SOW EASY

Are you ready for spring? It all starts with those seeds and the more we can do to improve germination rates, the better our chances for a bumper season. Benedict Vanheems offers some advice to help you up your sowing success

- Benedict Vanheems

Ah! It's so exciting! We're on the cusp of spring and the very first sowings of the season are upon us. This is the moment of greatest promise, with all the optimism and possibilities of the coming year stretching ahead.

Growing any vegetable garden or allotment starts with seeds. I'm always filled with wonder by the magic of these tiny packages - how they burst forth into new life and give rise to the plants we lovingly tend and harvest. Sowing seeds and waiting expectantly for them to germinate is one of the purest joys of gardening.

But how many of us have had the disappointment of sowing seeds only to wait and wait... and wait before accepting those seedlings are probably a no show? Failed or patchy germination can thwart the best laid plans, so let's look at some ways to improve both speed and success.

PRIME TIME

Rows of healthy seedlings start with viable seed, so begin the growing season with a store full of in-date, primed-and-ready seeds. Check the sow-by dates on the back of packets and if seeds are past their best complete a simple germination test to gauge the likely germination rate for your peace of mind.

Test small batches of seed by sowing and growing them on in the recommended conditions, or by simply sowing onto damp sheets of kitchen roll to germinate in the warm. Keep a close eye on germination, inspecting daily for signs of seedlings, then contrast the number of seeds germinated with the number sown to calculate your percentage germination rate. Anything above 50% I would say is acceptable, and you can always sow thicker to compensate.

It's worth saving some of your own seeds from year to year, and while saved seeds can often perform well, check how long these seeds are likely to store for to gauge an idea of success. Ideally, aim to use up saved seed promptly and store all seeds in ideal conditions - somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunshine.

TEMPERATURE