Kitchen Garden Forum

My first sowing for the new season, F1 Red Pearl onion seeds in cells in the propagator in the conservatory.

They are now just showing through the compost, at least I now know the seed is viable(I bought them for last year and didn't use them all)

That's what you call rapid germination, Tigerbernie.......excellent result.

It's an electric one as the conservatory is still cold although frost free.

Just looking through the catalogues, on a freezing cold grey day, and wondering what tomatoes to grow this summer. Blight resistance and taste a priority. Has anyone grown Crimson Crush toms before? I shall grow the usual favourite - Sungold - but thought I'd try something new this year. In the greenhouse and possibly outside too.

We tried legend last year as they are supposed to be blight resistant I was impressed a nice looking and tasty tomato we did try crimson crush but they were not very successful but I'm giving them another go this year

I sowed Crimson Crush but the seedlings got cooked on a hot day with the lid still on the propagator, I will try again this year.

I grew Crimson Crush a few years back when it came out first - it got blight! But I also harvested some nice tasty toms before then. Not big but not a cherry more a small salad type. I won't grow them again though as doing better with beefsteak types in the greenhouse, but for same size, taste & nearly same blight resistance I'd recommend Indigo Rose - if you can get your head over a black tomato - nice red flesh inside that black skin though!

Thank you all for your most excellent input - most appreciated. I think I'll give Crimson Crush a miss - and go for Legend and Indigo Rose.

You can tell which way the light comes in, I will have to raise the propagator to straighten them up a bit.

If you like dark tomatoes try Cherokee Purple, I don't know about blight outside, seems OK inside.

My onion seeds are similar in size to yours, maybe a tiny bit bigger, I started mine off on the 27th but they are not having any heat but are in the propagator to stop the cat showing too much interest.

Taken the Onions out of the heated prop and put them in an unheated one, Sweetpeas in root trainers now in the heated one, all still in the conservatory as still getting minus temps in the greenhouse.

You're all very advanced with your gardening - onions, seed potatoes and tomatoes. I came back from six weeks in Thailand to ice and snow last week and am only just getting used to the time and temperature. I imagine I'll warm up when I start on the digging.

I had a nice stroll round the garden at the weekend and there were some gorgeous scents from the Sarcococca and the witch hazel and the snowdrops, species crocus and Christmas roses were a nice surprise.

There's still plenty of purple and green curly kale, flower sprouts, leeks and a few carrots left so the garden is producing nicely.

A real surprise was my dwarf peach in a pot that I'd forgotten to bring back into the greenhouse is flowering and the rhubarb is six inches high.

We have missed you Plumpudding, but i hope you had a marvellous time.