When hunkered down for the winter - it can be the ideal time to hatch your vegetable growing plans for the year ahead.
Starting from April you can begin growing the foundation of all salads - lettuce. Once the soil has begun to warm up, sowing lettuce seeds at regular three week intervals will see you witha fresh supply throughout the summer.
It is important to sow in rows, thining them out once the seedings are up. Depending on the variety you'll need 20cm to 30cm (8in to 12in) between each seedling. And varieties there are - try more than one variety per row to make the most of your new found food freedom!
Rooting around
A summer salad root crop might consist of radishes, carrots and spring onions as a summer. Sowing rows from early April at two-week intervals will keep a supply going. Thin to 2.5cm (1in) between plants for small, succulent roots. It's important to not transplant the seedlings as their roots will be damaged, resulting in a poor crop.
Potatoes are grown from ‘seed potatoes’, which must be sprouted before planting. Place the seed potatoes with the buds or ‘eyes’ upwards on a tray in a frost free place in good light so that they do not get drawn until the shoots have grown to about 2.5cm (1in).
Potatoes should be planted 35-40cm apart in April.
Peas and beans
Beans should be sown from mid-May onwards. The support for climbing beans should be put in place first - either tee-pees or a cross caned row made from bamboo canes, or a bean net strung between poles is ideal.
Once broad beans have set a good crop, pinch out the tips to deter blackfly.
Pea seeds can be sown from April in rows at 5cm to 7cm (2in to 3in) spacing, so that the plants will be able to support one another. For a succession of peas, sow at two-week intervals.
One top tip is to, grow sweet peas nearby to attract bees increasing pollination.
Onions
It is possible to grow main crop onions from seed, but growing them from sets (look like tiny onions) provides an easier alternative. These should be planted 25cm (10in) apart in rows in late March.
Good draining soil provides the best results. Before storing them wait for the leaves to die back. If it’s dry and sunny, leave to dry outside for ten days, if it’s wet dry them in the shed or greenhouse.
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