When to sow Scorzonera in the UK
Scorzonera is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Scorzonera is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow outdoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| South Coast and Channel | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| South East and Home Counties | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| East Anglia | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| Wales and West Coast | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| Northern England | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| Northern Ireland | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early April to early May | early October to mid February |
Growing notes
Also sold as black salsify: sow three seeds every 15cm from April in rows 20-30cm apart and allow at least 20 weeks, lifting from October through to mid-February. It is perennial, so any roots left in the ground will regrow and give edible spring shoots.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 15 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 25 cm
- Plants per m²
- 27
- Days to maturity
- 140 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.15 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 40 cm
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- forked roots on stony soil
- slugs
- bolting
- roots snapping when lifted
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for scorzonera.