As the days get noticeably longer it’s time to start planting seeds. This weekend I’ll be planting Chillies in trays over a soil warming cable.

You can also plant some crops outside. Start this week with Broad Beans under a cloche to give them some protection.

Other jobs to do this week:

• Prune Autumn-fruiting raspberry canes. You should remove the canes that fruited last year, they should look more ‘woody’ than the younger canes.
• Start to force Rhubarb and Seakale by covering the crown with a forcing jar or, as we use at Croan Cottages, an old chimney pot!
• Check trees and shrubs for Bullfinch damage. These little birds just love the emerging buds on trees, particularly fruit trees. It can be hard to stop them but you could try: providing lots of other food options, hang old CDs in the tree to scare them off or even covering small trees with fleece.
• Order your seed potatoes to be sure you get the varieties you want and to give you time to ‘chit’ them.
• Plant Sweet Peas.