Plant now/later???

Need to know the best time to plant?

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter

mazmezroz
KG Regular
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:09 pm
Location: North Cotswolds

It's so tempting to rush out and start planting stuff in my new greenhouse, but it's not heated and I know it's not a good idea. How many of you lot have found that stuff you plant later (say, March/April) do just as well, if not better, than the stuff you started off in Jan/Feb full of enthusiasm and impatience???

I planted some winter salad stuff (mizuna) which has come up fine, and looks healthy enough (planted end November). It is about 1 inch tall, and has done nothing more than poke its head above the surface of the compost. My guess that as soon as the days are appreciably longer and/or warmer, it will grow away, but certainly I won't get any earlier crops than if I'd've sown it in Feb/March!

Is it just me? Or do you find the same?
User avatar
alan refail
KG Regular
Posts: 7252
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 7:00 am
Location: Chwilog Gogledd Orllewin Cymru Northwest Wales
Been thanked: 5 times

It's always a temptation to rush, but remember, the winter hasn't arrived yet. In an unheated greenhouse there's no point sowing early.
I grow winter salad crops in my polytunnel (unheated of course), but sow at the end of August and plant out to grow through the autumn and overwinter - including mizuna. End of November is OK for germination, but will not give time for any growth before winter.
If you are sowing without a propagator you need to wait for ambient temperatures to be high enough for germination(and different seeds need very different temperatures).
Finally: Yes things sown at a more favourable time (i.e. later) do catch up, and can overtake earlier sowings.

Alan

PS Keep a diary of when you sow and adjust next year as necessary.
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
Mike Vogel
KG Regular
Posts: 865
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:31 pm
Location: Bedford

I have some old salad seed which I am trying to get rid of without throwing it away. So I have sown half of it in my unheated and ridiculously small greenhouse and if nothing germinates I'll resow the other half later. I have covered every pot with polythene bags, so what sunlight does penetrate will be trapped to some extent. We'll see..

mike
Please support Wallace Cancer Care
http://www.wallacecancercare.org.uk
and see
http://www.justgiving.com/mikevogel


Never throw anything away.
Mike Vogel
KG Regular
Posts: 865
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:31 pm
Location: Bedford

They've all germinated absurdly quickly even in these cold and sunless days. Just a little sunshine warms up the greenhouse enough. So we'll get some early salad just as my autumn sown ones expire.

mike
Please support Wallace Cancer Care
http://www.wallacecancercare.org.uk
and see
http://www.justgiving.com/mikevogel


Never throw anything away.
mazmezroz
KG Regular
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:09 pm
Location: North Cotswolds

Perhaps it's the slight lengthening of the daylight hours - this evening we had a spectacular sunset, and it was still a little light by 5.15pm.

My mizuna is growing but not harvestable.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic