It’s not a good idea to use rainwater collected from the roof of the house or the greenhouse to water seedlings. It can spread a number of pests and diseases.

Keep a full watering can in the greenhouse and allow the water to reach room temperature before using.

Always check the instructions on the seed packet for the right advice about the plants you are growing.

1.  

   Step 1.

   Fill several clean 7.5cm (3 in) flowerpots with John Innes Seed Compost. Lightly firm down. Water the compost using a watering can with a fine rose (nozzle) attachment.

2.  

   Step 2.

   Sow the seed directly onto the compost surface, spacing it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle a thin layer of compost over the top. Label carefully with the plant variety and the date.

3.  

   Step 3.

   Large seeds can be sown individually in small pots. Make a hole with a dibber or pencil and drop the seed into it. Cover over with compost.

4.  

   Step 4.

   Water gently and keep in a frost-free place until the seeds start to sprout and grow.

Tomatoes planted with marigolds

Companion planting is a traditional practice used by organic gardeners and is used to protect vulnerable crops from pests and diseases.  By growing specific plants together it is possible to reduce the risk of pests or disease for a particular plant. Protection is achieved in one or more of the following ways:

• One plant may produce a chemical which repels pests certain pests
• Companion plants can be used to camouflage the crop you wish to protect
• Plants can be used to attract pests away from the crop you wish to protect, using them as a ‘sacrificial’ plant.

Below are some traditional examples of companion planting and how it works although there are many other combinations gardeners swear by:

• Carrots & Chives – The growing chives confuse carrot fly so it is less likely to attack the carrot crop
• Tomatoes & Basil – Basil helps to ward off white fly, a great tip when grown in the greenhouse & they taste nice together too!
• Broad Beans & Nasturtiums – Blackfly love nasturtiums so grow them by your broad beans to prevent your precious crops being attacked
• Cabbages & Nasturtiums – Nasturtiums will attract the caterpillars preventing damage to your cabbages
• Tomatoes & Marigolds – Plant marigolds with tomatoes to prevent aphid attack.  Marigolds can also help prevent tomatoes from slugs and wireworm

There are many other benefits to crop rotation too, legumes for example fix nitrogen in the soil whilst they grow and this is then available for the next crop. It is a good idea to follow these crops with leafy brassicas or potatoes which like a high level of nitrogen.

Potatoes also tend to smoother out weeds so they are unable to grow. Follow these with hard to weed veg such as onions.

Crop rotation does require organisation though and you need to be plan at least for the following 3 seasons. For the best results the further ahead you can plan the better.

Some vegetable plants such as broad beans, peas, and leeks are hardy and can be planted out earlier. Make sure you understand whether the plants you are growing are ready to plant out before you do so. A late frost will kill a crop of plants that have been planted out too early. Whenever you plant them, the method is the same; simply follow the steps below.

1.  

   Step 1.

   Ideally your plants should have been acclimatised to the outdoors for a week or two before planting out. This is called hardening off. Place your plants outside during the day and then take them back into the shelter of a frost free greenhouse at night. This will help to toughen them up. When you are ready to plant out. water your pots of plants so that the compost is thoroughly moist. This makes it easier to remove the plants from the pots,
   and reduces the risk of damaging the roots.

2.  

   Step 2.

   Prepare the planting area by digging over the area first with a garden fork. Choose a day when the ground is not too sticky or wet so that it is easy to work the soil. Remove all weeds, especially perennial weeds and their roots. Break up any large clods of soil until the surface is made up of fine crumbs of soil; this is called a fine tilth.

3.  

   Step 3.

   Work out the correct spacing for your plants and position them in their planting position so that you can make sure that you are happy with where they are planted. Dig a hole for each plant and loosen the soil at the bottom and on the sides with a hand fork. Mix organic Vegetable Compost or John Innes No 2 into the hole and also with the soil you have dug out. Add Westland Growmore, or organic Chicken Manure Pellets to the soil/compost mixture.

4.  

   Step 4.

   Take each plant out of its pot and position it in a prepared hole, making sure that the top of the roots is just below the level of the surrounding soil. Fill in around the roots with the soil/compost/fertiliser mix and firm in gently. Water each plant and keep them well watered throughout the growing season. Tall plants such as runner beans, peas and outdoor tomatoes will need additional support and stakes to support their growth.