INDOORS : A thin waning crescent hangs in the sky — sap still moves upward on this ascending moon, making it a reliable day to work with leafy seedlings under glass. Prick out basil (Ocimum basilicum ‘Genovese’, ‘Purple Ruffles’) into individual 8 cm pots filled with peat-free multipurpose compost, handling each seedling by its first true leaf to avoid bruising the stem / Pot on parsley (Petroselinum crispum ‘Gigante d’Italia’) and chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) seedlings into 10 cm pots, burying the rootball 1 cm deeper than before to encourage a sturdy base / Check trays of coriander (Coriandrum sativum ‘Leisure’) and dill (Anethum graveolens ‘Superdukat’) started last week: thin to one seedling per 4 cm cell so each plant develops without competition / Water all herb seedlings from below by setting pots in a shallow tray for 15 minutes, then draining — this draws roots downward and reduces the risk of damping off at the collar.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Dew on the leaves this morning is a quiet reminder that spring moisture is your ally — use it wisely. Direct-sow rocket (Eruca vesicaria ‘Wild Rocket’, ‘Skyrocket’) in drills 1 cm deep, rows 20 cm apart; germination is fast at 5–7 days and successive sowings every 10 days will extend your harvest well into summer / Sow pak choi (Brassica rapa ‘Joi Choi’, ‘Rubi’) at 1.5 cm depth in rows 25 cm apart, thinning later to 15 cm — in warm spring soil these grow quickly and benefit from light shade in Mediterranean gardens / Transplant lettuce (Lactuca sativa ‘Little Gem’, ‘Flashy Trout’s Back’) raised under cover, setting plants 20 cm apart in rows 30 cm apart and firming soil gently around each rootball with your fingertips to eliminate air pockets / Thin lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta) sown earlier to 8 cm spacing — crowded plants bolt faster and their flavour suffers; thinnings go straight to the salad bowl / In heavier soils, raise beds by 5 cm with a fork before transplanting to improve drainage and warm the root zone more quickly.