Novice veg grower - seedling advice please!

[herewegoloopyloo]

Am completely new to this veg growing lark (in fact, gardening at all) , but we are now the owners of a decent garden and raised veg beds. Yesterday, planted out our sweet pea, courgette, sweetcorn and sunflower seedlings. However, have just seen a thread advising to wait til mid May! They were quite big seedlings and the garden is southfacing (and we are down south), if that makes it any better! So my question is what can i do to maximise their chances? water regularly - yes. Fertiliser? How often? And how do I decrease chances of them being munched by critters or disease? Someone suggested eggshells to stop slugs. Doesn't have to be completely organic but would prefer to avoid too much laying of poison! Help please - worried have doomed our first attempt at the outset.

Sweet peas are fine because they are hardy but the others aren't which means if there is a hard frost one night then they will die.

I am south facing in Kent and I wait until mid May normally. You may be fine. To maximise their chances you could give them some added protection at night, you can pick up lots of stuff at the garden centre for this - plastic cloches/mini polytunnels/horticultural fleece.

Water regaularly only if it continues not to rain as overwatering won't be good for them. You can use flower or plant food eg blood fish and bone or liquid feed once the flowers are set, once a week.

Everyone has their own methods for slug control. I like copper rings/strips. Lots of people swear by going out with a torch at night and picking them off but I always forget.

And good luck and have fun with it! You could always sow some more as back up if pests/frosts get the first lot. If they don't you can give them away as gifts.

Just took a chance about 10 minutes ago with some tomato, peppers and courgette seeds direct into compost in a raised bed. It is in an extremely sunny spot but I will cover with plastic sheeting until mid may. The bed has sweet peas in at the back agaianst the wall.

I have lettuces, toms and bedding plant seedlings still in the greenhouse though that I will plant out in May.

Everyone is getting itchy fingers to in the nice weather we are having but it can still be really cold at night.

Hmmm. I seemed to have jumped the gun a bit. Looks like I might be getting the courgettes some fleecy blankets tomorrow... Like the idea of growing back ups. What about the sweetcorn - is that any hardier than the courgette?
Re. copper rings - do I take it most garden centres will sell such things? Am 8mths pregnant so feel the chances of me going out at night to pick off slugs are very slim.