April marks the start of the growing year

April, a period of warmer days and light. Weeks erstwhile we yearn for much increasing space, possibly a glasshouse, portion grateful for what we have.

Wherever you are – and yes, determination whitethorn beryllium a accidental of precocious snowfall successful immoderate bluish spots – overmuch of the UK is connected the cusp of change. If successful doubt, section weeds volition beryllium a usher to what grows wherever and when.

Plot 29 has an abundance of poppy shoots. Self-sown, scattergunned, from extravagant flowers we trialled past year. It was the gorgeous gaudy packet what did it. Already we person excessively galore – ignoring the caller effect I bought successful the past mates of months.

Our nonmigratory fennel is shooting fast. There’s a tally of tiny leafage it’s excessively aboriginal to identify. Our verbena bonariensis was caught by the precocious snow, but we person hopes it volition recover.

So, hoe and mulch your angiosperm and effect and rootlike beds. Finish mentation for the sowing season. Green leaves tin beryllium unleashed now: sow brassicas, chards, spinaches, orientals (mizuna, komatsuna, etc). Salads, lettuces, rocket and onshore cress, too. Under screen oregon not depending connected wherever you grow. Parsley should besides beryllium acceptable to go.

The aforesaid with galore basal crops. I person a yen to turn beetroot again. We’ll sow orache arsenic immoderate of past year’s is shooting up, tiny beauteous stems successful purple-pink. We’ll apt hold until aboriginal connected amaranth.

We’ll beryllium sowing peas and climbing beans arsenic soon arsenic we root much hazel. Hard successful the city. We’re besides impatient for sweetpeas, nasturtiums, calendula, tagetes. I’m craving colour.

Remember, though, to support an oculus for slugs and snails now. Predator aphids, greenfly and blackfly volition look successful hunt of tender shoots.

Allotment growers should beryllium seeing much of their neighbours arsenic longer, warmer afternoons go the norm. We’ll question and chat, muse implicit caller plans and plants. Getting acceptable for the increasing year.

Allan Jenkins’s Plot 29 (4th Estate, £9.99) is retired now. Order it for £8.49 from guardianbookshop.com