Gardeners are being urged to sow five key seeds in March or risk missing out on an “earlier and more reliable” harvest. Expert Benedict Vanheems shares which crops to plant now
09:51, 23 Feb 2026Updated 09:52, 23 Feb 2026
A gardening expert has named five seeds to sow now(Image: Getty)
Gardeners are being told to get certain seeds in the ground this March or risk “regretting it” come summer. Expert Benedict Vanheems reckons loads of gardeners reckon they’ve got to hang on for milder weather before cracking on with summer prep.
However, Benedict, who’s behind the Grow Veg YouTube Channel, insists March is prime time for sowing some essential crops if you want an “earlier and more reliable” harvest. Top of Benedict’s list of seeds to get going now is the tomato – a crop he’s keen on growing in “variety of”.
In a video, Benedict explained: “Tomatoes are one of those crops that I find myself almost beside myself with excitement waiting for. And a tomato plucked from the plant and popped straight into the mouth in one greedy movement…pure ambrosia.”
Benedict reckons the sweet spot for sowing your tomatoes is roughly six to eight weeks ahead of the anticipated final frost. This timing, he says, ensures the tomatoes won’t be “too far ahead” when conditions shift.
He recommends using an all-purpose compost in a pot for sowing the seeds, and labelling different varieties if you’re planting more than one type. He then picks up individual seeds and dots them across the pot, keeping about half an inch between each one, reports the Express.
A gardener has named five seeds to sow now(Image: Getty)
After the seeds are settled in the pot, Benedict prefers popping them on a heatmat so they can develop into seedlings. These can later be transferred into individual pots to grow into a “sturdy plant”.
He then holds off until the final frost has passed before transferring the young tomato plants into his garden. March also marks the moment when Benedict gets his potatoes in the ground.
He explained: “Depending on where you’re growing, roundabout now is a great time to get your seed potatoes in the ground or nestled into their cushion of nutrient-rich potting mix.”
The gardener does warn you’ll need to “exercise a little bit of caution” when getting your spuds planted because of the risk of frost. That said, he reckons it’s worth cracking on now if you’re after an early crop.
He urges fellow green-fingered enthusiasts to hold fire until their seed potatoes begin sprouting before planting. Whilst he concedes it’s not an “essential” step, Benedict says it gives him a head start on harvest time.
Benedict says now is a good time to plant tomatoes(Image: Getty)
He prefers popping his seed potatoes into a sizeable pot in his greenhouse so he can “molly-coddle them for the first few weeks”. On top of that, Benedict’s a big fan of home-grown peas, insisting they’re a “world apart” from the frozen varieties you’ll grab from the supermarket.
Benedict notes that “hardy peas” can be sown from early spring onwards. He suggests starting them off in plug trays first to shield them from slugs and pigeons.
Gardeners keen to get onions into their patch are being advised there’s “just enough” time to plant them now, using “sets”.
A more unusual pick, Benedict suggests, is kohlrabi. The veg resembles “a bit like a baby alien head” and belongs to the same family as cabbage and broccoli.
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