There are two main methods of sowing outdoors in situ: in drills and broadcast. Both methods need a seedbed; you can prepare this by digging over the soil to one spade's depth (single digging), then raking over the area to produce a fine tilth.

In soils lacking nutrients, a dressing of 70 g/sq m (2 oz/sq yd) of a balanced fertilizer may be forked in prior to sowing; however, you should never sow in soil that is too rich, as this will encourage leaf growth at the expense of flower production.

Soil cultivation should take place at least a week before planting, although it should ideally be carried out the previous autumn, as the turned clods will be broken down by the winter frosts and snow, improving the soil structure even further.