Sunday 15 March 2026 · The garden
The equinox, and what to sow now
Daylight evens up, the soil is still warm, and there's a short window for autumn greens to get going before the cold.
The autumn equinox always feels like a turning point, not just astronomically but in the beds. The soil is still holding summer’s heat, but the days are shortening and the nights are cool enough that lettuce stops bolting the second you look at it.
This is the sweet spot for autumn brassicas and greens. Direct-sow, water in well, and they’ll be up in a week.
What’s going in this fortnight
- Rocket and mizuna: direct, every two weeks
- Spinach: needs the cooler nights to get going properly
- Coriander: finally, after sulking all summer
- Snow peas: soak the seeds overnight first
- Garlic and broad beans: going in soon, once the summer crops come out
A note on succession
The mistake newer gardeners make in autumn is sowing everything at once. The trick is to sow a small amount every two weeks until late May. That way you have something to pick continuously through winter, rather than a glut that all bolts at once when the warm spring days arrive.
See the seed calendar for the full picture of what’s sowable now.