Sowing vegetable seeds

Step 1
Choose your vegetable seed and follow the instructions on the seed packet regarding the best time to sow and note any special details about the seeds.

Step 2
Prepare the seed bed by digging over the area first with a garden fork. Choose a day when the ground is not too sticky or wet so that it is easy to work the soil. Remove all weeds, especially perennial weeds and their roots. Break up any large clods of soil until the surface is made up of fine crumbs of soil; this is called a fine tilth.

Step 3
For a standard row of vegetables, make a shallow trench in the soil, about 2.5cm (1in deep) although vary this if the seeds are large or the seed packet states a deep or very shallow sowing depth. Fill this trench with Organic Multi Purpose Compost or John Innes No 2. Water the trench and sow the seeds directly into this compost at the spacing suggested on the seed packet. Cover over with a sprinkling of more compost and then fill in the trench with fine soil.

Step 4
Mark where the row of seeds is and label with the name of the variety and the date it was sown. Water the area when the weather is dry and watch out for developing seedlings. You may need to protect the seedlings from slugs and also with garden fleece or cloches if it is early in the season. Check the instructions on the seed packet.

Note: It isn’t always necessary to grow seeds in long, straight rows. Many edible plants can be grown in blocks or even within the flowerbed. If you want to sow them in short rows or wider areas, simply adjust the shape of the trench to suit your needs and follow the instructions above.