What to sow and plant in the vegetable garden in October?

Updated 4 November 2026 · By the Orto editorial team

In October, plant garlic if the soil drains: in Valle d'Aosta the window is October–November, and in Campania it stays open until late February. In mild areas, sow hardy broad beans, and in Campania peas go back into the ground from October to November.

October garden with broad bean and pea seedlings, garlic shoots and autumn leaves

By region

Job	North	Centre	South and islands
Garlic	Yes. In Valle d'Aosta the window is October–November, on soil that can be worked and drains. If it is frozen or sodden, the fallback is March.	Yes if the soil drains: the RHS puts planting between mid-autumn and early winter.	In Campania, from October–November through to late February. In Sicily, from the second ten days of December: in October, wait.
Onion	Sets in October, on drained, sheltered soil: harvest in June. If the soil is sodden, wait for spring.	The written outdoor sowing is November and December. If the soil is sodden, wait.	Summer–autumn is one of Campania's windows. In Sicily the month depends on the type of crop.
Broad beans	Yes, only in mild or very sheltered spots, with hardy varieties. Otherwise from March to early May.	As in the north. In Umbria, outdoor sowing is listed for December too.	In Campania the written window is November–December. In October, in mild, sheltered spots, the RHS rule for hardy varieties still applies.
Peas	Yes, in a sheltered spot, for dwarf varieties: that is Valle d'Aosta's useful autumn sowing. In pots, keep them under cover through the winter.	As in the north, if the spot is sheltered. In the open ground the seed waits for soil at about 10 °C.	In Campania the window is October–November.
Potatoes	Do not plant.	Do not plant. At Colfiorito you are harvesting, from 1 August through November.	In Sicily the early crop is October–November, and you do not sow if the monthly mean is below 7 °C. In Campania, October is not named: the cycles are the early crop, the main crop and the second crop from late July on the coast.
Strawberries	The window for rooting before next year's crop is August–September. October sits in the bare-root season, from September to April, only if the soil can be worked and the plant still has time before frost.	As in the north. On cold, wet ground, wait.	A mild winter leaves more time. The bare-root season is open. The crown stays level with the soil.

Indicative windows for a home garden. Frost, drainage and soil temperature matter more than the month in the table.

October–November for garlic in Valle d'Aosta, with March as the fallback, is from the bulb issue of the Informatore. The RHS puts it between mid-autumn and early winter. In Campania the window runs from October–November to late February; in Sicily it starts in the second ten days of December. Onion sets in October, with harvest in June, are from Valle d'Aosta; November and December outdoors are from Umbria's calendar; summer–autumn is from Campania. Broad beans in October or November, in mild areas, are from the RHS; November–December in Campania and December in Umbria complete the picture. October peas in the north are from Valle d'Aosta's Informatore; October–November in Campania is from the regional guide; the 10 °C is from the RHS. Sicily's early crop in October–November and the 7 °C are from the Sicilian guide; Colfiorito's harvest through November is from the regional proposal; Campania's three cycles do not name October. Strawberries in August–September, and the bare-root season from September to April, are from the RHS. If the packet gives another window, the packet wins. September is in the September calendar, November in the November calendar, and the wider picture in the planting calendar.

Garlic and onions

October is the month garlic goes into the ground, if the soil can be worked and drains. It needs cold to split into cloves, which is why it wants autumn, and not sodden soil. In Valle d'Aosta, if the ground is frozen or sodden, wait until March. In Campania you can carry on until late February. In Sicily, wait for the second ten days of December. Seed cloves, pointed end up, in the sun. The rest is in the garlic guide. The months by region are in when to plant garlic.

Onions, in Valle d'Aosta, are this month's sets, on drained, sheltered soil, with harvest in June. In Umbria the written outdoor sowing is November and December. If the soil is sodden, wait. In the south, the precise month of the summer–autumn window is on the packet. The windows are in when to plant onions.

Broad beans and peas

Sow broad beans now only in mild or very sheltered spots, with hardy varieties, and with some cover if it freezes. That is the RHS autumn window, October or November. In Campania the guide writes November–December. Where autumn is cold, outdoor sowing returns from March to early May. Peas, in Valle d'Aosta, are sown in a sheltered spot, dwarf varieties. In Campania the window is October–November. Below about 10 °C of soil the seed does not start: in a pot, keep them under cover and plant them out in early spring. Depth and spacing are in peas and broad beans. The months by region are in when to plant peas and when to plant broad beans.

Potatoes and strawberries

In Sicily, October opens the early crop, together with November. Do not sow if the monthly mean is below 7 °C. In the north and in Umbria, do not plant: at Colfiorito the harvest runs through November. In Campania, October is not among the months of the three cycles. The second crop is the one that started from late July, on the coast. The detail is in when to plant potatoes.

Strawberries, for rooting before next year's crop, were August and September. October stays inside the bare-root season, from September to April, if the soil can be worked and is not cold and wet. In the north the plant still has to have time before frost. The crown stays level with the soil. The page is when to plant strawberries.

Winter lettuce is still sown in September or October, in a greenhouse or under cloches in mild spots. Autumn and winter carrots, in Campania, stay under fleece until temperatures are in range. The pages are lettuce and carrots. Spinach, in Sicily, is still in September and October, and from October the RHS covers the plants. Rocket under cloches has the extra month after early September. Calabrese, in mid-autumn, can be sown in modules for a spring crop, in an unheated greenhouse. See spinach, rocket and broccoli. Parsley in Campania is still in the September-October cycle. Cavolo nero, for the RHS, closed its sowing in June. In Sicily, September-October is still the mild-climate sowing of chard and celery. The pages are chard and celery. In Campania, October is the second transplant month for fennel. In Sicily the autumn window runs to November. Lamb's lettuce is still in its autumn sowing. Thyme, in Campania, is transplanted in autumn. The pages are fennel, lamb's lettuce and thyme. The pages are parsley and cavolo nero.

Jobs for the month

Before garlic, clear the weeds and work only soil that does not stick and does not stay sodden. Well-rotted compost, on the beds, is in the compost guide. Clear spent summer plants. Keep diseased ones off the compost and take them out, as in pests and diseases. On strawberries still going in now, water at the base and leave a gap in the mulch around the crown. In a pot, waterlogging rots cloves as it does in the ground: see the container garden. Next month, which is tighter, is in the November calendar.

In the app

Every plant in the catalogue has its own sowing calendar, and weather alerts for your area help you judge whether to sow now or hold off.

Frequently asked questions

Is garlic planted in October?

Yes, if the soil drains and can be worked. In Valle d'Aosta the window is October–November; if the ground is frozen or sodden, the fallback is March. In Campania, plant from October–November through to late February. In Sicily, start in the second ten days of December.

Are onions planted in October?

In Valle d'Aosta, yes: sets in October, on drained, sheltered soil, with harvest in June. In Umbria the written outdoor sowing is November and December. If the soil is sodden, wait.

Can I sow broad beans in October?

Yes, in mild or very sheltered spots, with hardy varieties: that is the RHS autumn window, October or November. In Campania the written window is November–December. Where autumn is cold, outdoor sowing returns from March to early May.

Are peas sown in October?

In Campania, yes, from October to November. In the north, in a sheltered spot and for dwarf varieties, October is the useful autumn sowing. In a pot, keep them under cover through the winter. In the open ground the seed waits for soil at about 10 °C.

Are potatoes planted in October?

In Sicily, yes, on the early crop, October–November, and not if the monthly mean is below 7 °C. Not in the north or in Umbria. In Campania, October is not among the three cycles: the early crop, the main crop, and the second crop from late July on the coast.