Growing food in spring (March-May)
Our Greenhouse Manager, Fabrice Boltho, shows you what to plant during spring – and how to do it. Sign up to our growers mailing list for special updates from Fabrice.
Are you a local growing group? Collect free seedlings from us throughout the year.
Are you a local growing group? Collect free seedlings from us throughout the year.
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7 - 13 March
Sweet success Tender, sweet, flowering shoots are appearing in Myatt's food growing area right now. From kale and cabbage to spinach. We snap these big flowering shoots for 2 reasons. One, they taste fantastic. And two, buds are left below the snapping point which give you a second crop. |
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7 - 13 March
Tasteful pest control They're a blight on your happiness – a real bugbear. What if there was a natural way to get rid of those pesky pests eating your veggies? There is. Flowering herbs. Plant them in between your veg and watch them attract an army of pest-eating insects. |
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7 - 13 March
Pretty delicious Impress the love of your life and grow them some flowers. Make them presentable... then stick them between your 'tulips' and eat them. Please don't eat Tulips. But do eat violas, borage, nasturtiums and pot marigold. Use the jug for some wine to wash them down with. |
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14 - 21 March
Top soil for spring planting Now the weather is milder, it's the perfect time to prepare your soil for action. Clear away the weeds and layer your compost on top. |
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14 - 21 March
Early carrots and raddish You know, you really do reap what you sow. So get your patchwork in order – your veg patchwork. These hardy vegetables love to be planted side-by-side in rows, but make sure you get the spacing right. |
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14 - 21 March
Beet the bolt Save your beetroot blushes. Plant an early season pro that won't go to seed prematurely... Bolthardy Beetroot. You really do need to thin this crop out if you want nice big beets – keep seedlings at least 15cm apart from each other. |
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22 - 28 March
Perfect windowsill tomatoes It sounds potty – and it is. You can pot these miniature tomatoes and stick them on a sunny windowsill. Unlike vine tomatoes, they're naturally compact. No need to even prune them. |
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22 - 28 March
Sowing tomato seeds An easy technique that won't leave you looking redder than your crop. Spread seeds over the surface of your potted compost. Cover with more soil. Water and keep warm. When they sprout, give them plenty of light. |
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22 - 28 March
Nothing wet about this veg Have you heard the one about the farmer who didn't irrigate his vegetables? Probably not, because there wasn't a leek. These vegetables are even drier than my poor sense of humour. If you're not into mollycoddling your crop, these are the seeds for you. |
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29 March - 4 April
Thyme for a haircut Growing thyme from seeds takes, well, a lot of time. The same is true for other herbs. And why bother? Just take a sprig, harvest the low-lying leaves, and pop it in a shallow glass of water. You'll be a cut above the rest... |
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29 March - 4 April
Faulty basil? Is your supermarket basil plant bursting out of its pot? It's 'thyme' to spring it from its cage. Tear/divide your densely packed plant. Pop each new bit into separate pots. And 'herb pesto', you'll have enough basil for an Italian cookbook. |