Kitchen Garden Forum

I prefer my Cinnamon on top of rice pudding or on a sugar free Cappuccino coffee

Will probably get to test it twice PP. Despite the grow light, the cloudy dull weather is making the ones that are up a bit too leggy. The toms will be OK potted on deeper but feel I'll be re-sowing some of the other stuff, probably when the weather shows more than one sunny day in a fortnight though. Looking at my phone's weather is pretty depressing at the moment.

I assume anyone sowing numerous seeds already is doing it for the luxury of having indoor growth facilities.
Polytunnel or greenhouse crops perhaps?

I'm itching to get sowing, but, with the cost of electricity in mind, I'm leaving it for at least another month despite having grow lamps, heated propagators and under soil cables and heaters in the greenhouse. I think I'll sort my seeds out again.

The lettuce and parsley seedlings I put in late last year are starting to grow and the potted up garlic is sending up strong shoots so I feel as if I've made a start.

I used to go on Metcheck to get long range weather forecasts (read something weird about that site so stopped) & would have known not to sow just yet, but just a week at a time deceives you! Note to self - long term, not short term!

I'm with you PP - another rummage in the seed bag to see what I have. I'm a list person, & haven't a list of varieties I have! That will while away another grey day for a start!

BTW Pa! Obviously from another planet - seems a friendly place though!

Hi,

So the chilli seed went into a heated propagator on the windowsill. Of the eight pots I have seedlings in seven. Joes long is a no show.

Question time - how long do I leave them in the heated propagator? Should I transfer them to an Un-heated one? I haven't used the heated one in awhile as I lost it in the attic for a couple of years and can't remember the rules.

Many thanks

Pawty

My Lemon drops are the ones doing nothing, I didn't pre soak them, so maybe another week then I'll try soaking and sow some more.

Westi - I look on Metcheck too.....is there something amiss with it? Don't want to mess up my computer.

Pawty wrote:Hi,

So the chilli seed went into a heated propagator on the windowsill. Of the eight pots I have seedlings in seven. Joes long is a no show.

Question time - how long do I leave them in the heated propagator? Should I transfer them to an Un-heated one? I haven't used the heated one in awhile as I lost it in the attic for a couple of years and can't remember the rules.

Many thanks

Pawty

I'm new to Chillie growing as well, mine are in cells and I've decided to leave them in the heated prop for a bit, just moved them higher to get more light to hopefully prevent them getting too leggy.

Hi Diane!

Nothing wrong with the site but read something on the net about the guy who set it up wasn't a 'nice' person & is doing some time, but could be rubbish, but site is fine! Tiger & Pawty:
My chillies are in the propagator as well but lid off through the day. The condensation on the lid interferes with good sunshine days, no other reason.

I took the lid off today & killed my melon - snapped it right through the stem! Trying to balance the condensation into the edges to water back into the pots. Not happy with my clumsiness as it was a well hardy little fellow - & no more seeds left! Grrrr!

Hi,

So, the growing is in full force - the, good the bad and the ugly so far.....

Marigolds - 2 types. Naughty and giant Africa. Started in the same seed tray (half and half). Potting compost and placed in a window. Naughty was new seed, African was from a pack I (successfully) grew last year. Naughty = 100% germination. African = 0%. Why??

Courgettes - lots of different types, in potting compost in a window, seeds on their side. Planted at the same time. Very very poor germination =20%. Why - too wet??

Runner beans - 2 varieties. In root trainers in the windowsill, started at the same time. The new variety (need to get the name) =95%. White lady = poor. 10% although I may give them a few more days before I bin that attempt.

Cucumbers. Diva and jogger. In a window. 90% each.

Cucumelon. 100% in a seed tray in a window.

French beans. In root trainers, in the window. good. 90%.

Squash. Butternut = 100%, festival 0%. Again planted in the same conditions, placed on their side.

Sweet corn -Lark. in pots of compost in the windowsill. Very very poor. 9 seedlings out of maybe 40 seeds. Will keep for a small area be will start another lot to p,ant somewhere else.

Tomato, chillies, and tomatillos- all good. All started a while ago inside and taking over the house.

Kale - 4 varieties. All very good.

Others on the way but too early to form an opinion yet.....

So, it's a mix. Any tips on the failures would be much appreciated as it's not too late to start any of them.

Thanks

Pawty

LEEKS: I sow my leeks in those deep plastic supermarket punnets which contain mushrooms etc. . If they have holes in the bottom I place a layer of kitchen tissue over them so water can still drain out without compost leaching out. Because they need time to harden up I mix in a little ordinary soil with the compost just to bulk up the growing environment.

I have a steel pointed leek dibber which I couldn't manage without for planting the leeks out which I do when they are still very thin as otherwise it would be difficult to make a hole deep enough. If the weather is dry it helps greatly to water the area the previous day, otherwise my light soil immediately collapses in on the holes the moment they are made with the dibber.

I never trim my leek roots. They are quite spindly and long when planting out but I work on the basis that "every little helps" and hopefully this reduces the shock of them being planted out and helps to get them established more quickly.

I didn't trim my leek roots, never done it before either(though I have to say I'm no show grower).

Well I think I,ve found the answer to grrminating paranip seeds. Last year for the first time I let one parsnip go to seed, more by accident than design. Over the autumn/winter the seeds dropped off and self seeded . This spring I,ve had the earliest and best parsnips seedlings ever without any tedious techniques on my part and certainly the seed has been fresh! I,ve had to replant them in a different location this year but they've all survived Definitely going to try this again with one parsnip this year as it has given me more than enough little seedlings for our needs. It may have been partly due to the relatively mild winter of course .


Believe it may have been Johnboy who suggested this method as well as chitting them in damp kitchen paper. This is definitely a less fiddlesome option! I have a number of dill seedlings which are doing exactly the same.

Pawty, if it,s any consolation 3 of my 4 courgettes have failed to germinate. Think they were a a Kitchen Garden packet. The compost was no damper than for the tiny mini cucumber seeds I sowed. both of them have germinated well so don't know why the courgettes haven,t. Have resowed again today as well as 75% of my climbing French beans which were 2015 so maybe that has something to do

As an aside I occasionally have to buy a strip of garden centre seedlings if my germination attempts mean it,s too late to resow and my only comfort is that often they will have fewer than the standard number of plants in them so commercial growers obviously have the same problems.