Plant Leek Seeds
Now is the right time to sow leek seeds. There are three methods for sowing leeks. First and easiest is to sow them in their growing position and leave them there. Leeks however stay in the ground for a long time and if space is tight then they can be grown close together (10cm / 4in)in a seed bed and then transplanted to their final positions when they re ach about 20cm / 8in high at the correct distance apart.Alternatively they can be sown under cover and then planted out.

Sow the seed 3cm / 1in apart about half a centimetre (¼in) deep. Rows should be around 20cm / 8in apart. See our main article for detailed instructions.

Prepare For Planting Runner Beans
Most gardeners enjoy growing runner beans and in general they are tolerant plants. But they do even better if they are fed well. First, work out where you will be growing them. They like a sunny position but can be blown over in windy situations.

Dig a 30cm (1ft) trench about 15cm (6in) wide where they are to be grown. Add in lots of rotted compost and then cover the trench with the dug soil. This will have settled down by the time it comes to sow / plant your runner beans.

More Information
For more detailed information and timings go to our individual vegetable, herb and fruit pages. If you want to see a condensed vegetable advice page with planting, sowing, care and harvesting information for the entire year on one page then go to our vegetable calendar.