The signs are there, the ground is warming up, seedlings are appearing around the garden, weeds as well as flowers.

This is the cue I’ve been waiting for to get sowing in my veg patch. Seeds will not do well sitting in cold wet soil, they are likely to rot or get eaten by birds or mice and if they do germinate it is likely to be patchy.

But with more light and a bit of sunshine to warm the ground, my germination will be so much better.

If you really aren’t sure if your soil is warm enough and don’t want to risk wasting your seeds, you can use fleece to give the soil some extra warmth and protecting your seeds at the same time.

So the conditions seem right but what about the quality of the soil? Poor little seedling, you’ve germinated and your heading skywards but you hit a heavy clod of soil, you can’t push through it and in trying to work your way around it you run out of food and die.

We can help these little fellows on their journey by working the ground to a fine tilth before planting and incorporating lots of lovely organic matter making the soil easy to break through.

Although some seeds can be planted direct there are some that need to be sown undercover and as I am lucky enough to own a greenhouse and do suffer from many hungry critters that like to eat my seeds, I prefer to sow my seeds in pots and containers undercover for more reliable germination.

You can also get on whenever you have the time and whatever the weather.

I’ll tackle the flower seeds next once I’ve got this lots of veg seeds going.

Seeds for Direct Sowing Now:

Veg: Broad Beans; Brocolli; Carrots; Onion Seed; Parsnips; Peas; Strawberry Seed; Turnips; Salad:

American Land Cress; Kale; Lettuce – all types; Herbs: Chervil; Chives; Parsley; Companion Plants:

Limnanthes douglasii (Poached Egg Plant); Lotus corniculatus (Yellow Trefoil)

Seeds To Sow Undercover Now:

Veg: Artichoke (globe); Aubergine; Beetroot; Borlotti Beans; Brussels Sprouts; Cauliflowers; Celeriac;

Chard; Chillies; Courgettes; Cucumber; Kale; Leeks; Pea Tips; Peppers; Pumpkins; Radish; Spinach;

Spring Onion; Sweetcorn; Tomato Salad: Lettuce – as direct all types; Herbs: as direct above plus Basil;

Rosemary; Sage; Summer Savoury; Oregano & Thyme; Companion Plants: Nicotiana tabacum (Tobacco

Plant); Tagetes Linnaeus (French Marigold).