Posted: Monday 18 February 2013
by Adam Pasco
This week I’ll get everything in place for early seed sowing. My sowing list includes greenhouse tomatoes, chillies and sweet peppers, plus a few half-hardy bedding varieties.
Nothing beats the warmth of the sun after a long spell of cold weather. Until recently, rain or snow has kept me indoors, thinking despondently of all the garden jobs waiting to be done.
Now that temperatures are rising, so are my spirits. When I step into the greenhouse, it feels almost tropical. Isn’t it amazing how a greenhouse traps the warmth? The automatic vents have opened, proving the rise in temperature isn’t a figment of my imagination.
This week I’ll get everything in place for early seed sowing. My sowing list includes greenhouse tomatoes, chillies and sweet peppers, plus a few half-hardy bedding varieties – all plants that benefit from early sowing and a long growing season.
My plan for the week involves something of a spring clean in the greenhouse:
And then there's the propagator. I like to use electrically heated propagators with a thermostat for controlling the temperature. Mine also has a strip light fitted over the top. This provides good quality light to the seedlings on dull days, extending the length of the growing day, and also gives me some light in the greenhouse to work by in the evening.
I don't have a permanent electricity supply in my greenhouse, but I do have an outside power socket protected by a residual current circuit breaker. I run a robust outdoor extension cable from this to my greenhouse, which provides power for my electric propagator, light, and fan heater.
Despite the warmth during the day, temperatures soon plummet in the evening. If I didn't have my propagator to maintain a steady temperature for my seeds, I'd sow a little later, placing the seedlings on warm, bright windowsills. Temperatures would need to remain above 16˚C, day and night, to support optimal growth.
Alternatively, I could buy young plants in April or May. They cost a little more than seeds, but are still fun to pot up and grow on.
Now, where did I put those seed labels?
sotongeoff
18/02/2013 at 21:31
Bring them in-they will not survive in a cold greenhouse until April at the earliest-especially as they are just seedlings-they need warmth and good light
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