Veg to sow now
These RHS award-winning varieties will produce early crops packed with taste
1 Broad bean ‘Masterpiece Green Longpod’
Reliable variety with long pods containing six or seven beans per pod. Good disease resistance. Sow direct outdoors or singly in 7.5cm (3in) pots under glass, harden off and plant outdoors in April. Harvest pods in June. H: 90cm (3ft) S: 45cm (1½ft).
Tip Pinch out tips of plants as soon as black bean aphid appears.
From www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk; tel: 0844 557 6700.
2 Cabbage ‘Hispi’
Versatile, fast-maturing summer cabbage producing durable, pointed heads. Compact, bolt-resistant with a good sweet flavour. Sow under glass in February, or outdoors from March as weather allows. H: 40cm (1¼ft), S: 60cm (2ft).
Tip So versatile it can also be sown in autumn as a spring cabbage.
From www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk; tel: 0333 003 0869.
3 Carrot ‘Adelaide’
Valuable, quick-maturing, F1 hybrid, ideal for early sowing and for forcing under cloches or frames. Long, smooth-skinned roots, with sweet taste and crunchy texture. Sow in pots of compost for early salad carrots H: 30cm (1ft), S: 15cm (6in). Tip Thin seedlings to 2.5cm (1in) apart or wider if larger roots are required. From www.kingsseeds.com; tel: 01376 570000.
4 Cauliflower ‘Snowball’
Dwarf, compact variety that’s easier to grow than others. Sow under glass in modules at 13C (55F). Matures in summer, later sowings in autumn. H: 50cm (1¾ft), S: 60cm (2ft).
Tip Keep plants moist, as a check to growth causes uneven curd formation.
From www.kingsseeds.com; tel: 01376 570000.
5 Leek ‘Musselburgh’
Long-established, mid-season variety. Durable and very cold hardy. Sow under glass and harden off before planting out in April. H: 45cm (1½ft), S: 30cm (1ft).
Tip Make a 7.5-10cm (3-4in) hole in soil with a dibber, insert young plant and water in. Don’t cover with soil.
From www.kingsseeds.com; tel: 01376 570000.