IF, LIKE me, you have been out buying packets of seed for the new season, you may notice that some seed packets, including those of onion, leeks, carrots and parsnip, will tell you that they can be sown outside from February onward.

Let’s be honest, seedlings are rarely successful in open ground this month even with cloche protection. It’s not surprising really, the soil on my plot is frozen solid most days – the idea that a seedling would thrive is a bit daft. So, don’t rip open those foil packets just yet; for best results wait at least another month for early outdoor sowings.

Having said that, there is some seed I routinely sow in late February indoors. I tend to use a heated propagator to get them started though a warm windowsill and a plastic cover will do.

While seeds will germinate indoors, the lack of daylight and cool conditions often stops plants from growing strongly. Early broad beans and leeks are relatively cold-tolerant so they seem to survive starting off indoors in February and then being moved to an unheated greenhouse in March. They’ll still be covered with horticultural fleece at night to protect against freezing temperatures.

This year I’ll be growing my favourite leek Musselburgh which never seems to let me down and it will stand well through the winter.

As for broad beans, last season I grew the dwarf variety Sutton for early cropping and the larger Bunyard’s Exhibition. Both did well but I’ll be concentrating on Bunyard’s this season as it’s a heavier cropper with longer pods.

At the end of February, tomatoes and sweet peppers can be started in the heated propagator too. This year I’m just growing one variety of greenhouse tomato, the popular Shirley F1 which has a good reputation for maturing early and has some disease resistance. I picked California Wonder peppers from July to October last season so I will be sowing these once again though they do take some time to germinate, even with a heated propagator. After germination, the plants will be kept indoors for a number of weeks as temperatures need to climb somewhat before they can be safely placed in an unheated greenhouse.

Allotment jobs:

l Cut down any remaining autumn fruiting raspberry canes. Remember, autumn raspberries annually grow a cane, produce fruit on the same cane and then it dies; summer fruiting raspberries grow fruit on canes in the second year. Tip: if the cane looks alive and not dead, leave it.

l Prune back other fruit varieties before the sap begins to rise next month. Now is the time to add fruit plants to your plot too.

l Check on forced rhubarb, it should be well under way by now.

l Only with protection and warmth, sow early crops of broad beans, leeks, greenhouse tomatoes and peppers though wait until at least next month or even later before sowing outside.

If you have a large cold-frame or greenhouse, you can try sowing an early pea like Kelvedon Wonder, Sugar Ann or Early Onward in old guttering full of compost. Next month you can slide the established plants into prepared trenches for a flying start.

l Carry on with winter digging during any dry spells; cover some of the ground with black plastic to warm it ready for early planting in March.

l Check on your chitting potatoes, the stalks or ‘chits’ should be developing now. It’s not too late to buy your spuds.

l Ensure your allotment structures are OK, especially after snow and wind; make safe until you can repair damages properly.