Monty Don's top 5 vegetable gardening tips – what to plant this weekend
The celebrity gardener shares five important vegetable gardening tips for the kitchen garden in March and April


As we officially move into spring, what are the key vegetable gardening tips we need for the weekend ahead?
See: Kitchen garden ideas – easy ways to get started
TV gardening guru Monty Don to the rescue, as he shares the five key kitchen garden jobs to do this month on his website (opens in new tab).
These include things you can do on warm or cold days, wet weather tasks, indoor jobs, and seed sowing, too. These five jobs will help to ensure a tasty and varied harvest from your vegetable plot this year.
1. Sow lettuce, tomato, beetroot, cabbage and celery seeds
At this time of year, Monty Don advises sowing these seeds under cover. So until the weather warms up sufficiently, start them off either in a greenhouse or on cool windowsills.
'Do not sow any seeds outside if the ground feels cold to touch,' he says. However, if the weather is warm enough you can sow beetroot seeds outside, see below.
See: How to grow tomatoes – the best ways to grow your own tomato plants
2. Sow broad beans, rocket and spinach outside if the weather is warm and dry
Feel the soil in your hands, says Monty. If it feels warm enough, you can also sow beetroot, radish, mizuna, winter lettuce and parsnips straight into the ground.
See: Raised bed gardening mistakes – and Gardener Scott's advice on how to avoid
3. Start seed potatoes
The TV gardener says it's time to 'chit' potatoes (allow them to sprout).
Egg cartons make perfect containers for seed potatoes. Place them somewhere cool and light until the shoots are 1-2cm long. The seed potatoes can be planted out in the vegetable plot at the end of March or early April if the ground is dry enough.
'Planting potatoes is dead easy,' says Monty Don in an episode of Gardeners' World (opens in new tab). 'I start by drawing a deep drill and add a few inches of compost along the bottom of it.'
Next the expert places the seed tubers on the compost about 18 inches apart, and draws the soil back over the planted potatoes. 'The rows do need to be far enough apart to allow for earthing up later on when the new foliage appears,' he adds.
See: How to grow potatoes – an expert guide
4. Plant out shallot and onion sets
Until firmly rooted, newly planted shallots and onions remain vulnerable to birds pulling them from the ground. Monty Don advises covering them with fleece for around two weeks after planting to protect them.
5. Prune red and white currants and gooseberries
It's time to prune gooseberries, and red and white currants. The aim is to have a good open, cup shape to the bushes.
'To start with, prune away the middle, because the big problem with redcurrants, white currants and gooseberries is sawfly and mould,' says Monty Don as he demonstrates the pruning technique in a video from Gardeners' World (opens in new tab). 'And both of them are best dealt with by good ventilation.'
See: Monty Don shares his top tips for pruning hydrangeas in spring
Once you have the desired open shape, feed them with chicken manure pellets and add a thick layer of garden compost over the roots.
Karen is the houses editor for homesandgardens.com and homes editor for the brand’s sister titles, Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors, and an experienced writer on interiors and gardens. She loves visiting historic houses for Period Living and writing about rural properties for Country Homes & Interiors, and working with photographers to capture all shapes and sizes of properties. Karen began her career as a sub editor at Hi-Fi News and Record Review magazine, starting to write album reviews just as they switched from vinyl to CD releases. Her move to women’s magazines came soon after, in the shape of Living magazine, which covered cookery, fashion, beauty, homes and gardening. From Living Karen moved to Ideal Home magazine, where as deputy chief sub, then chief sub, she started to really take an interest in properties, architecture, interior design and gardening.
-
-
Best cordless vacuum cleaners 2022: 8 of the best vacuums for cord-free cleaning
These are the best cordless vacuum cleaners for added convenience in your home
By Jaclyn Turner • Published
-
Common houseplant pests – and 6 natural ways to get rid of them for good
Experts explain how to get rid of common houseplant pests in six easy, natural steps
By Chiana Dickson • Published
-
How to make a bug hotel – to attract pollinators
Learn how to make a bug hotel to provide a valuable habitat for pollinators and other insects
By Holly Reaney • Published
-
Vegetable garden container ideas – 20 ways to grow crops in pots
Grow your own potted harvest with vegetable garden container ideas that are both beautiful and productive
By Melanie Griffiths • Published
-
Cottage backyard ideas – 25 ways to bring a rural, rustic feel to any garden plot
Cottage backyard ideas offer a feast for the senses. Be inspired to turn your garden into a relaxed and inviting oasis
By Melanie Griffiths • Published
-
Bird bath ideas – 10 styles to add to your garden
Add one of these bird bath ideas to your garden to create a haven for our feathered friends
By Holly Reaney • Published
-
How to grow honeysuckle – when, where and varieties to plant
Find out how to grow honeysuckle to enjoy the color, scent and versatility of these wonderful climbing plants and shrubs
By Rachel Crow • Published
-
Growing herbs indoors – how to grow a windowsill herb garden
Find advice on growing herbs indoors, whether in a windowsill herb garden, in pots, or using grow lights
By Rachel Crow • Published
-
Tour this famed garden designer's English spring garden
The spring garden of Rosemary Alexander, founder of the The English Gardening School, is a glorious showcase of her passion and expertize
By Leigh Clapp • Published
-
How to grow cosmos – top tips for growing these colorful flowers
Find out how to grow cosmos to brighten up your summer garden and provide endless blooms for cut flower arrangements
By Leigh Clapp • Published