March is arguably the busiest month for seed sowing, our propagation tunnel is already filling up nicely :).

The soils starts to warm as the daylight hours increase and it feels like spring is just around the corner. However, we often have a cold snap in March so do be aware of this.

For a full list of seeds to sow in March click the button below.

SEEDS TO SOW IN MARCH

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Top 10 tips for getting your seeds off to a good start

Here are a few top tips that we have picked up over our years of growing...

1. Sow lots of seeds into a seed tray and then prick them out into pots or modules once they have germinated to maximize precious space on heat mats or windowsills.
2. If you use module trays or soil blocks you can multi-sow many crops which also saves space - suitable crops include: onions, beetroot, mizuna, turnips, leeks.
3. If propagating on a windowsill, the light only comes from one direction so the seedlings need to be regularly turned - you can also use a piece of tin foil backed on cardboard as a mirror to put behind the seeds and even out the light.
4. Indoors there is no wind so plant stems tend to be weak. You can strengthen them by using a desk fan to blow on them for an hour a day, or stroke them whenever you walk past them (sounds strange but really does work!)
5. If you are sowing seeds directly outside in drills then mix in some radish seeds with slower-germinating seeds so that you can easily see where your rows are and can weed more effectively (the radishes will pop up really quickly).
6. Another tip for sowing in drills is to sow a few extra seeds at the end of the row so that you can transplant them into any gaps later NB. THIS WILL NOT WORK WITH CARROTS OR PARSNIPS as they cannot have their delicate tap-root disturbed
7. Use clean pots and trays and fresh seed compost to give your seeds the best start.
8. Always label your pots and trays. It's too easy to forget what you've sown where!
9. Keep your seeds moist, but not wet.
10. Cover your seeds with a clear plastic lid or second hand bubble wrap to hold in the moisture once sown. When the seedlings emerge, take it off to ensure they have enough space to grow up and for better ventilation.

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We have some amazing new chicory and radicchio varieties available :)

We are really excited to announce that we have just overhauled our chicory / radicchio selection having discovered some awesome organic plant breeders in Italy who have put some serious work into developing really strong and consistent varieties.

(In case you were wondering, radicchio is the term commonly used for chicory varieties which form a dense central head.)

Although not widely grown in the UK at the moment, these wonderful and diverse crops have taken the American foody scene by storm and we are sure that there is a storm brewing here too.

Chicories and radicchios make some of the best autumn and winter eating, adding a whole new family of flavours into your dishes, with their characteristic bitter-sweetness so sought after by chefs.

Some are best eaten raw and others are best cooked.

Will you join us as we plunge into chicory loving this year?!

There is not a large window of opportunity for sowing chicories unlike some more forgiving crops. They can be sown between mid-June and mid-July - the first week of July is considered optimal.

You can find our new varieties on our website by clicking the button below and you can read on to find out more about each one.

BUY CHICORY AND RADICCHIO SEEDS

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1. Castelfranco - this queen of radicchios (or is it radicchi?! any Italians out there?) is one of the best autumn/winter salad leaves. Castelfranco is best eaten raw to preserve its beautiful delicate variegated appearance.

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2. Rosso di Treviso Precoce (Early) - Treviso is one of the epicentres of radicchio production Italy and this type is excellent both raw and cooked. The tight elongated heads form in late autumn and develop a striking deep red and white colouring bringing a flash of colour and bitter-sweetness to salads.

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3. Rosso di Treviso Tardivo (Late) - this is a forcing type of radicchio. Forcing is the process of digging up entire plants in the late autumn and winter and growing them indoors in complete darkness. What happens next is a kind of alchemy - as the outside leaves rot and turn into a ball of slime, new deliciously mild and crunchy leaves grow in the centre of the plant, which are elongated and curled.

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4. Puntarelle - unlike most other chicories puntarelle is grown for its flowering shoots rather than its leaves. The shoots are julienned into thin ribbons which are soaked in cold water to remove some of their bitterness. Generally served with a punchy dressing as a delicious winter salad.

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5. Catalogna Gigante - sometimes referred to as ‘Dandelion Greens’ this chicory is most similar to wild chicory with an open leafy growth habit. Blanched in salty water, drained and then chucked in a frying pan with plenty of olive oil chilli and garlic - it is truly delicious.

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6. Chioggia (506TT) is a classic Palla Rossa (red ball) type radicchio forming a dense round head of red and white leaves. Chioggia is the most common type of radicchio although developed fairly recently. It is just as at home on the grill covered in olive and balsamic as it is chopped raw into a winter salad. A firm favourite among gardeners and growers.

We would love to have your feedback on these great varieties if you grow some this year.

Happy sowing and growing

Fred, Ronja, and the rest of the vital team

P.S. did you know - although forced chicory has become a modern delicacy it was originally eaten as a necessity in lean times when wild chicory plants were dug up and brought into barns where they would produce a crop of much need winter greens and sustenance

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