Sowing guide for young plants ready for mid May sale A rough guide to achieving saleable size plants by second week in May Beans: Broad, Runner and French Bean mid April. Sow 6 or seven seeds to a large yoghurt pot Beetroot: sow 2 or 3 seeds per small module eg small yoghurt pot in mid March. Don’t transplant any thinned plants as the roots won’t then form beetroots! Cabbage: Sow summer types in mid March (can be started outdoors under protection). Transpant outdoors in April and bundle up in damp newspaper on the day. Carrots and Parsnips Don’t transplant well Cauliflower: Sow summer types in mid March (can be started outdoors under protection). Treat the same as cabbage. Celery Sow mid march for autumn and winter use transplant to small pots Courgette, Pumpkin Squash: First week in April in small pots. I usually do one seed per pot but you might find the odd one or two don’t germinate. Globe Artichoke: Early March transplant to small pots Leek: Usually started in very late January or Feb. Transplant outdoors in March and bundle up in 10’s in damp newspaper on the day. Otherwise sow a few seeds directly into pots/modules in March Lettuce: 2nd week in April for small plugs, mid March if grown as larger plants at one or two plants per pot. Colourful loose leaf varieties sell well Sprouts: For Autumn and winter use sow in March (can be started outdoors under protection). See cabbage Tomatoes: Sow early March in heat, transplant to small pots maintain frost free conditions Peppers: Chilli peppers and Bell Peppers sow late Feb to mid March in heat. They need at least 15degrees C to germinate, try the airing cupboard, transplant to small pots Potatoes: Delay chitting as long as possible as the plant sale is about a month after most of us have planted our spuds. Chitting is usually a 6 week process which indicates beginning in Early April for a May sale. However your spuds will probably be sprouting away from Feb onwards. Just keep them in cool light conditions to prevent shoots from becoming too long and straggly and hope for the best. Parsley: Early March, scatter seed directly into pots as they don’t like to be disturbed. (Who does?) Sweet corn: Early April in heat in pots. Sow directly into pot as they don’t like root disturbance