After a cold winter it can take a great deal of effort to get out in the garden before the true start of spring. You may have noticed a few snowdrops and daffodils starting to peep through the earth and with Easter now only a few weeks away the time is nigh to remove those winter cobwebs and get gardening.

With ground frost still a distinct possibility you can still do essential jobs for the year ahead. Two of the first of these are the regular clean of teh greenhouse and shed. Keeping these two essential items well organised and free from clutter will mean that teh year ahead will run much more smoothly.

If you fancy getting your fingers dirty after the cleaning why not start to sow some early tomatoes in the greenhouse. If you sow them now your first crop will be in mid to late June, perfect for that summer salad

Many allotment holders are now choosing to grow their vegetables in raised beds. This is quite a new phenomenon and has many advantages and disadvantages. Discussed below are a few points that need consideration.

Advantages

Raised beds are in essence low maintenance; they can be weeded quickly and easily. You also have clearly defined boundaries for your crops meaning forward planning and hence crop rotation can be much easier. If they are raised sufficiently, people who have difficulty bending can work the beds meaning no more bad backs.

Disadvantages

They can be quite free draining so may need to be watered more regularly. They also restrict the amount of area you can grow vegetables on your plot. This will of course mean that you will have less produce. This may however not be a bad thing if you have difficulty looking after your plot. You will have to provide some sort of paths between the beds which can of course cost money; otherwise the weeds may take hold.

These painful weeds can often be considered a nuisance amongst the lovely straight lines of vegetables at the allotment, however they can provide useful nutrients to other plants and yourself if used correctly!

For the plants - Nettles can produce a balanced, valuable fertiliser when utilised in liquid feed. If you gather the nettles in the spring, they have the peak mineral content. To produce the liquid feed, put the freshly picked nettles into a container and fill with water (2 gallons of water for every 2lbs of nettles). Cover the mixture and leave for a fortnight, stirring occasionally. After the 2 weeks, strain the nettle juice. Use one part of this smelly liquid with 10 parts water.

For you - Nettles contain iron, vitamins and natural histamine. They can make an excellent tonic to help improve circulation and detoxify your system. Use the young shoots as these are best for cooking.

It is the time of the year again when dandelions invade our lawns and without a doubt they will soon be sending their spores far and wide as soon as they are caught by a gust of wind. This means that even if you have a pristine weed free lawn the chances are it will soon have spores from other people’s gardens waiting to take seed.

Dandelions are notoriously difficult to get rid of. You must remove the whole root from the ground to be sure it will not shoot next year. When doing this I remove the head first carefully to avoid any more spores being picked up by the wind and infiltrating other parts of your lawn. Then using a trowel or small fork loosen the soil around the root before pulling the entire root from the ground. If you have a lot of weeds in your lawn you could choose a weedkiller, but always get one that will not damage the surrounding grass or cause harm to pets or children.

The Dandelions Latin name is Taraxacum Officinale, Dandelion coming from the French for lion’s tooth. The plant is still used to make Dandelion wine, Dandelion beer, and the popular Dandelion and Burdock fizzy drink. Read more about how to get rid of Dandelions here.

One thing that we all use when cooking are herbs. These usually come in dried packets that are kept in the store cupboard for weeks or even months before we use them. If you regularly taste fresh herbs you will realise that they are a world away from the supermarket bought dried variety.

Growing your own herbs is really easy and everyone should have a selection at home on the windowsill or in pots or containers just outside the back door.

Many herbs can be grown from seed very easily and can readily be used in the kitchen. Useful herbs that should always be kept at hand are Parsley, Rosemary, Basil, Coriander, Oregano, Bay and Mint. There are of course a huge variety of herbs, so when you find a recipe you like don’t buy dried herbs, buy seeds or seedlings and grow the plant yourself. That way you will be able to use the herb many more times, and it will always be fresh.

With spring fast approaching it is the time of year to be purchasing all your seeds, plugs and sets for the coming months. Many of these can be bought in advance and the mail order companies will post you them when they are ready. This can save you loads of time scheduling what time of year things need to be planted on your allotment.

To get things started early every allotment holder should either have a coldframe or a greenhouse so their seedlings have a chance to propagate. This item is one of the most expensive things you will need to get for your plot but they are long lasting and a worthwhile investment. Coldframes are smaller than greenhouses but because of this they only hold a limited amount of plants. The best choice is a greenhouse, these are however more costly so always look out for deals at garden centre’s and on the internet. If you need a greenhouse now and haven’t got any spare change some sites offer interest free credit, buy now pay next year or have a look around to see if you can find any homeowner loans available.

Whichever option you choose, one of these items is a must for every allotment so make a point to consider your choice carefully.

If you don’t have an allotment or any space in your garden to grow your own vegetables there is a viable option.

Certain types of vegetables can be grown extremely effectively in growbags or containers. It is however important to get as large a container as possible with lots of drain holes. The container should be preferably placed in a spot that is within easy reach that enjoys sunny periods throughout the day but is not in direct sunlight or shade.

If you only have a sunny spot, there are however certain types of specific plant that can be grown, like chillies, peppers or tomatoes (which can be grown really successfully in a growbag).

In a sunny/shady spot you can grow all types of veg like, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, beetroot and garlic. You do however need to take into consideration the root formation of the type of veg you grow, because some veg need more room for their root systems than others.

Gardeners are known for their idiosyncrasies regarding the tools that they use. Whether it is the hoe that their grandfather gave them or a new gadget for turning the soil, every person has their own likes and dislikes.

As the growing season starts in earnest it is a good time to reevaluate the tools that you own, repair any broken items or search the garden centres or the internet for new shiny items will bolster your current collection. Any items that have become blunt can be sharpened with a metal file. Items that have rusted can be cleaned with a wire brush and then wire wool to achieve a polished finish. Knives, cutters or secateurs can be sharpened using a sharpening stone available from any DIY store. Raw wooden handles can be treated with linseed oil to protect their surface and give them a nice finish.

After the tools are clean and sharpened it is a good idea to give them a rub over with any general purpose oil, this will protect them from further rust during the coming season.

There are many good sharpening tools available to make these jobs easier for you; discounts can usually be had in stores or various internet sites with the help of promotional codes or vouchers. It is always handy to keep your sharpening equipment close at hand throughout the gardening season; this will let you touch up any blunt items to make your gardening experience easier and more enjoyable.

A good soil for growing vegetables should be moist and full of nutrients. The soil at many allotments may have been used to grow crops for years, and when you first get your plot, spending some time to improve the soil quality will help greatly. Adding organic matter is the best way to improve the nutrient level, and also the consistency of the soil.

Digging in well rotted horse manure is one great idea. Try contacting local riding centres. They are often happy for you to take their waste away for free, some can even deliver.

In addition, pellets of chicken manure can dramatically improve nutrient levels, but make sure you follow the instructions! This can be used sparingly but have dramatic effects.

Green manure is another alternative for improving soil quality. This can be sown directly onto the allotment, and left to grow. Once fully grown, the plants can be then dug into the soil and left to rot, where they will re-introduce nutrients to the soil.

Whichever method you use, any attempt to improve the soil at your allotment will directly benefit the produce you grown in the soil. People often refer to feeding plants but if you feed the soil, the plants will look after themselves.

If you have a plot of land on which you have decided to grow fruit and vegetables, one of the first things you will need to do is assess your soil. Soil types vary across the country, even across a plot!

To get the best out of the soil, it is important to identify what type you are dealing with. Soil texture may fall into the following categories: Clay, silt or sand. These are categorised by the size of the grains of the soil, and their corresponding nutrient levels.

Clay soil is made of fine particles, which clump together, and become heavy and often waterlogged. There are few air spaces and poor drainage in clay soil. It can be hard for plants to force their roots into this soil, but it can be rich in nutrients. Organic matter can be added to improve the texture.

Sandy soil has a gritty texture. This means that water drains quickly through it, leaving it dry with little water for plants. As a consequence, sandy soil can be poor in nutrients, and needs organic matter to add the nutrients required.

Silty soil falls somewhere between clay and sand, with fine particles, rich in nutrients but free draining.