It's March, the most exciting time of year for the enthusiastic seed sower. The light levels are returning, the soil is starting to come alive and the sun's warmth can be felt in glimpses between the showers.

This month can be changeable however, so it's good to observe the climate in your local area and make sure the conditions are right. If you're starting to see weeds sprouting in your beds it's a sure sign that it's time to start.

There's a huge variety of things you can sow so there's sure to be something perfect for your garden. Give root crops like beetroot, radishes, carrots and turnips a go, delicious leafy greens like kale, chard and spinach, brassicas like summer cabbages, cauliflowers and brussel sprouts or other crops such as onions, spring onions and lettuce.

Don't forget legumes such as broad beans and peas and your umbellifers such as celeriac and celery.

Some herbs can also be sown now like chives, coriander and parsley.

If you have undercover space you've got until mid-March to sow your tomatoes, chillies, aubergines and peppers.

It's also a fantastic time to sow your hardy annual flowers like calendula, yarrow, celosia, cornflower, phacelia and nigella.

For a full range of seeds that can be sown now visit the seed shop below.

Top tips for the March sowing frenzy!

We thought we'd compile a list of top tips to help you get your sowing off to the best start this month.

• sow lots of seeds into a seed tray and then prick them out into pots or modules once they have germinated to save valuable space on heat mats and windowsills
• if you use module trays or soil blocks you can multi-sow many crops - suitable crops include onions, beetroot, mizuna, turnips, leeks
• if propagating on a windowsill, the light only comes from one direction so the seedlings need to be regularly turned
• when starting seeds off indoors there is no wind and this can mean 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 lightly with your hands whenever you walk past them (it sounds strange but it really does work!)
• 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 quickly)
• 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 (this doesn’t work for carrots or parsnips which do not like their roots being disturbed)
• use clean pots and trays and fresh, organic, peat-free seed compost to give your seeds the best start
• always label your pots and trays - it’s too easy to forget what you’ve sown where
• keep seeds moist, not wet
• 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.

Huw Richards came to visit us! Watch the short film here:

We had a fantastic time with Huw when he came to visit us last autumn and he's created this beautiful short film which tells our story and takes you behind the scenes to see where and how we grow and produce our organic open pollinated seeds. We chat about our beginnings, brexit, seed sovereignty and the importance of open pollinated seeds, our favourite varieties to grow and save seed from and tips on how to get started on your seed saving journey.

Watch the film below:

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Enjoy!

All the best and happy seed sowing :)

Chloe and the rest of the team

P.S. don't forget to keep your propagation space well ventilated, opening the doors during the day to let the air in. It's still cold at night though so don't forget to close them before dusk!