Talkback: Sowing seeds - Talkback

21/01/2011 at 17:32

It's been my experience that leggy seedling growth is more due to too warm temperatures vs. too little light...if you move them to a cooler spot (a drafty window with sun) you may have better luck...

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21/01/2011 at 20:58

well i've just got my 4th batch of tomatoes in my first batch has got brilliant groth

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21/01/2011 at 23:10

Where do you keep your tomatoe seedlings?

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22/01/2011 at 12:09

I always think of chillies as being one of the hardest things to grow...I think this may say more about our relative levels of competance than anything about chillies. *resolves* will try harder to make growing chillies easier

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22/01/2011 at 12:15

as a professional, we never sow too early..... there is plenty of time yet, plants don't do well when sown only in less ideal conditions (colder, shorter days etc), getting constantly checked... They quickly catch up and excel earlier sown plants if you do them right later on.... remember we had frosts in to May last year..... sowing now, I would expect to harvest then in good conditions!

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22/01/2011 at 12:16

Just look at Thanet Earth, and how they grow food there, it is an amazing place. So good luck with your "SAD" lamp for plants.

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22/01/2011 at 15:32

I went to a dayschool on sowing seed and received a comprehensive list of when is the best time to sow in Bristol and the only suggestion for sowing from mid-Jan. onwards were Bergenia semperflorence, Canna,Gazania and Sweet Pea. The earliest veg. was mid-late Feb. for broad bean, early cultivars of sprouts, ditto cabbage, calabrese,cauliflower, lettuce, onions, peas(early cultivars) But I already have well-grown lettuce which I sowed in the conservatory before Xmas and basil seedlings. It's fun to try and seed is not too expensive 'tho my friend has just spent £150 on seeds for her allotment! Aubergine,pepper,tomato all need heated glasshouse in mid-late Feb. in Bristol. Good luck for a great crop, Kate.

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23/01/2011 at 11:17

Iknow Asparagus are not seeds but i would like some advice please, i saw an advert in G.W.magazine with Asparacus in bags and wondered if one really could grow them in them hope someone can help me. Thanks

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24/01/2011 at 10:32

Mark D - Perhaps you grow more fancy chilli varieties? Try growing 'Cayenne', and avoid growing them in a greenhouse as they're likely to attract red spider mite etc. A large pot and a sunny windowsill and you're laughing. Gardening Express - I agree that many plants sown too early are less likely to thrive, and certainly plants sown in March will catch up quickly, given better conditions. However I always think it's worth taking the risk of sowing a small amount early on as you never know what the weather will be like. There was no frost where I live last May - just scorching weather, whereas the weather in July and August was miserable. Consequently the tomatoes I sowed in January cropped a lot better than those I sowed in April. Many hardy annuals can be sown now and also indoor-raised members of the solanum family - especially aubergines, which require a long growing season - should be grown early as otherwise summer is over before they have come into flower. I wouldn't advise growing courgettes or pumpkins now, as they will be growing inside for a good three months before they can be planted out, but broad beans are hardy enough and will pretty much grow through anything (in my experience!). As Happymarion says, it's fun to try and not too expensive. What's the worst that could happen? ChrisG - You could grow asparagus in bags, but they're a perennial crop so they're better growing in the ground, as the nutrients in the bags' compost will deplete and the compost will need to be changed regularly. Here's a how-to project on planting asparagus crowns, the same method could be applied to growing in bags but it's easier to just choose a permanent spot for them in the ground. Hope this helps. Kate

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24/01/2011 at 11:11

Thanks Kate it was helpfull i will have to find a spot for it or not bother growing them.

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24/01/2011 at 19:18

I think it's worth trying to get a few tomato and pepper plants started now indoors. Seeds are not too dear really and if they thrive you've got some well established plants early in the season. If not there's plenty of time and lots of seeds still in the packet!

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25/01/2011 at 10:54

I too have itchy fingers at this time of the year and always make a first sowing of tomatoes, chillis, sweet peas, onions and a few lettuce around now. The tomatoes and chillis sit on my bright but not too warm window sills until they go into the greenhouse and polytunnel, the others go into the unheated greenhouse under bubble wrap and do fine.~I live in the south east and like to have enough plants to take the calculated risk of putting them out a bit early,clothed in fleece, usually works and i get my first tomatoes at the middle to end of June

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28/01/2011 at 12:17

I have to agree with gardening express, I honestly dont understand the rush, I have only been growing veg for 2 years,and I have bought all my seeds and seed pots, so i'm excited about the year ahead, I have a greenhouse but its not heated, I did try growing toms in conservatory the first year, but they went leggy, i'll be waiting till late march early april before doing much.

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30/01/2011 at 11:05

you can sow in january (tomatoes peppers and aubergines inside)

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19/02/2011 at 15:52

Hi can someone help please i have blit in my veg garden can i put jeys fluid on it to kill it if so how long do i leave before i can use it again to sow my seeds.

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05/04/2011 at 12:39

Regarding no. 9 - Asparacus: I planted some seeds last year and they has grow a litte but very slow.I know that they need at least 3 years to grow Asparacus from seed but last for nearly 20 years... I had used lots pots for the seeds last year... However, I give up on them last weekend and throught them away... People always say I've got green figer but I run out my passion on them...

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23/09/2011 at 05:37

Its informative blog Ed - Just came across a brand new social networking site for medical cannabis. Looks good - www .[dot]. weedpals .[dot]. com

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28/11/2011 at 18:43

as a follow up, if this is an indoor crop, sowing now is ok.... so long as you can keep them warm enough. x

Patricia Freeman

17/02/2012 at 11:36

I have bought two asparagus plants from a local shop in a plastic bag with soil in it, I can see one of the plants has a shoot already, the instructions say plant in March, but I think the plant will die by that time. My query is can I plant the asparagus now in a pot and then transfer the plant to my allotment in March?

The Saint

23/02/2012 at 13:26

I too have bought some asparagus crowns & some rhubarb & haven't got my ground ready, as it's so full of stone & boulder that it's taking forever to clear it. I wanted to plant them in a container this year & then plant them out when the ground is ready, but I know rhubarb for one doesn't like to be moved when it's established. I don't really have a choice at the moment, I'll just have to go for it, but any advice/suggestions would be appreciated.

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