Springtime in the Vegetable Garden – the Story of the Humble Seed!

April 2025

We are welcoming the onset of spring, which brings with it warmer weather, new life, as well as the promise of summer and autumn harvests, but where and how to begin? Here our Vegetable Production Manager Stephen will tell us what makes a seed thrive and what’s happening in our vegetable garden this spring. 

Tablehurst Field, where our Garden team grows vegetables outdoor and in the polytunnels

There can be so much anticipation but also, in some years, disappointment after months of hard work, depending on what the seasons bring us. But year after year, we try to get off to the best start that we can, and where better to start than with the humble seed! 

Seeds are the foundation of farming, and a sound understanding of their needs for germination will start us off more successfully, whether at home, on an allotment or as a market gardener, helping us achieve that bountiful harvest later. 

Our onions are off to a good start!

Every tiny, hard dry seed needs to transform by waking up and breaking dormancy. To do that it needs a combination of water, aerated soil, the right temperature and a degree of light (none in some cases)!  

Too little water and it may not germinate; too much may encourage fungal disease. Keeping the seed trays at a comfortable temperature will help those seeds germinate nicely, and extreme cold or heat can prevent good germination. At this early-stage, light is not so important for a seed to germinate, as they are beneath the soil surface. However, light can stimulate germination during periods of higher temperatures. 

Lastly, seeds need to breathe! They need air as well as water, so don't sow too deep and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. It’s also important the soil is not too compact. 

Some of our seven varieties of lettuce (front) and cabbage shoots (back)

When we have the right balance as described above, the little seed soaks up the water around it, swells and a shoot rises up towards the surface into a new and colourful world (but beware of slugs and badgers!). 

A good compost helps significantly in building high-quality soil, which provides organic matter, as well as holds water, air and nutrients. If you have access to the biodynamic preparations and sprays, these will go a long way to bringing your soil to life, feed your crops and bring all of that to fruition at harvest. So healthy soil is essential to creating beautiful, delicious plates of vegetables! 

Our vegetable garden’s main project this year has been consolidating our production to one main field – the Tablehurst Field – which is where the polytunnels are situated. This has entailed redesigning the layout of the field to establish two vegetable rotations of seven years, which includes two years of green manure and a five-year rotation for vegetable production. The top rotation is 100 metres long, while the lower rotation is 50 metres. 

Overall, our vegetable varieties this year is consistent with previous years, which to a large extent has settled down to those varieties which grow well on our soil, and are nutritious and tasty. This week we are sowing: Nero di Milano courgettes, cucumber, spring onion, dwarf beans, seven varieties of lettuce, radish and true spinach, all of which we hope you will be enjoying near the end of June! 

Stephen making it look easy!