 6b–7b.

The Ice Saints (Pankrác, Servác, Bonifác)

May 12–14 – the traditional date after which frosts shouldn't occur. In recent decades, the last frost in lowlands has shifted to late April, but the safe threshold for heat-loving crops remains May 15. In mountainous areas and frost-prone valleys, wait until late May.

Tip: Monitor the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) forecast – no calendar can replace actual weather data for your specific location.

January – Planning and Preparation

The garden rests, but the gardener doesn't. January is ideal for thoughtful planning that pays off all season long.

What to Do

• Order seeds – browse our selection of vegetable seeds and herbs and plan your crop rotation
• Study your crop rotation plan – plan plant succession, green manuring, and suitable companion planting combinations
• Check your supplies – stock up on substrate, seeders, pots, and fertilizers while they're available
• Pre-sprout potatoes: From mid-January, spread seed potatoes in a bright spot at 10–15 °C. In 4–6 weeks they'll develop strong, short sprouts, making planting much easier

Indoor Seed Starting (20–25 °C)

February – First Indoor Sowings

Days noticeably lengthen and sun strengthens – time to wake your windowsill nursery to life.

Indoor Seed Starting (20–25 °C)

Tips for Successful Indoor Starting

• Use quality seed-starting substrate – fine-textured, sterilized, with good drainage
• Supplement with LED grow lights – February sun isn't enough even on south-facing windows; without supplemental light, seedlings stretch and weaken
• Germination temperature is critical: tomatoes 22–25 °C, peppers 25–28 °C, eggplant 25 °C
• After germination, lower temperature to 18–20 °C – seedlings grow more compactly and root better

March – The Season Begins

A crucial month – windowsills and nurseries come alive, and if weather permits, the first direct sowings go into beds.

Indoor Seed Starting

Direct Sowing Outdoors (weather-dependent)

Other Tasks

• Cover crops: Use row cover or plastic tunnels on early sowings – speeds germination and protects from late frosts
• Compost: Turn over overwintered compost and add activator to speed decomposition
• Soil: Once soil dries, lightly loosen the surface – deep tilling of wet soil destroys its structure

April – Beds Come Alive

Nature explodes – spinach, radishes, and peas are already growing; windowsills overflow with seedlings awaiting transplanting and beds fill quickly.

Indoor Seed Starting

Direct Sowing Outdoors

Hardening Off and Transplanting Outdoors (to cold frame or under row cover)

Other Tasks

• Potatoes: Plant early varieties (from mid-April in lowlands, early May elsewhere)
• Strawberries: Remove overwintered leaves, apply nitrogen fertilizer
• Fruit Trees: Last chance for spring pruning before bloom
• Fertilizing Beds: Incorporate compost or aged manure – nutrients will be available for first plantings

May – Critical Month

After the Ice Saints (May 15), the last barriers fall – all heat-loving crops go out, beds fill to capacity.

Direct Sowing Outdoors (after May 15)

Transplanting Outdoors (after Ice Saints)

Harvest

• Spinach (spring sowing)
• Radishes (first sowing)
• Lettuce (started indoors, under row cover)
• Asparagus (established beds, 3+ years old)
• Rhubarb
• Spring Onions

Other Tasks

• Mulching: Immediately after transplanting, mulch beds with straw, mown grass, or wood chips (5–10 cm) – conserves moisture and suppresses weeds
• Drip Irrigation: Install drip lines to tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers – consistent watering prevents many diseases
• Weeding: Regular early weeding is many times easier than battling overgrown weeds

June – Garden in Full Swing

Everything grows, including weeds. Watering becomes a daily priority and first real harvests reward spring labor.

Direct Sowing Outdoors

Transplanting and Planting

• Leek: Transplant to deep trenches (10–15 cm) – earthing up the stem adds tenderness and flavor
• Late Cabbage: Plant for fall and winter harvest, also for sauerkraut
• Broccoli, Cauliflower: Late varieties for September–October harvest
• Kale, Cavolo Nero: For winter bed; frost actually improves flavor

Harvest

• Strawberries – main season; pick daily
• Peas – first pods; harvest regularly to stimulate more flowering
• Spinach – finish harvest (bolts in heat and becomes bitter)
• Lettuce – continuous harvest
• Radishes – continuously
• Early Potatoes
• Kohlrabi (early varieties)
• Fava Beans
• Spring Onions
• Herb Bed – basil, mint, thyme, oregano in full force

Care

• Tomatoes: Regularly remove suckers, tie to stakes every 15–20 cm of growth
• Cucumbers: Mulch and water regularly – irregular watering causes bitter fruit
• Watering: Water early morning or evening, deeply at roots, not overhead (prevents fungal disease)
• Feeding: Top-dress tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers with potassium fertilizer every 2 weeks

July – Harvest Begins

Most beautiful month in the garden – colors, aromas, and full baskets reward patience from previous months.

Direct Sowing Outdoors

Harvest – Main Season

August – Full Harvest and Fall Bed Preparation

Baskets overflow, but a farsighted gardener thinks three months ahead – fall and winter beds are established now.

Direct Sowing Outdoors

Harvest