Sowing Vegetables

Q: Dear Ken – a helpful blog thanks – I have the following vegetable seeds, climbing bean, runner bean, swiss chard, mangetout and spinach perpetual and wonder when I will be able to sow these directly into the soil outside or should I pot them up now and put them in my UNHEATED greenhouse – many thanks and enjoy your radio programmes – Regards – Dennis from Tiptree

A: The beans are the most fragile vegetable and cannot be planted directly outside safely until the middle of May.  You could start them off in the greenhouse in a couple of weeks time.  Watch the weather then when all frost has finished you could plant them out.  Mangetout can be sown directly outdoors now.  Just watch as they emerge if we have severe frost warning cover with horticultural fleece.  Swiss chard and Spinach perpetual you can sow out now in mid April.