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But spinach doesn’t do well in dry soil so, after digging to take away weeds and stones, mix lots of garden compost or well-rotted manure into the earth to feed the growing plants and help the soil to retain moisture.

Next, rake over the seed bed so the soil has a smooth surface, then make a shallow drill half an inch deep (1cm) with a hoe to plant the seeds in.

You can use string stretched between two canes, or a plank, to create a straight line, then water the soil whether it is dry before sowing the seeds.

Use a watering can with a rose head, and after getting sown the seeds gently cover them with soil using your rake.

If you simply want small leaves for salads, or to steam quickly, you could sow your seeds evenly along the drill and the seedlings won’t have to be thinned out since you can be picking the leaves before they want much space.

But so that you can grow larger spinach leaves you’ll have to sow three seeds together, about six inches apart (15cm), then thin out the weaker seedlings in order that only the strongest plant is left from all the three sown together.

The growing plants will need watering as often as possible if it doesn’t rain, that’s because if the soil dries out spinach plants begin to set seed – or bolt – as quickly as possible. Once spinach has bolted it should taste bitter, so it’s best simply to dig it out.

To help avoid this you may put more compost across the plants after they are growing, to behave as a mulch, so the soil retains more moisture.

You also will wish to protect your spinach from slugs and snails – use organic pellets or collect them at night – and canopy the young plants with netting to forestall pigeons from eating them.