Winter has passed, no more cold, frosty days that interrupts your vegetable planting. Spring is here and as the warmer days arrive there is plenty for you to do to prepare for this year’s harvests. You don’t need a huge garden, an allotment or even a massive space to start planting vegetable seeds in spring!
Why you should sow vegetable seeds in Spring?
Spring is the perfect time to start planning, prepping and germinating your vegetable seeds for planting out into your gardens! Most of your plants will need the extra warmth and longer days for viable harvests later in the year. Some of the vegetables may not like the late spring frosts that can arrive, however some will thrive. The key to a successful spring planting season is to make sure which seeds you should sow indoors and which can go straight in to the ground once it is workable.
Do you need a massive garden or allotment plot to properly grow vegetables?
No! Most vegetables need a warm spot in the sun, water and well looked after soil to thrive, growing strong and healthy. If you can provide the necessities then you can start to grow many different veggies. You can grow a lot of your seeds in pots, grow bags, drink bottles and even hanging baskets! Basil, Oregano, Cress, other salads and herbs grow very well in limited spaces. You can still grow most vegetables in your garden with a little imagination for edible vegetables all year round.
If you’re looking to start growing vegetables and don’t know how to we offer some of the best vegetable seeds in spring to sow and plant:
Best Vegetables You Can Grow In Spring
Cucumbers
You can enjoy cucumbers all summer if you sow your seeds indoors early spring and plant out after the last frost of Spring. Cucumbers need plenty of sunlight to thrive with healthy soil. Make sure you pick a sunny spot in your garden and provide a lot of fertiliser.
Your cucumber seeds are best sown into propagators in late-March early-April, however you can start in February if you have a warm greenhouse. If you’re looking to sow your cucumber a seed directly into the ground then it’s best to start your seeds in May or June.
How to sow cucumber seeds?
Make sure you sow your cucumber seeds on their sides at about 1cm depth with about 6 foot space between each plant.
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Beetroots
Beetroots are a great vegetable to start preparing to sow early in Spring. Beets love cold ground just after the last frost, as long as it can be worked and not frozen soil – they don’t grow the best in hot weather so timing your planting is important! You don’t need loads of space to grow beetroots, you can easily grow them in pots.
How can you prepare your beetroot seeds for germination?
To help increase the germination rate you can soak your beetroot seeds in lukewarm water to soften the shells before sow. Make sure you spread the seeds about three inches apart and bury them half an inch into moist soil.
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Carrots
Spring can be hit and miss when it comes to Carrots; you can still find success if you sow your seeds straight away but usually carrots are best planted a few weeks before the last frost. Carrots love loose soil and should be spaced about three inches apart in rows with a foot of space. It’s not a good idea to manure the soil that your carrot beds are located as they may end up growing extra legs!
Can you grow carrots indoors?
Carrots will grow well in your garden, but you can always grow them in a window box with at least 30cm depth. Once planted your carrots should be ready in around 13-16 weeks.
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Tomatoes
If you’ve never grown your own tomatoes then we suggest you give it a go! They’re easy to grow and a couple of plants can add to your salad throughout the summer. Tomatoes love the sun and grow best in warm, nutritious soil. The best time to plant tomatoes are the late Spring months. Adding lots of potting compost and fertiliser to the soil so that your tomato seeds can reap the benefits of all the added nutrients!
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Peppers
Growing your own Peppers can be tricky as they love warm environments to really thrive. However, you can still grow in the colder weather by starting your Sweet or Chilli Peppers indoors, later transplanting them after about 10 weeks. You can help speed up the germination process of Pepper seeds by placing them in a lukewarm paper towel in a perforated plastic bag. Once your seeds begin to sprout you can place them into module trays, moving them outside once the overnight temperatures have warmed up!
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Broccoli
Broccoli can survive the colder climates, frosts and begins to thrive in controlled acidic soil. Your Broccoli seeds should be sown about half an inch in the soil and you can start to fertilize about three weeks after. You should definitely consider growing your own Broccoli as it’s easy to grow and will be ready in the late Summer or early Autumn – depending on planting time. If you want to plant out over the winter then you can use the hardier sprouting Broccoli for fresh, edible Spring harvests.
How long does it take to grow Broccoli?
Depending on the variety of Broccoli you are growing your seeds can take from 50 to 100 days to reach maturity.
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Garlic Bulbs
Garlic is a great vegetable to grow and acts as a natural insect repellent for other crops protection through their growing months. Although Garlic is usually planted out in Autumn, you can definitely consider spring an option to sow some of your Garlic bulbs. Start by planting your cloves two inches deep in soil with a space of about four inches between each bulb. Make sure your garlic cloves are root side down and in colder climates you can protect your crops with 6 inches of mulch for protection if frosty weather is still present.
How long does it take for Garlic to grow?
Growing garlic from seed requires the plant to form a bulb and can take at least 40 days in temperatures of below 4 º C. After the colder days your garlic will split into several new cloves and form bulbs. This process will take around 6 months to complete.
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How can I prepare my Garden for Vegetable Seed Planting in Spring?
If you’re just beginning to start growing your own vegetables then having an allotment garden can be a lot to take on just keeping track of what is where and when to harvest. Even the most experienced gardeners can find it difficult to keep on top of all their growing vegetables.
Our best advice is to start small and expand on your vegetable planting season by season! We have plenty of growing guides and advice to help choose the perfect seeds for your garden and space requirements. Pick your favourite veggies and sow a sensible amount. The salad variety of seeds (herbs, rocket and other lettuce) usually continue to grow as you harvest their leaves – just be careful with how many you are picking at a time.
How can I prepare my soil for the Spring?
Making sure your soil is suitable and workable is one of the most important things that is required when growing your own vegetables. Before you start sowing your seeds you should always be conducting pH tests to ensure the acid in soil is at a level the plants like. Soil pH testing kits are available online for less than £10 and should be considered a necessity when beginning to grow from seed.
Utilising compost can help control your pH levels and can increase the number of nutrients available to your seeds.
How can you make your own compost?
You can buy compost from your local gardening centres or you can consider growing your own using a compost bin. This will take several months to mature, however it is a great tip and investment for next year.
Mix one part compost and two parts normal garden soil to make a quality healthy mixture for next year.
You should always use organic compost and fertiliser to avoid any nasty chemicals tarnishing your vegetable crops.
How do you pick the right container for your vegetable seeds?
You need to make sure you are sowing your vegetable seeds in bottles, plant pots, containers and soil that offer the right amount of space required. Make sure they have holes in the bottom to allow efficient draining of the soil for the water to drain.
Making sure your containers have the right dimensions and drainage requirements for your vegetable seeds in spring is just as important as soil care. You don’t want to restrict your plants roots and stunt growth in the future.