How to grow basil outdoors in England (and when not to)
How to grow basil in England: sow indoors in spring, plant out in June once nights stay above 10°C, in a warm, sunny, sheltered spot, or keep it under cover.
One bed · a clearer growing season
Start with a plan that feels ready to grow.
Make room for the crops you love. Start with your outdoor raised bed, its sunlight, and a few favourites. Get a clear layout, useful quantities, and a growing calendar with the reasoning behind every choice.
Sowstory is an iPhone app, coming soon to the App Store. The growing guides on this site are free to read.
- Exact millimetres
- Rows and plants
- Every trade-off explained
1.2 × 2.4 mNorth ↑
Growing guides
Learn as you grow
Practical, England-first guides for one raised bed: measuring and siting it, choosing crops and timing each sowing.
- Grow guidesCrop-by-crop guides for raised beds in England: when to sow, spacing, care and harvest, with the numbers you need to plan.14 guides
- Sowing calendarWhat to sow and plant each month in England, with frost timing and a full-year vegetable sowing calendar.14 guides
- Raised bedsSizes, depth, soil, filling, layout and spacing: everything you need to set up and plan a vegetable raised bed.10 guides
- Companion plantingWhich plants grow well together in a raised bed, what to keep apart, and how strong the evidence behind each pairing is.4 guides
- SpacingHow far apart to plant each crop in a raised bed, with the published ranges behind the numbers.1 guide
- Tools and calculatorsWorked methods and ready-made tables for soil volume, plant spacing and how many plants fit your bed.2 guides
- Using the Sowstory appHow the Sowstory app turns your bed, sunlight and favourite crops into a layout, quantities and a calendar.6 guides
- What to growCrop-by-crop guides to vegetables that suit a raised bed in England, with spacing and timing you can plan around.Guides on the way
- When to sowSowing and planting windows for England, and how to read them as ranges rather than fixed dates.Guides on the way
How to grow lettuce in a raised bed in England
How to grow lettuce in England: sow a short row every two weeks from late March to late July, space loose-leaf and hearting types well, and stop summer bolting.
How to grow peas in a raised bed
How to grow peas in a raised bed in England: sow March to June in a wide drill, 7.5 cm apart, give them support and pick dwarf peas about 12 weeks after sowing.
Start with your space
Your bed’s real size, its sunlight, an England postcode and a choice of 35 vegetables and herbs.
A place for every crop
Long, practical rows and individual plants with room to grow. Spacing stays true to your bed.
Know what comes next
See quantities, seasonal ranges, and the reasons for each choice. Keep progress in your private journal.
Built for real planning
Use the whole planner before creating an account.
- Private-by-default journal model
- Transient postcode boundary
- Succession is not included in this release
- No public profiles or sharing feeds