What to sow and grow in March.

Although we've had a few lovely sunny days recently don't be fooled into thinking it's now spring and you can start planting out. There are some hardy veg however that you can plant now, but tender veg are always best left until much later.

We need the soil to warm up before we start planting direct and don't forget our last frost date here in the UK isn't until mid May. There's nothing worse than getting things in the soil on a sunny April day only to have them severely set back with an overnight frost.

But as I mentioned last month, hardy peas and broad beans can be planted direct into the soil and now also onions, shallots, beetroot, Kohlrabi and radish.

Because of their long growing season, now's the time to sow any Aubergines, peppers and chillis indoors on a sunny windowsill. And you've still got plenty of time before you start your tomatoes.

Make your own palette compost bin.

Last month I spoke about why it's good for your soil and the environment to compost your garden waste and food scraps. How you compost all depends on how much space you have. If you're lucky enough to have an allotment or a fairly good sized garden then you have many options. One of those options is to make one out of palettes. It's easy to pick wooden palettes up for free, just look out for builders working on properties or you may see them thrown in skips. Firstly though, look out for the markings in the side (see video) and do ask permission from the owners.

So if you're handy with a screwdriver and a saw you could soon have your first compost bin for very little outlay. And if you're lucky enough to have the space you can build another one next to it.

Weeds, good or bad? - Hedge Bindweed

Last month we talked about the benefits of the Dandelion, but this time is the turn of the pernicious Bindweed. You may recognise it by its white trumpet like flowers. The long fast growing stems wind their way round your plants and slowly chokes them! The real problem though is their creamy white roots that can grow as much as a metre in a year. If you have bindweed in your garden or allotment the best way to get rid of it is to dig up the roots being careful not to break them or leave any small piece behind in the soil. Even the smallest piece left in the ground will grow into another plant. If you dig up the roots as soon as you see it growing and keep doing this, you will eventually get rid of it. If you have a large area with it growing, dig up as much as you can and then cover the soil with something to exclude the light, cardboard, weed membrane or black polythene will do the trick.