Kitchen Garden Forum

Dear Anne, it's fine planting straight outside from modules, as long as the weather conditions permit.
Potting on is only required if it is a type of plant that you need to keep growing on in a greenhouse, or if you are unable to plant outside for some reason.

As regards the size of pot, i usually go from module or tray to a 3'' pot, then to a 5'' pot, then to 7'' or 8'' pot, of course missing any of these out if you are going to be able to plant out.

As has been said before, let the roots dictate when they are ready for repotting.

And the biggest point of all that Johnboy and myself always say, don't keep the compost soaked all of the time, as this is the quickest way of stopping something growing, especially early in the season.

Hi folks. Sowed my onions around 3 weeks or so ago, now in trays. Spuds have been chitting for around 5 weeks already, a bit early but I foresee no problems. Yesterday, I sowed some tomatoes, sweet peas, cabbages and lobelia. Probably a bit of a lull for a few weeks now until seed sowing starts in earnest, can't wait ! Cheers...freddy.

Morning Freddy, i have just sown a small batch of Greyhound Cabbage and Serac Cauliflowers.

I have 4 seed trays with pea seedlings shivering in my plastic greenhouse waiting for the cold snap to dissapear
However they will be put into my perspex frames at the allotment at the weekend regardless as my patience is sapping by the minute
I also sowed some Adelaide carrots and early radishes two weeks ago in a deep wooden box covered in perspex just before the snow came but Im hoping the sunshine will warm up the soil enough to aid germination (chickweed seedlings have germinated so fingers crossed !)
At least I havent planted my first early tatties yet as in per previous years.
2 years ago I planted Maris Bard at the end of January under a plastic sheet and they romped away due to the mid winter and cropped in late May, however last year I repeated the feat and didnt see any shoots until April

I think there is more action happening on this thread now, people are getting planting!

I have been enjoying seeing who's starting what early

I have now also put in some Scarlet Globe Radish seeds, Wild Rocket seeds........
and on OH's advice (for a new/old style tasty Tom to try) I now have Harbinger seeds and have started 4 off (all heading for a small unheated greenhouse)

The Marigolds are looking like strong little plants now.
Broad Beans and Peas are busting out of their Rootainers. Cloche waiting outside for BB's. Peas heading for greenhouse.

Hailing outside at the moment, temp 4 C, sun also shining and a rainbow is looking mighty fine out there.

I haven't had time! I'll only be thinking about sowing during next week [half term]. But about 2 weeks ago I did put in some garlic [Elephant Garlic and Solent Wight] which had been hanging in a shed. I gather february is the right time to be sowing these varieties. Frost helps them divide and conquer.
mike

Dear garden_serf, i hope you enjoy the Harbinger Tomatoes as much as i do.

My Aubergine Seedlings

Feeling smug took my 5 aubergine seedlings out of propagator and put them on the radiator for a bit more light in the day.
Kitten knocked them off and broke all but one.

Thinking of putting kitten in propagator but fear it would love it!
Penny

Dear Penny, sorry to hear about your Aubergine seedlings, now i wouldn't have thought about kittens being on the list of garden pests.

Dear Penny - consider you've got off lightly with the loss your of aubergine seeds. When we last had a kitten I returned from work one day to find that our magnificent Swiss Cheese plant which we'd had years and which almost touched the ceiling had been used as a climbing frame. Every single leaf had been stripped off and was lying scattered all over the floor. To add insult of injury, the large pot in which it was growing had been used as a litter tray.

Oh Primrose, you just brought back a memory for me!
It was when our Springer (Sassy) was alive and still a pup, so 10 years ago now.
We were all out for the morning and come home to find that she had taken a feather cushion from the sofa......
She had had a right merry time with it, the feathers were EVERYWHERE!
........even stuck to the ceiling.
What a job to clear it up!! We were finding feathers for a while behind things etc... Luckily she only had access to the lounge and kitchen (she was supposed to be only in the kitchen but had got the door open somehow).

Sorry about your plant ... and Penny sorry about your seedlings .

Hello to all, this is my first post and thanks to the moderators for accepting my application for membership. Back to the thread,I have planted broad beans in modules, chillies, tomatoes and aubergine in seed trays. The tomatoes are tolerant of cooler conditions and I'm hoping they will ripen earlier, a busy few weeks ahead and my favourite time of the year.

[color=#0000FF]I got 11 broadbean seeds going last autumn and they seem to be doing ok out in the garden all snuggled up under their mini bottle cloches under the snow;I'm trying to get round the problem of snow by putting a smallish batch of parsnip seeds in a bit of guttering and leaving them in the unheated mini greenhouse till the ground clears enough for me to be able to transfer them to the garden and put a tunnel cloche over the top - does anyone else feel that I am wasting my time with this one?

I fear that if your parsnips germinate, the speed at which the tap root grows means they'll be tied in knots in no time. If you really want to start them now, try using the insides of kitchen rolls as plant pots.

I'm about to start pre-germinating mine indoors and will then plant into kitchen roll innards before planting out when they're very small plants.

Dear MKPoshfan, i have to agree with Chantal about the tap root, i'm afraid.