Allotment Diary 2026: Everything Is on the Windowsill

We're at that stage of the season where the allotment itself doesn't have much going on yet, but the windowsill is completely taken over. Trays of seedlings under the grow lights, pots moved to make room for more pots, and a running mental list of what needs to go outside and when. I love this part.

What's on the Windowsill

The Brandywine and San Marzano tomatoes are both doing well. The San Marzanos are noticeably more vigorous than the Brandywines at this stage — thicker stems, bigger leaves, growing faster overall. The Brandywines are slower but they always are. I'm not worried.

The chilies are growing steadily. Two plants this year, as decided back in January, and they're both looking healthy under the grow lights. First true leaves are showing on both.

The courgettes I started last week as an experiment. Most people direct sow them, but I want to get a slight head start. If they get too big before I can plant them out, that's a problem for future me.

What's Already in the Ground

I went to the allotment last weekend and got the early sowings in. Radishes and spinach are already in the ground — same as every year, they're my test for whether the soil is warm enough. Spinach germinated last year within five days of this date, so I'm expecting to see something poking through by the end of the week.

I also direct-sowed the beetroot for the first time this year. I've never grown it before, so I'm going in with no expectations other than curiosity. The seeds are in, the soil was loose and a bit sandy where I put them, which apparently suits beetroot well.

The Flower Patch

I've cleared the section along the south-facing fence for the zinnia and cosmos seeds, as planned in the year four first visit post. The bed is ready but the seeds aren't going in yet — zinnias need warm soil and we're still getting cold nights. I'm waiting until mid-May at the earliest. Until then the cleared bed is just sitting there looking expectant.