COLUMN: The next steps in your growing journey

‘It seems no time at all that we were watching out for frosts and then suddenly, spring is in full flow.

If you managed to get some spring flowering bulbs planted last autumn, they may well be going over by now. You can prolong the quality of your bulbs by deadheading the flowers when they start to fade but leave the green growth to die back naturally. If they are taking up space, just tie up the leaves and leave.

If you need the space, you can cut back on watering and then lift the bulbs and store in a dry place. If space isn’t at a premium, just leave them for next year.

Hopefully you have had a chance to get some seeds in ready for an early flowering but if not, there is still plenty of time. Do watch out for the odd cold night still though.

We talked last time about how to maximise space if you only have a small bed, and it is totally possible to grow food pretty much all year round in one medium-sized bed if you plan and rotate your crops and have a good variety of slow and fast growing crops.

If you started your broad beans off on the windowsill, then now is the time to get them in the ground, after you have hardened them off by leaving them outside during the day and protecting them at night if a cold snap is predicted.

Having covered your beds with cardboard over winter really comes into its own now as your beds will be warmer and hopefully, weed free!

Two lines of beans will be plenty and you can plant them next to two rows of potatoes.

April and May are also great to start sowing some rows of salad leaves including spinach. Sow direct into fine soil.

These will grow relatively quickly and you don’t necessarily need to spend time thinning them out.

If you do decide to thin them, then you have the added bonus of being able to add the thinnings to a salad.

Leeks and runner beans can be started off now on the windowsill ideally in deep posts or modules.

Tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes can also start off now indoors and it is the perfect time for any root crops and as sweetcorn takes while, why not get a head start and start off sowing in pots.

Don’t forget your flowers too. Cosmos is an easy choice which you can start off again on a windowsill or scatter directly into the soil in May. Herbs can also be sown directly now too.

Lastly April is a great time to get some fruit growing in containers. Try strawberries, grapes, fruit trees, gooseberries or even cranberries.

Maybe challenge yourself to try something new this year like cucamelons. They are great fun and full of nutrients, a great one to try out with the kids.’