Calendula
One of the most dependable hardy annuals for direct autumn sowing in workable, well-drained soil.
What Seeds to Sow in October in Northern Europe (Cool Summer Climates)
Cool climates · shorter days · colder nights · next spring starts now
October is not a month for sowing everything. It is a month for choosing the right strategy. Hardy annual flowers can still be sown for an earlier display next year, sweet peas are ideal for protected autumn sowing, selected salads can continue under cover, and a few perennial seeds can use winter cold as part of their germination process.
The farther north, wetter or more exposed your garden is, the more you should move October sowings into pots, a cold frame or an unheated greenhouse rather than sowing directly into open ground.
Shop Seeds for October SowingStart Here
What Should You Sow in October?
Choose the route that matches your garden rather than the calendar alone.
Mild & Sheltered
Soil is still workable and drains well
Direct-sow hardy annuals such as calendula, cornflowers, nigella, poppies and linum. In mild areas, autumn peas and selected California poppies can also be tried.
See outdoor sowings →Cold / Wet / Exposed
Winter arrives quickly
Sow hardy flowers into pots rather than saturated ground, then keep them in a cold frame or bright sheltered place. Avoid forcing tender crops through shortening days.
See protected sowings →Cold Frame / Greenhouse
You have unheated protection
October becomes much more productive. Start sweet peas, selected cut flowers and small batches of cool-season leaves for slow autumn and winter growth.
Use your protected space →Long-Game Sowing
Use winter cold to your advantage
Eryngium, lavender and Verbena bonariensis are useful October projects when you are happy to sow now and wait. Cold, moist conditions can help break seed dormancy.
Cold-stratification projects →The Safest Choices
Fontana’s Best October Bets
If you only want the strongest choices for northern Europe, start here.
Cornflowers
Excellent for autumn sowing and often earlier, stronger flowering next year than spring sowings.
Nigella
Easy, cold-tolerant and well suited to direct sowing where it is to flower.
Annual Poppies
Direct sow. Poppies dislike root disturbance, so October is a good opportunity to sow them where they will flower.
Browse poppy seeds →Sweet Peas
Sow in deep pots and overwinter cool and bright in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.
King Size Coronation Mix →Spinach Renegade
A particularly useful cool-season vegetable. Protect October sowings with fleece, a cloche, cold frame or greenhouse.
Organic Spinach Renegade →
Outside in October
Hardy Flowers to Direct-Sow Now
These are the most useful open-ground October sowings in the Fontana range. Choose a sunny, weed-free position and free-draining soil. In very cold northern or continental areas, pots in a cold frame are safer than direct sowing late in the month.
Very reliable
Calendula
Sow shallowly into prepared soil. Seedlings are hardy, but prolonged winter waterlogging is more damaging than ordinary cold.
Browse calendula →Very reliable
Cornflowers
Direct autumn sowing gives seedlings time to establish and can produce earlier flowering next season.
Browse cornflowers →Very reliable
Nigella
Direct sow and leave seedlings in place. Nigella works particularly well in informal borders and cut-flower beds.
Browse nigella →Excellent October crop
Annual Poppies
Sow directly where they are to flower and cover only lightly. Autumn sowing is especially useful for poppies because their roots dislike disturbance. Thin seedlings rather than transplanting them.
Amazing Grey Frosted Salmon Peony Purple Peony Flemish Antique Peony Black Peony Rose Feathers Crimson Feathers Lauren's Grape Breadseed Dawn Chorus
Browse all poppies →Good on drained soil
Linum Grandiflorum Mix
Autumn sowing can give flax an earlier start next year. It is a better choice on light, free-draining soil than on heavy winter-wet ground.
Linum Grandiflorum Mix →Early October / mild gardens
Wildflower Mixes
Autumn wildflower sowing is most useful early in the month on light, weed-free soil. If your soil is heavy, cold or waterlogged in winter, spring is safer.
Browse wildflower mixes →
Cold-climate adjustment: In Scandinavia, the Baltics, higher elevations and colder inland areas, October germination may be too slow for reliable establishment. Sow these hardy annuals earlier in October, use pots in a cold frame, or save part of the seed for spring as insurance.
Cold Frame · Unheated Greenhouse · Bright Shelter
October Sowing Under Cover
Protection does not mean heat. Most useful October sowings want good light, cool temperatures, ventilation and protection from persistent rain, severe frost, slugs and mice.
Top protected flower
Sweet Pea King Size Coronation Mix
October is a classic time to sow sweet peas under glass. Use deep pots or root trainers, keep seedlings cool and bright, and overwinter them in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. Autumn-sown sweet peas develop strong roots and can flower earlier next year.
View Sweet Pea King Size Coronation Mix
ContainerDeep pots / root trainers
After germinationCool & bright
WinterCold frame / unheated greenhouse
Main riskMice, slugs & wet compost
Early October only
Scabiosa for an Earlier Cut-Flower Crop
Autumn sowing can produce large, early plants, but by October this is a protected rather than casual outdoor sowing. Start in modules, then overwinter in a cold frame. In colder areas, spring sowing is the safer choice.
Browse scabiosa →For spring flowers
Iceland Poppy — only if conditions suit
Iceland poppies prefer cool conditions and can be autumn-sown, but October is best treated as a specialist sowing. Surface-sow, keep evenly moist and protect young plants from prolonged winter wet. Skip this if your winters are very wet and your protected space is dark.
Iceland Poppy Champagne Bubbles White →Let Winter Do Some of the Work
Seeds That Can Use an Autumn Cold Period
These are not quick October crops. They are worthwhile projects for gardeners who enjoy starting perennials from seed and are prepared for slower, sometimes irregular germination.
Eryngium Blue Hobbit
Eryngium seed benefits from a cold period. Sow into a pot of moist, free-draining compost and expose it to cool conditions, or use the refrigerator method described in the growing instructions. Germination can be irregular, so do not discard the pot too quickly.
Eryngium Blue Hobbit →Organic Lavender
Autumn sowing can provide the cool, moist period lavender seed often benefits from. Surface-sow or cover very lightly, keep the pot outside in a sheltered position or cold frame, and expect germination to be slower than annual flowers.
Organic Lavender →Verbena Bonariensis
Verbena bonariensis can be sown in autumn. Its germination is naturally erratic, so an outdoor or cold-frame pot that experiences winter temperature changes can be useful. Keep the compost moist but never saturated.
Verbena Bonariensis →
Important: Cold-stratification sowings are different from hardy annuals. Do not expect all seeds to germinate quickly in October. Label pots clearly and leave them undisturbed long enough for winter conditions to do their work.
Edible October Sowing
What Is Still Worth Sowing for Food?
In northern Europe, October vegetables are mainly a protected-growing project. The goal is not rapid summer growth: think baby leaves, slow overwintering crops and early spring harvests. Light becomes as limiting as temperature.
| Variety | Where to sow | Best October use | October note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Spinach Renegade | Cold frame, greenhouse, cloche; mild gardens outdoors | Overwintering leaves | Strong choice |
| Organic Mesclun Asian Mix | Greenhouse, cold frame or bright sheltered containers | Baby leaves | Best early October |
| Organic Mesclun Salad Leaves | Protected containers / greenhouse | Young cut-and-come-again leaves | Protected only |
| Organic Coriander | Greenhouse, cloche or sunny windowsill | Leaves / microgreens | Useful autumn herb |
| Organic Lettuce Oakleaf Salad Bowl | Greenhouse or cold frame | Young leaves rather than full heads | Not a dedicated winter lettuce |
| Organic Radish Cherry Belle | Cold greenhouse / protected container | Small roots or leaves | Growth slows sharply |
| Organic Chard Fireworks | Greenhouse border / containers | Baby leaves | Slow but possible |
| Organic Parsley Italian Giant | Greenhouse / sheltered pots | Long-term overwintering pot | Slow germination |
| Organic Rocket Esmee | Indoors or well-protected greenhouse sowing | Young leaves | September is easier |
Mild areas only
Organic Pea First Early May
This round-seeded, cold-tolerant early pea can be autumn-sown for an early crop where winters are relatively mild. Choose a sheltered, well-drained site and protect young plants from birds, severe frost and saturated soil. In colder continental or northern regions, wait until late winter or spring.
View Organic Pea First Early May
Not all Fontana peas are October peas.
Sweet Horizon and Norli are excellent cool-season peas, but they are not the varieties we would prioritize for an October overwintering sowing in northern Europe.
Timing Matters
Early October vs Late October
The useful sowing window contracts quickly as light levels and soil temperatures fall.
1–10 October
Make the most of workable soil
Best time for direct hardy annuals, wildflower mixes on light soil, early protected scabiosa, mild-area peas and the last outdoor sowings under fleece.
11–20 October
Move towards protection
Continue calendula, cornflowers, nigella and poppies where conditions remain suitable. Prioritize sweet peas, spinach, coriander and protected baby leaves.
21–31 October
Stop chasing fast growth
In colder areas, focus on cold-stratification projects and protected sowings rather than expecting rapid germination outdoors. Good drainage, ventilation and winter protection matter more than sowing more seed.
October Technique
Five Things That Matter More This Month
1. DrainageCold-tolerant seedlings often cope with frost better than with saturated compost or soil.
2. LightShort days mean growth slows. Give protected seedlings the brightest position available.
3. AirflowVentilate cold frames and greenhouses on mild days to reduce damping off and mould.
4. Water carefullyWater less often than in summer and preferably earlier in the day so plants are not wet overnight.
5. Keep spring insuranceIn very cold areas, do not use an entire packet for autumn sowing. Keep some seed for spring.
October in Northern Europe
Sow Less — Choose Better
For most gardeners, the strongest October plan is simple: hardy annual flowers outdoors, sweet peas under cover, spinach and a few salad crops in protected space, and perennial seeds that benefit from winter cold.