April

Sow in pots in a greenhouse or on a sunny window ledge
Sow in pots – herbs such as basil, parsley and coriander. Keep them near a radiator and put clingfilm over the pot to keep it extra warm until the seed leaves appear, then move it somewhere cooler
Courgettes, squash and pumpkin and cucumber seeds – sow in small pots a couple of seeds per pot
French beans – try planting them into cardboard tubes of compost (cut kitchen-roll tubes in half) so as not to disturb their roots when they are planted out 
Runner beans – as above or in modules
Sweet corn

Sow in the ground
Lettuce and salads
Radishes
Parsnips – you can grow a short-rooted variety for harvesting in the autumn
Carrots – a short-rooted variety which will be ready for harvest in July
Chitted main crop potatoes

Plant in to the ground
Peas – for a summer crop, buy plants that are ready to put straight into your beds now. They don’t like to have their roots disturbed, so see if you can find plants in peat pots to be planted directly into the soil
Broad beans – if you are going to get any crop before the summer holidays, you’ll need to buy plants. Sutton is a good variety to use if space is limited

In the greenhouse or polytunnel
Tomato plants

Container growing
Pot up – bought herb plants
Sow – dwarf French beans to crop in June
Chitted new potatoes for a June crop
Cut-and-come-again salad
Radishes
Courgette seeds in pots indoors for transplanting in May. Golden fruited types provide a splash of colour

Harvest
Rhubarb
Spinach
Rocket
Spring onions
Lettuce

Jobs
If you want to grow ‘maincrop’ potatoes to harvest in September, buy seed potatoes now. If they’re not already chitted, put them in an eggbox and leave them in a cool dark place to develop sprouts. Rub off most of the sprouts and then put the potatoes in a light place before planting in a few weeks 

Late in the month, thin lettuce and radishes
Hoe and weed
Water crops