'Spring is sooner recognised by plants than by men', says one proverb.' We disagree - after the coldest winter for thirty years, we pounced on the first hint of spring.

It really was an exceptional winter. This year, the wild daffs in Kew Gardens emerged a month later than usual. And grass has just begun to grow - a sure indicator that you can get going with many crops.

You can now sow a wide range, including peas, salads, tomatoes, carrots, hardy herbs, broad beans, radishes, beetroot and salad onions.

• Obvious, I know, but seeds need darkness, water and warmth to germinate. (A few rare exceptions need light too, but forget about those). So you want your compost / soil to be moist, not wet. And for the temperature to be stable.
   
• If sowing indoors, it'seasy to find a warm spot for germination. The tricky bit is the next stage. The instant a seed germinates, nudging it's way through the soil, it needs steady and strong light, otherwise it will grow ‘leggy’. This is when seedlings grow pale and weak as they stretch towards insufficient light (also known as ‘etiolation’). Shady windowsills or gloomy airing cupboards can be fatal. Nurture seedlings in your brightest spot.
   
• On window sills, the light is unidirectional - unlike outdoors, where plants soak up light from every angle. So one trick is to rotate young seedlings and plants, with perhaps a quarter turn each day. Otherwise they may grow wonky. Brushing them with your hand will also help harden them up.
   
• Provide the best possible start for germination. Hygiene is important. Use clean module trays, seed trays or pots. Invest in fresh seed compost (unless sowing direct into the soil). It's also wise to use tap water, not rainwater, during germination and the seedling stage – this helps to prevent fungal disease.
   
• If seed is refusing to germinate, one culprit might be low night time temperatures. If these drop steeply, they can trigger seed to remain in its dormant state. If this is the case, either find a spot with more stable temperatures or cover at night with fleece, cardboard - anything that will insulate.
   
• Some seeds need extra warmth to germinate. Tomatoes, for example, ideally need above 15ºC, so don’t bother trying if you can’t provide optimum conditions – just buy seedling plants and grow them on. There's no shame in that.
   
• Round peas are more hardy than wrinkled peas. Sow in pots, rootrainers or lengths of guttering – the half sections of plastic drainpipe, with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. The latter are useful as you can then slide out the seedlings directly into the soil.
   
• For foodies, chervil is a handy urban crop – almost impossible to find in the shops, but ace in the kitchen. Try sowing in a grow bag alongside coriander, another useful herb. Sow a few seeds each week for a steady supply.
   
• Tasty salad crops include lettuce (loose-leaf), rocket, salad onions, spinach and oriental greens. Early carrots (’Nantes’), radishes and beetroot are also a good bet.
   

• Jerusalem Artichokes are a lovely crop if you have an allotment or large garden. Their tall foliage, with yellow flowers, makes for an attractive windbreak. They are pretty much bombproof – coping in a wide range of conditions. Beware, though, that once established they are difficult to remove.
   
• Freshen up potted herbs which have survived the winter by top dressing – remove the uppermost inches of compost to expose the roots and then replace with a fresh layer.

Tom and Chris

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