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When Should I be planting my seeds?

This is the first time that i am going to try my hand at growing some of my own vegetables, but i'm a bit clueless on when you plant each seed.

I am aiming to gro the following:

-Carrots (Paris - small round ones)

-Red Baron Onions

-Garlic

-Chives

-Little Gem Lettice

-Rocket

-Potatoes (will be grown in a large bin)

I am thinking of starting each of in a seed success kit, and having it sitting in my sittingroom window. Can you start all of the above in a tray? when should i start? This is hopefully so i don't have to thin out seedlings, and can then get the most out of them.

I live in Inverness, and at the moment we are back to having snow, so the raised bed i have made is frozen, i have read to put a plastic cover over it to keep it warm (which i will be doing this weekend). The raised bed is 3ft long x 2ft wide x 3ft high (roughly). I am aiming to do the square ft gardening technique.

Is there any specific dates that you grow the above? or any special conditions? Sorry if some are simple or stupid questions, i just have no idea what i am doing.

Thanks in advance

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  • No question is stupid or simple LucyL we all had to start somewhere. You will find that most seeds have suggested growing times on the pk. Living where you are in Scotland, I'd be unlikely to sow at the start of these months as it would'nt be warm enough outside, even with your cover, to plant them out.

    I'd not even bother with the plastic over your growbed just yet, leave it until end of Feb or March even but someone else may say something different.

    On a brighter note, Garlic can be planted now, I plant mine out in December. Is it Garlic Bulbs you have, which you would split into cloves and plant them?

    1st and 2nd Early Potatoes grow well in containers, which kind do you have? I chit my earlies on a bright cool place and plant them out into prepared beds or containers toward the end of march. A spare room window might do for yours. Chitting later or main crop potatoes I've read, makes no difference to growth or cropping.

    Any other questions just ask, there's a wealth of experience here.

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    Carrots need to be sown direct into the soil. The onions, if they're sets(the little bulbs) can be started in cellular seed trays, and planted out when the weather is better. The same with the garlic. I'd use cellular seed trays, as there is less root disturbance when planting out for the lettuce, rocket and chives. Potatoes need to be planted direct into the soil. Sow seed sparingly, it's easier to thin them out, say two to a cell.

    Read the instructions on the packets thoroughly. Be guided by that. As you are so far north I'd wait another month longer than it says on the packet, that should ensure better weather and temperatures.

  • LucyLLucyL Posts: 163

    Thanks, For the Garlic, it will be a garlic bulb, to then be split into cloves and plant them. So am i best just waiting for snow to go, or can i plant my garlic this week? is the ground not too cold?

    The onions are from 2 different places (as wanted to see what the difference in them would be) first is sets from poundland, and the other is (I think seeds) from KingSeeds.

    I havn't yet bought any potatoes as wasn't sure what kind is best/ i can get ahold off. I briefly read of doing them at the bottom of a bin with a bit of soil, as they start to grow keep adding more soil until you reach the top, this way you get loads of potatoes. is this right? how do you chit potatoes? i haven't yet got round to researching this.

    If you had shop bought potatoes (for cooking) and they start to grow, can you grow these? as now and again there is that random potato that manages to be left in the corner and decides to grow from all its eyes.

    I will read all instructions very carefuly and i will try to not plant them too early.

    I have soo much to learn, currently researching best ways for growing raspberry and black berry buses that are to be planted out the back as well as gooseberries and grapes (as last year they were given to me and neglected). This year everything is going to (hopefully) be more productive, or even looked after better to give it a better chance of growing/ fruiting.

    ...Nothing better than jumping in the deep end i suppose image

  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306

    Seed potatoes are especially treated to be just that, eating spuds are not a good idea to use for growing more spuds.

    Much depends upon where you live Lucy, the further north, the later the sowing time. I live in the East Midlands and will do the bulk of my sowing in late March to April - though a few things can be started now, sweet peas, broad beans etc.   Root plants, like carrots, do not want to be transplanted, so you will want to sow those where they are to grow, once the soil is warm and dry - so not yet.  

    Patience is a virtue everywhere, but nowhere more so than in gardening.  Many shops sell tiny little pots of annual and basket plants very very early, knowing that people will buy them, they will die as many people do not have the place or knowledge as to how to keep them, and it is plain too soon, and then those same people will buy them again - two open purses for the price of one!! 

    One warning you may not get, is that raspberries can run like mad, so be careful where you plant them - but they are the most wonderful fruit to grow, the taste of them fresh is heavenly.  Red-currants are good too, they make the most wonderful sauces, look stunning on the shrub and need very little care.  Blueberries are great too, but do need ericaceous compost - many folk grow them in large pots. 

    Do enjoy what you do, try not to take on too much at first, little and often is a good way to go - if you try to do everything at once you may wear yourself out and feel overwhelmed.  Give it time and enjoy it all. 

     

  • LucyLLucyL Posts: 163

    Thanks pansyface, Ihad thought that it was something like that lol

    Bookertoo, I'm on the east coats, Inverness, In the highlands. So i will try to be patient and not start until april time. Before this forum i'd have followed the internet pages which said to be starting some off just now.

    Also Thank you for the advice about the raspberrys, I am growing them on the back fence so my side i intend to keep tidy but the back i will be allowing to thicken and go a bit mad, so that birds and local wildlife have some shelter and goodies to eat too image I'm trying 2 kinds of Raspberry (polka and Glen Lyon) and 2 kinds of blackberry (Loch Ness and Karaka Black).

    I will try to not take on too much in one go,  to me its like a box of chocolates i find it hard just having one.... i want to have them all at once lol! Its the same with my gardening, when i get an idea i have to put it into action (I'v seen me start on the most windiest and wettest days outside cutting wood, or digging a hole lol! so I will try and do a little at a time, In a way i'm quite glad that i don't have to sow until april as it will give me a chance to get the area for the raspberries/blackberries, grapes, gooseberrys.

    Thanks for the advice on the potatoes, I will see what one's i can get locally first, as i'm thinking they will grow better?

    I have noticed that there is flowers on sle already and the ground is solid so no one up here will be able to plant (unless they have a concrete drill!) but i have still been seeing people buy them, by time they have decent weather to plant them the flowers will have past (or died by this point). I do find myself a bit impatient at times (or i go the other way and end up forgetting about it) but i'm geting better the more i do. image

  • LucyL I'm not sure if you've planted your garlic yet or not but I'd go ahead with it if I were you. The cold, they say, actually helps the garlic clove split which is what you want so the next day you can dig the ground I'd get that going.

    Good idea bout the hedge of Raspberries for the wildlife.

  • LucyLLucyL Posts: 163

    Hi Ladygardener2, I havn't planted up my garlic yet but i will do this tonight image I'm delighted that i can start growing something image I have "Seed Success kits" that i'm dying to use lol! Tonight i will also line my veg box with copper tape, to keep pesky slugs/snails at bay! Thanks for your help everyone! i really appreciate it, i am very new to all this, tho been gardening (i use that term loosly!) for some time image

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,076

    Lucy - you need to watch Beechgrove when it starts again in April - practical gardening advice from east Scotland so the timings will be perfect for you.  You can also go to their website and download fact sheets which will help you.  

    Other than that, follow the instructions on the seed packets but erring towards the later sowing times.  One advantage of being so far north is that, once things do warm up, you have extra daylight for plants to catch up with their more southern relatives.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • LucyLLucyL Posts: 163

    Thanks Obelixx I will keep beechgrove in mind and record it, I will also check out their website just now. Its good to know that my plants will have the chance to catch up with everyone else image all this information is great, what a great forum image

  • ScootScoot Posts: 4

    Set some of my seeds away on Sunday (1st February) as that was the first month it said on the back of the seed packets was good to sow.

     

    Tomatoes, Leek and Carrots are all in and I think I might set some onion seed away next week.

     

    Got great results off onion seeds last year. First time I had tried growing them from seeds and I got better results than what I did when I grew them from sets the year before.

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