The first thing I'll say when it comes to sowing seeds or attempting to grow your own fruits and veg, or flowers if that’s your thing, is that it’s really not as hard as you’d imagine. It’s definitely not as hard as some of the professionals make it out to be. Yes, there are tips, tricks and techniques that might lead to slightly better results come harvest time, but if you’re not growing on a commercial scale or if your livelihood doesn’t depend on it, it’s not hard and doesn’t have to be complicated. 


You should also know that you that you absolutely don’t need any specialist equipment. You don’t need any fancy tools; you don’t need expensive seeds and you don’t have to go to a specialist supplier to get your compost. Another thing that is absolutely not necessary, is any prior experience. Sowing seeds and growing your own is very beginner friendly and almost anyone can do it. It takes nothing more than a few basic supplies and a little bit of patience.  

There are, however, a few things that we will need if we want to have a go at growing our own produce. Don’t panic though, because everything I mention in this list will be super easy to find from your local high-street type shops, or from a trip to your local garden centre. 


The final thing I want to talk about before we get on to the things we need for sowing, is knowing when to start sowing our seeds. This is the part that can get a little tricky, so I've tried to simplify it as much as possible. The first thing we need to remember is that sowing earlier isn’t always the best idea. I recommend you don’t sow any seeds in January, and we don't really look to start sowing until the last half of February. The reason isn’t just because of the outdoor temperature (since I always advise that where possible you should start your seeds off in a sunny spot indoors anyway), but it has more to do with the amount of light that we receive each day during these early months of the year. The days are short and this isn’t great for growing. It’s generally agreed among gardeners that it’s better to sow slightly later during the earlier part of the year, than it is to sow late during the latter part of the growing season. Your seedlings will catch up during the late spring and summer months so don't worry if you don't get them in right away. 

When to sow your seeds.

Here’s a rough idea of when to start sowing your seeds for a few different types of vegetables and a some flowers that'll benefit your veg garden. The dates given are for UK hardiness zone 8 (Google “UK hardiness zones” to see which zone you’re in). If you live in Zone 7, you may want to wait 2-3 weeks after the following dates to start planting. If you live in Zone 9 or 10, you might be able to start your seeds a couple of weeks before these dates: 

• End of Feb: spring onions, lettuce, cabbage (early varieties), calabrese(green broccoli), cauliflower, celery, coriander, parsley and broad beans. 
   

• March 1st half: peas, aubergine, onions, chilies, turnips and radish.
• March 2nd half: tomatoes, peppers, first early potatoes, parsnips, carrots, basil and garlic. 

• April 1st half: antirrhinum, daliahs, sunflowers, french marigolds, zinnia, second early potatoes, leeks and brussels sprouts. 
• April 2nd half: cucumber, squash, pumpkin, courgettes, sweetcorn and nasturtiums. 

• May 1st half: French beans, runner beans and swede. 

By the second half of May we’re past all of the UK’s average last frost dates and most vegetables will be suitable for sowing at this point.  

What you'll need to sow your seed.

Everything that you'll need will be available in shops on your local high-street, or by taking a trip to your closest garden centre. You don't have to spend a fortune on these few bits, but if you're hoping to stick at growing your own, the best place to spend your money is on good quality, rigid seed module trays if you can find them.

Anyway, Here's what you'll need:
 

1. A seed module tray – These are for sowing your seeds and come in a range of sizes depending on how many seeds and the type of plants you’d like to grow. Don’t worry too much about the number of modules though. Almost all seeds will germinate and grow in any size module (within reason), though it may mean you’ll have to re-pot your seedling into a larger module or pot sooner than if you’d used a slightly larger module. A 40-60 module tray is good for most seeds and will also save you compost compared to a 20 or 25 module tray. I use 40 and 60 module trays almost exclusively, except when it comes to sowing large seeds such as squash (pumpkin, courgette and marrow), beans, peas where I might want to let the young plant grow a little larger before I transplant it (move it from the module tray into its final growing position in the ground) later on.  
   
   BONUS - The zero cost option – scavenge some plastic bottles or some used egg cartons and turn them into seed trays or plant pots. I recently found some old water bottles, cut them in half and used them to grow sunflowers!
   
   
   
2. Some compost – This is the part where many people get confused, but bear with me, I'm going to make it really simple. It’s two words (granted they’re both hyphenated so you could argue that it’s four words...). Peat-free. Multi-purpose. We don’t use compost with added peat because in the act of extracting peat from our peatlands, we release stored carbon into the air which becomes carbon dioxide (CO2) which gets trapped in our atmosphere. Some articles have reported that peat extraction for horticulture in the UK alone releases the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as more than 100,000 UK residents per year!  
   
   
3. The seed – Next, we need something to grow. As I mentioned further up the page, we don’t need any specialist seed and it doesn’t need to be expensive. A cheap seed will grow just as well (or just as poorly in some cases) as a packet costing three times as much.  
   
   
4. Light and water– Finally and maybe most importantly, we need some light and water. The easy bit. Again, some people get confused about how much and how often to water their little green friends, but we’ll go through exactly how much and when to water in a moment. 

It's time to get sowing.

Now we’ve got our supplies, we need to put them all together to grow some seedlings! Again, this doesn’t have to be rocket science but there are a few things we can do each time to maximise our chances of success. 

1. Fill our seed module trays with compost. I like to sieve mine into the modules over a large potting tray to make sure the seeds have a nice fine compost to root into. Sieving isn't necessary though. Just make sure you break up any big clumps in the bag before you put it into the seed tray. 
   
   
   
2. Push down lightly (just the weight of your relaxed hands and arms will do) into each module to lightly compact the compost. This will keep the small seedling well rooted and helps when it comes to handling the seedling during transplant time. 
   
   
   
3. Top up the modules if necessary and again, smooth out and lightly compact the compost until it’s about half a centimeter or so below the top of the module.  
   
   
   
4. Make a small hole with your finger for the seeds. Don't get too technical and don't worry too much about the depth of the hole. Most seeds will do well sitting around 1-2 cm under the surface of the compost. Some gardeners say a trick to this part is to cover the seed with 1-2 times the seeds length with compost.  
   
   
   
5. Drop in two or three seeds. The number may vary depending on what it is you’re going to grow. Take spinach for example. We pop 2 seeds in each module and then when the seedlings start to grow, we’ll select the strongest seedling to grow on to be our spinach plant and we’ll snip out the weaker one. 
   
   
6. Sprinkle on some more compost to completely cover the seeds and very gently firm over the compost. 
   
   
   
7. With a fine rose on your watering can, completely saturate the modules with water. Don’t worry about overwatering at this point because the compost will drain any water that it’s unable to hold. Just remember not to water so vigorously that you wash the seeds from the tray.  
   
   
   
8. Cover with a propagation lid, a piece of glass or a plastic fruit tray and keep somewhere warm. Seeds need more warmth to germinate than seedlings do to grow, so it's best to take them indoors if you can to give them their best chance.
   
   
   
9. Wait for the seedlings to appear! Once they’ve started to push through the top layer of compost, you can remove the lid. Congratulations! 
   
   

I think by far, one of the best sights in gardening is the new growth of seedlings that you’ve sown yourself. It’s as rewarding the first time as it is the 10th and I never get tired of seeing little seedling push through, greeting the world for the first time. 

What's the next step?

Our job is not yet finished as we can now take our seeds outside (preferably a spot sheltered from the wind – a green house or cold frame is ideal at this point) and take care of new friends. From here, they pretty much take care of themselves so long as you remember a few key things. Firstly, the water you put on when you sowed the seeds should be enough to see them germinate and last for a short whole after. The key though, is to check that the compost never dries out completely. It may look like the compost is dry on the surface, and that’s ok so long as underneath still looks damp but not soggy. If the surface looks dry and the compost in the module feels hard and not squishy, it's probably time to give the seedlings some water. The general rule for watering any seedling in a module tray is to completely saturate the compost with water while allowing any excess to drain out. Remember, more water infrequently is better than a little water every day. 


Once our seedlings have grown on for a while, they’ll become sturdier and less delicate, although care should always be taken when handling or moving the module trays. At some point, they’ll be ready to plant outside and this can be a bit of a guessing game but is usually 2-3 weeks after germinating depending on what you’ve grown and the size of the module you’ve used. Remember to only plant out tender plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and aubergines once any risk of frost has passed. Oh, and when you do lift them from their modules, remember to lift by the leaves and not the stem! 


If you read this far, I urge you to have a go at growing your own fruits, veggies and flowers. It really is rewarding, and you can’t get any better for your health and for the environment than food straight off the plant. Growing your own encourages kids and adults alike to get outside, spend quality time together and learn new skills that can be used year after year and can be passed on for generations to come.

I hope to see you in the next one.