What to sow in March and why it matters more than you think

There's a particular kind of optimism that only allotment holders understand. It's the kind that makes you stand in a cold polytunnel in February, pressing tiny seeds into modules of compost, knowing full well that half of them probably won't make it, and doing it anyway.

March is when that optimism becomes something more solid. The soil temperature is creeping up, the days are finally longer than they feel, and if you press your ear to the ground and listen very carefully, you can almost hear the worms waking up. Almost.

So. What should you actually be sowing right now?

Indoors (or under cover), this is prime time for tomatoes, aubergines, and chillies. These need the longest possible growing season, so getting them started now, on a warm windowsill or in a propagator, gives them a fighting chance before summer arrives. Don't sow them outside yet. They'll sulk.

Directly into prepared beds, if your soil is workable and not waterlogged, you can get going with early carrots (under fleece is best), parsnips, and broad beans. Parsnips are notoriously slow to germinate, sometimes three weeks or more, so don't panic when nothing seems to be happening. Something is happening. You just can't see it yet.

Peas are also worth sowing now, either direct or in lengths of guttering for easy transplanting later. I've been using AllotMate's deep root trainers for my early peas for the past couple of seasons and they make a noticeable difference. The roots don't get pot-bound before you're ready to plant out.

Onion sets can go in too, if the ground isn't frozen. Space them about 10cm apart, push them gently into the soil so just the tip is showing, and then spend the next fortnight evicting the birds who will, without fail, pull every single one out to investigate.

March is also a brilliant time to start a seed diary if you haven't already. Just a notebook is fine. Record what you sow, when, and where. You'll thank yourself in August when you're staring at an unlabelled tray and trying to remember whether it's a courgette or a cucumber.

The plot is waiting. Off you go.