01/05/2026
Seeds to sow this week and thereâs a lot! We have staples like carrots, beetroot, parsnips and radish, through to courgette, squash, sweetcorn⌠and finally beans, very exciting time as weâre really into the growing season now.
So on that note it is time for French and runner beans as the warmth is coming, but donât rush them too early, theyâll reward you with much stronger plants if the conditions are right.
If thereâs one thing to stay on top of at the moment itâs watering. Hot weather makes it really tricky to keep everything evenly moist, especially when seeds are germinating. Sit your modules or trays on capillary matting if you can â it takes the stress out of constant watering and keeps moisture levels much more consistent, the roots can take up what they need. What youâre aiming for is compost that feels like a moist chocolate cake. Direct sowing crops like carrots, parsnips and radish especially need that consistency. If they dry out, even briefly, germination can be patchy or fail altogether, so keep an eye on them daily, they can be tricky at the best of times and watering is just on reason for them to sulk.
Donât be tempted to plant everything out too soon. Nothing wants to go into the ground until after your last frost date, for Sussex its approx. 6th May. Youâll get far better results raising seedlings under cover first, it protects them from cold nights and also from being wiped out by pests the minute they appear. And then the flowers, so many to mention, so I have picked some of my faves for the list, theyâre not just there to look pretty. The more variety you sow, the more you attract a range of pollinators into your garden. Different shapes and colours bring in different insects, and the more you have visiting, the better your veg will perform. Courgettes, squash, cucumbers â they all rely on pollination to produce fruit, so flowers arenât optional, theyâre part of the whole system and you should be thinking of your garden as one whole system to get the best out of it. So have a wonderful break everyone and enjoy your garden whatever you may be doing â¤ď¸đ¸â¤ď¸