Spring flowering pot plants and bulbs are now producing a blaze of colour and your seedlings and cuttings are growing fast. Outdoor sowing and planting can begin in earnest

*Propagation Indoors
Sow tender vegetables such as outdoor Tomatoes and Runner Beans to plant out later
Pot up Pelargonium and Fuschia cuttings already rooted
Pot up Chrysanthemum cuttings rooted last month
Take Dahlia cuttings
Sow bedding and pot plant seeds – Zinnias,Nemesia and Marigolds
Prick out or pot up seedlings sown in March
Sow Marrows, Courgettes, Celery, Celeriac and French Beans

TIP: Seeds sown in modular tray systems make spacing easier, save time in pricking out and produce strong sturdy plants with little or no disturbance when transplanting once the weather warms up. Check plants regularly to see if watering is needed. You may have to water actively growing plants several times a week.

*Planting out Outdoors
When sowing and planting outdoors remember that soil temperature is as important as air temperature. Few seeds will germinate if the soil temperature is below 7°C(45°F).
Sow hardy annuals
Plant Gladioli
Plant out Sweet Peas
Sow more Sweet Peas directly where they are to flower
Plant Ranunculus
Plant Potatoes
Plant out vegetable seedlings e.g. Cabbage, Lettuce
Plant new Strawberries

TIP: Warm up soil by using cloches, tunnels or cold frames for early outdoor sowing especially with the early vegetables.
*In the Greenhouse
Check all the plants for signs of pests and diseases which often increase as the temperature rises especially white fly at this time of year
Increase ventilation on warm days
Increase watering of plants as the weather warms up

The indications given above assume you will be using Rootrainers seed trays and or/plug plants produced in Rootrainers. If you are using conventional seed trays, then the growth cycle is likely to be longer. Also remember if you are using Rootrainers seed trays you will not have to do any potting up of your cuttings and you will save on compost.