March 2nd half 2023

Spring can be joyful, frustrating, beautiful, dour! Much as we love the good bits, we have to accept that there will always be setbacks and it’s good to be prepared. Don’t sow too early and use covers to protect your plantings, unless your climate is particularly warm. There are many details in my new online update.

From mid March you can make outdoor sowings direct in the soil.
Such as carrots, parsnips, onion, spring onion, spinach, radish, turnip, coriander, dill and parsley.
Any cover of fleece will speed germination.
You can find these tips in my No Dig book, which we sell on offer with the 2023 Calendar. Also in a popular three book offer with the cookbook.

If you live in the highlands of Scotland, use Mairi’s sowing times. They are listed on the Sowing Timeline page, together with the southern hemisphere download of times.

Under cover from mid-March

• new sowings include celery and celeriac – leave exposed to light, with a glass tray over or in a clear plastic bag for about 10 days.
• Tomatoes if not yet sown, and tomatillos.
• Then late in March, melons and dwarf French marigold.

Plant out in the second half of March, at 3 to 4 week old stage from date of sowing:

• radish, turnips, onion, spring onion, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, calabrese, cauliflower, kohlrabi, fennel, pea, broad, bean, and the herbs you may have sown.

This is the sowing guide video.

The NYT link is here.