cabbages
Brassicas grow best in a partially-shaded spot that has fertile, free-draining soil, free from stones. Start digging your soil in late autumn and add well-rotted manure or compost if the soil is poor.
Sow the seeds of your brassica of choice in ready-made modules according to the instructions on the packet. Your seedlings will germinate in eight to ten days and be ready for transplanting in six to eight weeks.
Prepare your planting area by raking the surface and add a general-purpose fertiliser. Tread on the soil to remove any air pockets in order to make the surface firm and then rake again.
Water the row of seedlings the day before transplanting and lift carefully, retaining as much soil as possible around the roots so they don’t dry out - the modules should make this easier.
Use a trowel or dibber to make planting holes at the required depth. If the soil is dry, fill the holes with water and begin transplanting once they have drained.

Start digging over your soil in late winter or early spring, removing any stones you find and thoroughly turning the soil until it has a fine, crumbly texture. Carrots grow best in a sunny spot that has light.
Don’t add manure to the soil when you dig it over as this makes the soil too rich for the seeds. One week before sowing your seeds, rake in a light dressing of general fertiliser.
Sow the seeds thinly on a sunny, dry day in shallow drills around 2-3cm deep. Early sowings in March and April may need to be protected with fleece or a cloche in some parts of the country.
Parsnips can be grown in a similar way, but as they're larger they should be thinned to 15cm. Keep the plants well watered during their growth period - too little water results in coarse, woody roots.
From June-July onwards, start pulling up your carrots as soon as they are big enough to eat.

Planting raspberries II
Once the wires are pulled across and fixed tautly between the eye bolts, use a spade to carefully dig out a 10cm (4in) deep trench along the line of the new row. It is best if you pile the soil to one side, as this makes it easier when you come to planting.
Untie the bundle of raspberry canes. The roots need to be kept moist by covering them with some damp hessian or cloth until you're ready to use each cane. Place one cane into the trench, spread the roots out and backfill the hole with soil. Use your heel to gently firm each plant in place.
Use a ruler or a stick cut to 40cm (15in) length to measure the distance between each cane before planting. Continue to plant all the canes in the same way until the whole row is in place.
After planting, encourage strong growth by pruning the canes to 25cm (10in), making a sloping cut just above a strong bud. In the spring, also mulch the row with compost, making sure this doesn't bury the canes. This will help to conserve moisture in the soil.

Planting raspberries
Raspberry plants are available in late winter from nurseries, or by mail order, as freshly dug plants in bundles. They arrive in this bare-rooted state, so they will need to be planted as soon as possible. Well-maintained rows should continue cropping for ten years, so prepare the soil well before planting a fruitful investment for the years ahead. Raspberries simply require an open sunny site, preferably on well-drained, acid soil. Avoid chalky and alkaline soils that can lead to poor growth and yellowing leaves.
To work out how long the row will need to be, allow 4m (12ft) for every ten plants and a width of 90cm (3ft). To support the growing raspberries, use 7.5cm (3in) square posts cut to 3m (9ft) long. These are positioned 3m (9ft) apart and set into the ground 60cm (2ft) deep. Use screw eye bolts to make a fixing for the wires. These should be set at 75cm (30in), 1.1m (3.5ft) and 1.5m (5ft) from the ground.