early veg
Kick-start your veg year
Keen to get going on your veg growing? Alan Titchmarsh looks at what you can sow now, plus how and where, for maximum success
If you’re short on soil space, then patio pots, windowboxes and raised planters are all good options for many veg and herbs
PHOTO: SARAH CUTTLE
“March is a great time to get your horticultural ducks in a row. A bit of planning and preparation can make all the difference”
“If you want to get ahead, make early sowings in small pots in a greenhouse or cold frame”
Plant onion sets from mid-
March and they’ll be ready to harvest by June or July
Chives make great border edgings, with edible leaves and flowers
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; NEIL HEPWORTH; JASON INGRAM
It’s always a thrill to dig up your first potatoes of the season, and you can plant early varieties now
It’s that exciting time of year. After so many quiet months gazing at sogg y or frozen soil in the veg patch, there’s a glimmer of hope that spring will return, and that means a degree of impatience to get cracking. There is ground to prepare, seeds to sow, plants to plant and… oh, but stay your hand! Let’s not rush into things. The weather is still capricious and frosts and heav y rain more than likely. But I don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm, rather I want to channel it in the right direction, so that this year is a bumper one where veg are concerned – er… weather permitting!