Seed sowing time

Are you ready to start sowing? I was very excited this week when a parcel arrived containing my heated propagator for sowing plants that like it hot. And now the light is growing stronger, it is time to dig out those packets of seed which are sprawling over a shelf in my fridge and get to work.

I’m not advising sowing all your seeds now: you’ll end up with a very leggy, weak and miserable tomato plant if you start it on your windowsill this month, as it will have to wait until May before it can go outside. But for my sweet peas, passionflowers, onions and chillis, January is the time to sow. I’m incredibly relieved seed-sowing time is on the way: there are only so many hours you can fill by looking at seed catalogues.

So in celebration of the start of the season, here’s the F&F guide to sowing your seeds.

• First, make sure your seeds are in date. Some will last for years, while others need to be bought fresh every year. Here’s our guide to seed viability.
• You’ll need to make sure you have a good quality, peat-free seed-starting soil mix. Don’t compromise on quality: even though buying cheap bags might be tempting, you’ll find your plants struggle and never reach their potential if you haven’t given them a good start in the world. You can always make your own seed-starting soil out of leafmould if you have some to hand.
• F&F tip: sow seeds in their own modules to avoid wasting through thinning out, and unnecessary damage to the roots. You can make your own environmentally friendly modules from newspaper and toilet roll inner tubes.
• Make sure you are sowing the seeds in the room that receives the greatest amount of sunlight, and that isn’t too draughty or chilly. If you are sowing veg used to growing in warmer climes like pumpkins, chillis, aubergines and tomatoes, use a heated propagator, or you can always start the seeds off next to your oven if you have a particularly patient spouse…
• Not sure when to sow what? Check out the F&F monthly jobs page. I’ve experimented with lots of ways of reminding me when to sow seeds, but best way I have come up with is to sit down for 40 minutes or so and write down in my diary what I’ll be sowing that weekend. It also means that when I’m stuck on a train at seven o’clock in the morning, I’ve got something to glance at which will remind me of bumper harvests to come.

And if you’re growing veg for the very first time, have a look at the post I wrote for the Guardian gardening blog on the easiest veg you can grow, or read the Good Growing Guide.