Plant strawberries, raspberries, and parsnip seeds.

Start succession sowing of chard, beetroot and spinach.

If you've sown early lettuce, now is the time to thin it out.

If you've any leeks left in the ground from last year, harvest them so you can dig over the land for new planting. If it's warm enough, sow this year's leeks in pots.

Plant sunflower seeds in pots in a greenhouse or cold frame.

Cut back autumn raspberries to the ground.

Sow cauliflower, sprouts, and summer cabbage for summer transplanting.

Dig all of your vacant vegetable beds over ready for spring planting.

Complete any unfinished winter pruning.

Clear the old leaves off strawberry plants and clean up the ground in between the plants before giving them a top dressing of a general fertiliser. Keep some fleece handy to protect the developing strawberry flowers from frost.

When the weather conditions allow, complete the preparations of seed beds for direct seed sowing. Break up clods and rake to a fine tilth. Spread the job out over several days to allow the surface of the soil to dry out.

Apply fertiliser if required.

Dig a runner bean trench 75cm wide by a 30cm deep and, over the next few weeks, deposit compost and compostable materials in it, so they rot down ready for planting.

Check ties and stakes on fruit trees and bushes before they break into growth.

Dig in any green manures.