Talkback: Sowing seeds indoors - Talkback

17/04/2009 at 12:26

Every year I have veg seeds leftover from the season and I store them in a tin box, saying that I will use them next year. Then Spring the following year comes, and I start to worry about viability, and I buy all new packets! Which veg seeds are worth saving, and which are you better replacing each year? I'd love some practical guidelines!

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17/04/2009 at 12:52

I've sown veg seeds from packets I opened 2 yrs ago and prob get about a 60% germination rate. Best bet is to sow 3-4 seeds per cell.... egde your bets

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17/04/2009 at 14:54

Ive just sown my peas and tomatoes indoors (The tomatoes from the new BBc's dig in campain). Everything is starting to look good now, hopefully by next week the shoots will have started to apear.

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17/04/2009 at 17:15

does anyone know if i can sow sweet corn in the cold frame now .

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17/04/2009 at 21:24

iwas repotting my grape vines in one i found about 50 vine weevle grubs.i picked them out by hand washed roots then put in fresh compost then took great plesure feeding grubs to birds ,hope this dosent make me a bad person ,can any one tell me why one vine has weevle the other none thay are kept on sam part off garden .stephen

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18/04/2009 at 08:34

What else can i sow, i have gone a bit more adventurous this year and rather then the norm i have sown some artichokes and some kale- is there anything else which is rather easy to grow but a bit more unusual then tomatoes and lettuce i feel like going wild xx

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18/04/2009 at 19:07

my dwarf french beans are 6 inche now in my make shift green house i made from a family members fish tank and some insulation i got off my brother in law that does demolition i just filled some old tiolet roll holders with a mix of compost and grow bag its brill because i dont have to take them out the pot because the cardboard will rot down i put brussels sprouts 2 weeks ago looking good

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19/04/2009 at 09:56

This is my forst year with an allotment and I was wondering if anyone could tell me a few good vegetables that I could grow. I have started off by growing potatoes as I heared that they are a good first crop as they add nutrients into the soil. But after I have earthed them up later in the year I will have an empty vegetable bed to grow what ever I like in. Could someone give me a few ideas please. Thankyou, James

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19/04/2009 at 17:35

Whatis damping off and how do I avoid it please

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20/04/2009 at 17:49

a soil-bourne fungus desease. So sterile new compost, clean tools -dibbers, labels, and of course wash out seed trays before reusing. A solution of Milton is good general purpose sterilizer. I wonder about the saved water in my 8 water barrels, but not had any trouble from that source yet!

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21/04/2009 at 02:05

James, beatroot is so tasty when home grown, can be used cooked or raw greated in salad, the leaves are great cooked as a veg or raw in salad, and Nigella does a great cake with cranberries and greated raw beatroot.the receipy in the book for christmas cookery.Oh! and don't forget you can pickle it lovely in corned beef sandwiches.

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21/04/2009 at 18:04

I've been growing a LOT of seeds indoors as I only have a balcony on which to grow produce - read more about my ambitious gardening project, the London Vegetable Garden at http://londonvegetablegarden.blogspot.com

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21/04/2009 at 18:13

Thankyou very much Curtis, I will be sure to plant myself some beetroot. I look forward to having a good crop (fingers crossed). Thanks, James.

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23/04/2009 at 15:51

Can anyone help - I would like to provide a table decoration in the form of a bee friendly plant for 10-15 tables at an agricultural event, with a view to one of the guests taking it and planting. It would need to be in bloom in a couple of weeks and make quite a focal point in the centre of the table. All suggestions welcome. Helen

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23/04/2009 at 16:27

I recently purchased a Daphne bholia 'Jacqueline Postll' after seeing some in bloom and finding the perfume irresistable. I am not certain now whether I have a suitable position in my garden to plant it. I must control my impulse buying of plants! Does anyone know whether I could grow it in a pot and if so what size could I expect it to grow. What sort of compost should I use? Thanks Grannynott

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23/04/2009 at 16:52

can anyone help why does my rhubarb wan to go to seed now ussuslly this occoures at the end of the rhubarb pick help and does t make a difference tothepicking

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23/04/2009 at 18:38

i just picked a lot of leaves off my newly planted(last year) grean gauge because they were all curly with small bugs or flies(i couldnt tell which)in them. I also had to nip out the tips of the new growth on each branch, did i do right??? this tree means a lot to me because it has my ma and da under it, all replies welcome!!!!

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29/04/2009 at 18:43

I have sowed pepper seeds in my conservatory but nothing has happened. I was told that they need heat, should I put them close to the boiler I have in the kitchen OR put them on the kitchen window ?

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18/05/2009 at 19:42

We have an allotment which we have built raised beds and planted our first crop of potatoes and onions. Yesterday we visited the site to weed and generally to see how our crops were coping with the wet weather and on closer inspection whislt weeding came across some odd looking fungi growning next to the edge of the raised border next to the potatoes and onions, just out of interest no one else's plot have been affected. We are rather concerned as to what exactly what this fungus is and is it a health hazard,ie could it contaminate the soil or crops and will the crops indeed be safe to eat when ready. How we identify the fungus though and find out the origin of the culprit would be extremly helpful. If anyone could suggest anything at all which could help us then, please do. Thank you

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21/05/2009 at 21:30

can anyone help? I have had a couple ton of wood chippings delivered that is full of pine needels and fur tree leave is this ok to use as a mulch? I have also some very large raised beds waiting to be filled with compost would this be ok mixed in to make the compost go further as i take it that it would compost down eventually anyway? any help would be appreciated.