Spring is here - weed seeds are germinating which a sure sign that the soil temperatures are above 6-7C at last.  Naturally, this being Britain there will be plenty of stinging frosts, lashings of hail and driving rain before June arrives but they won't last long and hardy crops will grow through these.  Sowing and planting can now begin in earnest.

- Despite rains, soils are drying out and final cultivations after clearing spent crops are being done quickly.  Cultivations in April tend to lose precious moisture and must be avoided where possible.  Digging is omitted where possible with the soil being lightly stirred with mattock and rake, just enough to take out compaction, remove weeds and leave enough loose soil to sow seeds and plant out transplants

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Many seeds are now in the ground, under fleece of course this early in the spring; broad beans, carrots, leeks, lettuces, parsnips, peas, radish, rocket, salad onions, spinach and turnips.  Most of the onion sets and all the shallots are planted.  
 
Gardeners with wet clay soils might have to wait a few weeks before sowing, perhaps until mid-April, but on light sandy soils in the south germination is underway and emergence should happen this weekend for peas and beans sown two weeks ago. 
 
Subsequent, follow on sowings appear to be on course to be made in mid-April.  Some seeds, leeks  and parsnips for example, are embarking on a 12 month 'grow', and this time next year, all being well, they will be coming to an end. Before then much will have to be done:

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After a week without significant rain the soil is in good condition for raking down into seedbeds and sowing.  Almost all the digging is now done, but with a quarter of the plot put down to crops for winter and over-wintering for spring cropping there is still much clearing and subsequent cultivation to do before the end of April. 

The soil is still a little colder than I would like, about 5C rather than the desirable 7C, but by mid-March the risk of seeds rotting in the ground is much reduced and the forecast is for day temperatures to rise above 10C at last.

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