Growing in our Climate

Hi Folks

Long time user, first time grower!!!!!

Due to the current economic climate (love hearing that one!) and the unavailabilty and expense in the upkeep of my favourite past time, i`ve decided to plant outdoors this year as an experiment/hope!

I have some feminised seeds and a spot picked out close to my home and south facing.

Here are the issues i would like opinions on etc.

1. preparing the soil: i intend to clear my site, and mix the soil with some good compost.

at this stage what else can i do to improve my chances?

2. Germinating and growing the seeds : should i start the seeds off indoors and after say 2 weeks gradually introduce them to the outside environment? Or should i start them off outside in a greenhouse and once strong enough transplant them to my plot? should i grow them in a geen house fulltime? When i say greenhouse i mean one of those plastic ones.

this is as far as i`ve got research wise, i know there are varying factors to their growth, especially seeing as we don`t have the best weather here.

Avg temp from May to October last year were 14c to a peak of 19c and back to 14c
avg sunshine of about 5hrs per day during this period too!

This doesn`t sound to promising!!!

Has anyone any help they can give?