The Vegetable Plot - APRIL

Make successional sowings to maintain an unbroken supply of mustard and cress, lettuce, spinach, broad beans and carrots. It’s a good time to create trenches for celery so they are well prepared and manured for planting in June. Prick off seedlings from March sowings and early in the month harden off plants in frames such as onion, cauliflower, leek, broad bean and pea. Lift celery and leek in the ground from last year and heel them in.

• Sow and plant asparagus 

• Grow French beans in pots 

• Start early variety leeks in the greenhouse 

• Sow peas if not started in March, at three week intervals until early June, using a first-early variety

• Plan late crops by sowing summer vegetables outdoors. Spinach, carrots, kohl robi, radishes, turnips, lettuces, spring onions, summer cabbages and cauliflowers. For winter greens/Christmas savoy cabbages, Brussels sprouts and cauliflowers sow now 

• Protect early potatoes 

• Plant second-early and maincrop potatoes 

• Plant artichokes 

• Feed outdoor plants with a good fertiliser such as Growmore or go organic 

• Select fruit trees in containers if not bought and planted in November last year