3 crops to start now

Squash ‘Sweet Dumpling’

These small, ridged and green-striped ornamental fruits that turn orange are one of my favourites for stuffing and cooking whole. How to Start sowing indoors now with one seed per 9cm pot filled with multi-purpose compost, sown horizontally, to twice the depth of the seed. Plant out in manured soil, after a period of hardening off once it has produced 4-6 true leaves.

Dill ‘Bouquet’

This compact plant has aromatic, edible, ferny foliage and produces umbels of white flower heads that attract bees, hoverflies and other beneficial insects.

How to Best to direct sow as dill’s roots do not tolerate disturbance. First, water the area and make 1cm-deep drills. Sow the seeds and lightly cover with soil. Thin out the seedlings to 5cm apart, and keep the soil mulched and well-watered for leafy growth – ensure the soil is constantly moist as drought conditions will encourage the plants to bolt.

Cauliflower ‘All the Year Round’

This is an impressive and highly reliable standby variety, with large, tight, white heads surrounded by dark-green foliage. How to Sow seeds in a weed-free seed bed in a drill 2cm deep, spacing out the seedlings to 10cm apart. Plant out when the seedlings have produced 4-6 true leaves. Protect the plants against pests such as birds, cabbage white butterflies and slugs.