Berlin Vegetable Gardening Calendar: A Month-by-Month Guide
Growing your own vegetables in Berlin is a rewarding experience. However, the city's continental climate with cold winters and potentially hot summers requires careful timing. This month-by-month calendar will guide you through the gardening year, telling you what to sow, plant, and harvest for a bountiful crop.
February - March: The Starting Signal Indoors
The garden is still asleep, but preparations begin on the windowsill.
- Sow Indoors: Start seeds of slow-growing, heat-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, chili, and eggplant indoors in small pots. They need a warm, sunny spot to germinate.
- First Outdoor Sowing (late March): If the soil is no longer frozen, you can sow the first hardy vegetables directly outside: radishes, spinach, and field lettuce.
April: The Garden Awakes
The risk of hard frost diminishes, and the soil slowly warms up.
- Sow Outdoors: Carrots, peas, beets, lettuce, and Swiss chard can now be sown directly into the garden bed.
- Plant Outdoors: Hardy pre-grown seedlings like kohlrabi and various types of cabbage can be planted outside.
- Potatoes: It's the ideal time to plant seed potatoes.
May: The "Ice Saints" and the Big Planting Spree
May is the most important month for the Berlin vegetable gardener. But beware of the "Ice Saints" (Eisheiligen) around mid-May, which can bring a final late frost.
- Planting after the Ice Saints (after May 15th): Now it's safe to plant all your precious, pre-grown heat-loving plants outside: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, and herbs like basil.
- Sow Outdoors: It's time for beans (bush beans and pole beans), corn, and successive sowings of lettuce and radishes for a continuous harvest.
June: Growth and First Harvests
The garden is now in full swing.
- Harvest: The first radishes, spinach, lettuce, and early peas are ready to be picked.
- Care: Water regularly, especially during dry spells. Mulch around your plants to retain moisture. Tie up tomatoes and pole beans.
July - August: The Peak of Summer Harvest
These are the months of abundance. The main challenge is keeping everything well-watered during Berlin's hot and dry periods.
- Harvest: Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, beets, carrots, and much more. Harvest regularly to encourage the plants to produce more.
- Sow for Autumn: In late July and August, you can sow again for an autumn harvest: spinach, radishes, arugula, and winter lettuces.
September: Golden Autumn and Last Harvests
The days are getting shorter, but the garden still has plenty to offer.
- Harvest: The last tomatoes and peppers (let them ripen indoors if necessary), pumpkins, corn, main-crop potatoes, and the first autumn salads.
- Sow: Plant garlic cloves for the coming year. Green manure crops can be sown on empty beds to improve the soil.
October - November: Preparing for Winter
The gardening year is coming to an end.
- Harvest: Hardy vegetables like kale, Brussels sprouts, and leeks. They even taste better after the first frost.
- Garden Cleanup: Remove dead plant material to prevent diseases. Lightly dig over empty beds and incorporate compost to prepare the soil for spring.
By following this calendar and keeping an eye on the local weather forecast, your Berlin vegetable garden can be a source of fresh, delicious produce all season long.