Hassle-free harvests

With sowing and planting kicking into high gear, April is the month when everything speeds up on the plot - so follow Jack Wallington's time-saving, efficiency-boosting tips to get ahead of the game

- Jack Wallington

April! Warmer days, flowering bulbs, birds singing - what a joy. For the edibles grower it is important to enjoy the moment, then get cracking with a trowel and seed packet.

Vegetable growing can be a bit of a treadmill, with a steady supply of seeds to sow, like lettuce and turnips, for successions of harvests. There comes a point, however, for one big push to guarantee a hassle-free, high-yield season and that time, folks, is now.

Around the second weekend in April is my mental milestone to have the majority of spring-sown crops either in the ground or in compost.

This is also the point when the difference in timing of the seasons across the country is most apparent. Here in Yorkshire we are at least two weeks behind southern areas, and it may be later in Scotland. Adjust outdoor sowing times accordingly, waiting for nighttime temperatures to reliably hit 5°C or higher in your area.

Harvest 

Rhubarb is one of the first low-effort, high-yield edibles I recommend to people because it's incredibly easy to grow, delivering year after year. And it's always reassuring to see its ruby glow appearing again. Twist stems off at the base, bending sideways by hand and tugging: this prevents rotting from any leftover bits. I snip off the leaves and put them on the compost, taking only the stems to eat. Rhubarb stores in the fridge and can be frozen, though we pick as we need.