April and May are two of the busiest (and most rewarding) months on an allotment in the UK. It’s all about sowing, planting, protecting, and staying on top of growth as everything starts taking off.

Sowing Seeds (Outdoors & Indoors)

Direct sow outdoors

• Carrots

• Beetroot

• Radish (quick wins – ready in weeks)

• Spring onions

• Lettuce & salad leaves (succession sow every 2–3 weeks)

👉 Tip: Sow little and often rather than everything at once.

Start indoors or in a greenhouse

• Tomatoes

• Courgettes

• Pumpkins & squash

• Sweetcorn

• Cucumbers

👉 These need warmth—don’t rush them outside yet.

Planting Out (after frost risk reduces)

Harden off & transplant

• Cabbage, kale, broccoli

• Leeks

• Onion sets

• Early potatoes (if not already in)

👉 Harden off plants first (gradually expose them to outside conditions over a week).

🥔 Key Jobs to Stay On Top Of

Maintenance tasks

• Weeding – little and often saves hours later

• Watering – especially seedlings and anything in pots

• Mulching – helps retain moisture and suppress weeds

• Earthing up potatoes – protect shoots from frost

• Netting crops – protect from pigeons & insects

Watch Out For…

• Slugs & snails (they love young plants)

• Late frosts (still possible into May in the UK)

• Pests like cabbage white butterflies

👉 Keep fleece or cloches handy for cold nights.

Bonus Jobs (Worth Doing Now)

• Build supports for peas & beans before they need them

• Start a compost routine if you haven’t already

• Divide overcrowded herbs (mint, chives, etc.)

• Plan your layout so you don’t run out of space later

What You Could Be Harvesting

• Rhubarb

• Early salads

• Spring onions

• Radishes

April/May on the allotment.