Early spring on the allotment is one of the most rewarding times of year. The days are stretching, the birds are singing, and there is a real sense of possibility in the air. But it is also a critical period: the soil is still cold and wet, frosts remain a threat, and there is a long list of jobs that will set you up for a productive season. Work with the weather rather than against it, and you will be rewarded with healthier crops and less heartache later on.

Prepare Your Beds Without Compacting the Soil

The single most important rule for early spring is: do not walk on or dig wet soil. If it sticks to your boots in clumps, it is too wet. Digging or treading on saturated ground destroys soil structure, creating hard pans that roots struggle to penetrate. Instead, wait for a dry spell, then fork over the top few inches of your beds, removing perennial weeds such as couch grass and bindweed as you go.

If your plot is heavy clay, consider a no-dig approach. Spread a generous layer of well-rotted compost or manure over the surface and let the worms do the work. This feeds the soil and improves drainage without any back-breaking digging. For beds you plan to sow soon, cover them with black polythene, cardboard, or a cloche to warm the soil and dry it out. Raised beds are particularly useful in early spring because they drain faster and warm up more quickly than open ground.

Sow Hardy Crops and Protect Them

Once your soil is workable, you can start sowing the toughest crops. Broad beans, peas, early carrots, parsnips, spinach, and salad leaves are all candidates for early spring sowing, provided you offer some protection. A cloche, fleece, or cold frame will keep temperatures up and pests off. If the ground is still cold, start seeds in modules under cover and plant them out later.

• Broad beans: Sow 'Aquadulce Claudia' or 'Sutton' directly into a double row about 5cm deep. They tolerate cold but not waterlogging.
• Peas: 'Kelvedon Wonder' or 'Meteor' can be sown under fleece. Protect from mice and pigeons.
• Early carrots: 'Nantes' or 'Early Nantes' in a sheltered bed. Cover with fleece to prevent carrot fly.
• Salad leaves: Rocket, mizuna, and winter lettuce can be sown in a cold frame or under a cloche for cut-and-come-again harvests.
• Parsnips: Sow fresh seed thinly in drills. They need a long season, so early sowing is essential.

Keep an eye on the forecast. If a hard frost is predicted, throw fleece over emerging seedlings. Water sparingly in the morning so leaves dry before night, reducing the risk of damping off.

Plant Onion Sets, Shallots and Early Potatoes

Early spring is prime time for planting onion sets and shallots. Push them into prepared soil so the tips are just showing. Birds sometimes pull them out, so a length of netting or cotton thread can help. Garlic planted in autumn should be growing away, but you can still plant spring garlic if you missed the autumn window.

Seed potatoes should be chitting in a cool, light, frost-free place. Stand them upright in egg boxes or trays with the rose end (the end with most eyes) facing up. First earlies such as 'Rocket', 'Arran Pilot', and 'Pentland Javelin' can be planted out when the soil reaches about 7°C, usually late March to mid-April. Plant them 10-15cm deep and 30cm apart in rows 60cm apart. As shoots emerge, earth them up to protect from frost.

Check Structures, Tools and Watering Systems

Winter weather takes its toll on greenhouses, cold frames, fences, and netting. Take a walk around your plot with a notebook and note anything that needs repair. Replace broken glass or polycarbonate panes, tighten loose hinges, and secure any wobbly posts. Clean greenhouse glass inside and out to let in maximum light for seedlings.

Check gutters and water butts: clear leaves and debris so that spring rains are captured rather than wasted. Inspect hoses and irrigation lines for splits or blockages. Sharpen secateurs, hoes, and spades, and oil moving parts. A few minutes spent on maintenance now saves hours of frustration later. Paths should be cleared of weeds and edged to keep slugs and snails at bay.

Feed Fruit, Mulch and Plan Pest Defences

Fruit bushes and trees are waking up. Apply a balanced general fertiliser around the base of blackcurrants, gooseberries, and raspberries, then mulch with well-rotted compost or manure to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Prune autumn-fruiting raspberries down to ground level, and cut out any dead or diseased wood from apples, pears, and plums before growth gets underway.

Pests will soon appear. Net brassicas against pigeons, and put collars around cabbages to stop cabbage root fly. Set beer traps for slugs, or apply nematodes when the soil warms up. Encourage predators by leaving a wild corner, and plant nasturtiums or marigolds as trap crops. Finally, sketch out your crop rotation plan for the year. Moving crops between beds prevents the build-up of soil-borne diseases and keeps your plot productive.