March is arguably the most exciting time of year for gardeners and growers.

It's the time to sow many seeds and dream of the bountiful harvests they will produce in a few months' time.

Every day feels (and is) a little bit longer than the last, and on warm days it can feel like winter is well and truly over.

BUT... don't forget that we can have very cold snaps even in March - remember the Beast from the East?! So make sure you keep your seedlings warm and safe.

To get busy in the seed shop click the button below, and for our top seed-sowing tips read on:

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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 seeds of 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 to balance 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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Happy sowing

Fred, Ronja, and the rest of the team

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P.S. as the days can get warm at this time of year, remember to open your polytunnel, glasshouse or cloche on hot days to stop your plants from cooking - and of course remember to close them again at night to keep the heat in on cold nights.

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