On you fruit & veg plot
There are so many lovely leafy crops that you can start sowing now!
If all goes well, it should be warm enough to sow some vegetables direct in the garden now. Salad leaves are the simplest to grow, quick to har vest and with no need for a garden or veg plot – you can grow them in pots or even growing bags and pots of multi-purpose compost.
There are many varieties available, from mixed lettuce, rocket and kale to mixtures that include different leaves and herbs to add extra flavour. All will germinate in a few weeks and can be har vested several times before they are pulled up and the compost used for a second crop. It’s best to sow little and often, especially with rocket, which runs to seed in warm weather.
When sowing in pots of compost or in growing bags, you don’t even need to sow in rows. Because there is no chance of weeds appearing, you don’t have to identif y and remove them – so every seedling will be your crop.
Make sure you loosen the compost in the bag first, lay it flat, then cut a window in the top of it. Cover with fleece to help germination and prevent birds eating the seeds.
TOP TIPS
Make a garlic spray
It can be frustrating to lose precious crops to pests but minibeasts are an integral part of our garden ecosystems, so try chemical-free methods to deter molluscs from feeding on foliage by making a homemade garlic spray. Peel a head of garlic and chop or blend it in a litre of water. Leave for 12 hours, then strain and pour into a recycled spray bottle. This will store in the fridge for about two weeks. Spray plants regularly; this strongly-scented solution nourishes and protects them. Alternatively, use a
