Sowing Vegetables In April

Spring is a great time to sow seeds in the garden, the warmer temperatures and spring rain create the ideal conditions for sowing healthy vegetables. Always keep some fleece available to cover and protect the crops if colder weather is forecast.

Before sowing your seeds, think about how many of each vegetable you want/need and when. You can stagger sowing times so that every week you have new, fresh vegetables to eat rather than all being ready at the same time.

As the weather starts to warm up, some vegetable seeds can be sown directly outside. Here are 6 simple steps to follow when sowing outdoors:

1 - Start by raking the soil to break it up
2 - Draw out shallow rows
3 - Sow the seed thinly in each row
4 - Gently cover them back over with soil
5 - Water
6 - Place a label at the end of each row to remember what you’ve planted

Broccoli

There are many different types of Broccoli so check the seed instructions for the exact sow and harvest time. Sow April to June, approximately a foot apart and water well.

Carrots

Carrots should be sown mid to late April when the soil is cool but not cold. It’s important to keep the soil moist so the carrots don’t split. If you have a lot of stones in your soil sow shorter varieties of carrot to avoid split roots, alternatively you can grow carrots in containers.

Cabbage

When planting cabbage, sow approximately a foot apart so they have space to grow, cabbages prefer rich soil. Sow about 3 or 4 seeds usually in May for harvest from September to November. There are also some fast-growing varieties that can be sown as late as early August.

Peas

Sow about an inch deep in well-drained soil and next to a trellis, support or pea netting so they can climb. Peas will be ready to harvest between May and August. Pick regularly, starting at the bottom of the plant as this encourages new peas to form.

Spinach

Spinach prefers cool weather so it’s best to sow once the soil is not cold anymore, but before it gets warm. Sow thinly an inch deep in rows 12 inches apart. Thin to 4 inches between plants once the first leaves appear. Spinach can be picked young as baby salad leaves or as a main crop. There is a summer and winter variety of Spinach, sow summer seed weekly in April and May and winter in August and September. When picking the summer variety you can take up to half the leaves at a time, for the winter it’s best to only take a few leaves to extend the harvest.