Techniques & tips for success

Below is a checklist of jobs that can be done in the veg garden during spring.

Remember to be guided by the weather and soil conditions of your own plot. Gardens in cold, exposed regions will be a few weeks behind those in warmer, more protected regions and jobs will need to be delayed accordingly.

Soil preparation

If you didn't get round to it in autumn or winter, it makes sense to prepare as much ground as you can as early in spring as possible to get it ready for sowing. Sandy soils are, in fact, best prepared in spring, rather than in autumn. Digging in as much well-rotted organic matter will help improve soil structure and moisture retention, but not all crops (especially roots) like fresh organic matter in the soil.

If you cover the prepared soil with polythene it will warm it up and keep it moist ready for sowing. Preparing a seedbed in early spring and covering it with clear polythene will also encourage weed seeds to germinate. Once germinated, remove them by hoeing and you have a 'stale seedbed' into which you can sow without much risk of severe weed competition later on.

As soon as the soil is dry enough, rake it level and make a fine tilth (finely prepared soil surface, produced by raking). Sowing can now begin. Unfortunately, the soil is often too cold in early spring for good results and if in doubt wait until weeds begin to emerge. Once weeds germinate it’s fair to assume that the soil is warm enough for veg seeds. The average soil temperature for most outdoor sowings to succeed is 7C (45F). It is always better to wait a week or two than sow in poor conditions as crops soon catch up.

Containers for vegetables can also be filled now with fertile compost ready for sowing as soon as the opportunity arises. Move the pots to a protected position to ensure the compost remains as warm as possible. Covering the container with glass or plastic will produce a mini greenhouse or cloche effect that will help speed up seed germination.

More information on soils and soil preparation

Sowing

Outdoors

There is a wide range of vegetables and herbs that can all be sown where they are to grow from early spring onwards.

View our A-Z veg profiles for further information on what to sow when

Once the first sowings are a few inches tall it’s time, in many cases, to make further sowings for continuity. Peas for example crop for about two weeks in summer, so to cover the period mid-June to mid-August you might wish to sow up to four times in spring for a constant supply. Salads in particular can go over quickly, so sow little and often over a long period.

As soon as seedlings are large enough to be handled start thinning them out where they are too thick in good time to avoid problems with overcrowding. Where it is appropriate and where the seedlings are large enough, try transplanting some of the thinnings to fill in gaps. Discarding surplus seedlings may seem wasteful, but in gardening you sometimes have to be cruel if you want good results.

View our A-Z veg profiles for further information on how far apart to grow vegetables

Even the most experienced gardener is at the mercy of the weather and seed quality and failures may occur. If this happens try again with fresh seeds. It is worth cultivating as many gardening acquaintances as possible in case you need to scrounge some plants!

For transplanting to their final growing positions later in spring, raise Brussels sprouts, broccoli, leeks, summer cabbages and cauliflowers, either in pots, cell trays indoors or a seedbed outdoors.

View our brassica (cabbage family) profiles for further information on growing these crops

Tender vegetables such as French and runner beans and sweetcorn can either be sown in pots under cover in mid-spring or sown directly outdoors in late spring/early summer.

Find out more about sowing vegetables outside

Indoors

Indoors, ideally in a heated propagator or on a warm windowsill, in early spring sow aubergines, celeriac, celery, cucumbers, marrows, peppers including chillies, tomatoes and tender herbs such as basil.

View our A-Z veg profiles for further information on sowing these vegetables

Courgettes, cucumbers, French beans, marrows, melons, pumpkins, squash and sweetcorn can be sown in mid- to late spring. These tender, frost-sensitive crops have large seeds that give rise to big, fast-growing plants therefore only sow when the date of the last frost is no more than six weeks away, otherwise you will have plants spoiling to be planted out while frosts still threaten.

Before plants raised indoors can be planted out they need a period of hardening off – that is slowly acclimatising them for 10 to 14 days to the colder, outside conditions. This can be done in a cold frame or by moving the plants outside during the day and bringing them back in at night. Brussels sprouts, salads, and summer calabrese, cauliflowers and cabbages in particular appreciate early planting out, even if a temporary fleece covering is called for in cold snaps.

Find out more about sowing vegetables inside

Planting

Asparagus crowns and seed potatoes (first earlies towards the end of March/early April; second earlies and maincrop cultivars in April) and Jerusalem artichokes can be planted out. Onion sets, shallots and garlic can also be planted out in early March.

Potatoes will need earthing up as they grow to increase yields.

Young plants of tender crops such as aubergines, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes can be planting into greenhouse borders, pots or growing-bags in late spring. Those for growing outside, however, shouldn’t be planted out until the fear of the worst frosts is over (this may be late May or early to mid-June), and after being hardened off first.

Young plants of a wide range of vegetable crops are now readily available from garden centres and mail order catalogues. So, if you’ve had problems raising your own, or simply forgotten to sow something help is at hand.

Growing

If frost and cold winds are a problem covering crops with horticultural fleece or cloches can take the edge off the weather.

Carrot and cabbage family crops, among others, will appreciate a fleece covering to prevent damage from pests, such as carrot fly and cabbage root fly respectively.

Some crops have specific requirements. Tall plants and climbers will need some sort of support. Peas need to be provided with sticks or mesh to climb up; broad beans often need support from stakes and string; climbing French and runner beans need tall bamboo canes for support.

View our A-Z veg profiles for further information on growing these vegetables

Watering

With the soil still moist from winter you seldom need to water in early spring, except seedbeds, seedlings and young seedlings. Occasionally cold, dry winds parch the soil and then watering may be very helpful. Crops growing in containers, especially growing-bags, will need to be checked regularly as they can dry out at any time of the year. As spring progresses, watering may be needed during extended periods of dry weather.

Find out about watering vegetables

Feeding

Most vegetable gardens need feeding in spring. Once the main winter rains have stopped, spread a granular general-purpose fertiliser at the manufacturer's recommended rate.
During late spring you may need to top up feeds for hungry crops. Many vegetables will benefit from liquid feeding in late spring, especially all those growing in containers.

Pests, diseases and weeds

You should help protect new plants from attack by pests and diseases by clearing all old crops from you garden as soon as they have finished to limit problem carry-over. The same goes for weeds. Carefully remove these by hand, hoe them off or use a glyphosate-based weedkiller on persistent, perennial weeds.

Vegetable plots should at least be smart, if not always beautiful, so don't neglect weeding and tidying edges and paths and removing debris. Tidiness has a practical benefit of avoiding trip hazards and depriving slugs and other pests of shelter.

Slugs are one good reason to watch your crops closely - be ready to apply slug controls as soon as seedlings begin to disappear or young plants are nibbled.

The sudden absence of pea and bean seeds indicates the presence of mice and trapping may be needed.

Birds often have to be excluded with nets from seedbeds as they can be very destructive.

As spring progresses a number of pests and diseases become active, so keep a careful eye on plants and deal with any problems as soon as you see them. Prevention is always better than control, and stopping a problem early before it gets out of control will always give better results.

Unfortunately, weed growth is at a peak in spring. Hoeing on dry days will destroy many weeds reducing the hand-weeding chore to a minimum.

Carrots and parsnips and cabbage family crops are vulnerable to pests, so aim to keep them covered with fleece or insect-proof mesh for as long as possible.

Find out more about crop pests