bit of a problem - suggestions please!
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Now, before anyone says anything, I know it was stupid and I won't do it again! Last week, I planted 60+ of those individual bio degradable seed pot thingies, with a variety of seeds: tomato,leek,sprouts, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli& cabbage.(the list is from memory - there may have been more!)I didn't have time to plant them out(& wasn't sure if I was supposed to plant them straight away or wait).So I carefully wrote on the side of each pot what was in it, and left them on the patio.During the week,it rained....& when I went out today, the ink had been washed from the pots and I don't know what's planted in which pot! should I just plant them out & hope for the best, or wait until things start sprouting & then try to identify them? Thanks in anticipation....
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magentasue
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Well, the leeks and tomatoes will be easy to identify as soon as they come up. As for the greens, I would just put them out together. Depends how desperate you are to get them into the ground. If you leave them a bit, you'll be able to group like with like . I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a cabbage and cauli seedling but I'm sure experts would.
You've nothing to lose by keeping them in their pots for a bit unless you've nowhere to keep them. I keep my seedlings in pots indoors until they're etsablished at this time of year unless I have room under a frame. Then I plant them in a warm spell putting halved 2l platic bottles over them for a couple of night if I remember and can be bothered! Wouldn't risk things like tomatoes yet though.
You've nothing to lose by keeping them in their pots for a bit unless you've nowhere to keep them. I keep my seedlings in pots indoors until they're etsablished at this time of year unless I have room under a frame. Then I plant them in a warm spell putting halved 2l platic bottles over them for a couple of night if I remember and can be bothered! Wouldn't risk things like tomatoes yet though.
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oldherbaceous
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Hello Zena, i think everybody has done a similar thing to you. If you have got any seed left you could always put a pinch of each seed in separate pots, WELL LABELLED and you could identify them by these when germinated. If not let them grow on in the pots for a little, then at least you will know some of them, won't you?
I am keeping one eye open for stalkers, maybe one day.
Kind regards the silly Old Herbaceous.
Theres no fool like an old fool.
I am keeping one eye open for stalkers, maybe one day.
Kind regards the silly Old Herbaceous.
Theres no fool like an old fool.
Hello Zena
When you do get round to planting out your peat pots make sure the lip of the pot is below ground, otherwise the lip of the pot acts like a wick and will dry out the pot.
Some things like being planted deeper like tomatoes and brassicas But things like spinach, beetroot parsnip don't. So if the soil has settled in the pots and you don't want to plant to deep, Get an old pair of scissors and cut the lip off the pot.
You maybe able to group some of the brassicas by the shape and colour of the leaves.
Good luck
When you do get round to planting out your peat pots make sure the lip of the pot is below ground, otherwise the lip of the pot acts like a wick and will dry out the pot.
Some things like being planted deeper like tomatoes and brassicas But things like spinach, beetroot parsnip don't. So if the soil has settled in the pots and you don't want to plant to deep, Get an old pair of scissors and cut the lip off the pot.
You maybe able to group some of the brassicas by the shape and colour of the leaves.
Good luck
"One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a packet of garden seeds"
Thanks for the suggestions everyone!Of course,you're all assuming that I would be able to identify a cabbage plant from a tomato when/if they come up!!I think even that may be beyond may limited capabilities-I'm having to learn everything from basics this year 
Perhaps I should learn how to post pictures on here and we could have a weekly "identify Zena's seedlings" competition!! Some things are sprouting already, so I think it'll be a case of getting things that look vaguely similair and planting them together when they start coming up.
Old H - your neck of the woods is far too posh for me so you're safe, although I will be venturing as far as Cranfield today
Perhaps I should learn how to post pictures on here and we could have a weekly "identify Zena's seedlings" competition!! Some things are sprouting already, so I think it'll be a case of getting things that look vaguely similair and planting them together when they start coming up.
Old H - your neck of the woods is far too posh for me so you're safe, although I will be venturing as far as Cranfield today
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magentasue
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I'd have thought it would be easy enough to find pictures online so you could identify your seedlings, but no, it doesn't seem that easy. This site has some pictures if you search for 'tomato seedling', 'cabbage plant' etc.
http://www.fotosearch.com/
From memory, I think the Vegetable Expert book (commonly found in DIY sheds, garden centres and the library) has pictures of seedlings. Good luck!
http://www.fotosearch.com/
From memory, I think the Vegetable Expert book (commonly found in DIY sheds, garden centres and the library) has pictures of seedlings. Good luck!
If you can find a seed in any of the pots you should be able to identify the tomato, leek and spinach seeds quite easily but all the brassicas will look the same. You will have a second chance when you see the seedlings. I would grow them all on anyway but it isn't too late to re-sow any of them if you can get the seeds. Next time use decent labels and a permanent marker or a suitable garden pencil. Chinagraph is still unbeatable in permanency but not for detailed writing. I have invested in a Brother P-touch labeller but I have to admit it isn't for a gardener with a tight budget.
I had a similar tragedy last week in that the thermostat in my best propogator stuck ON so lots of my seedlings got cooked, fortunately I had spare seeds of most of them and was able to re-sow. what hurts most is that it is a Humex propogater with sliding glass doors, the Parasene ones now the only similar one on the market are top-entry only and not comparable for quality. I bought a Parasene one as an extra, the thermostat was on the blink from day 1, eventually I cut a hole in the bottom, bad production meant that a push-on connector had never been pushed on and was only making contact by chance. Yours truly has sorted it now but what good is a years guarantee on that sort of thing?
Allan
I had a similar tragedy last week in that the thermostat in my best propogator stuck ON so lots of my seedlings got cooked, fortunately I had spare seeds of most of them and was able to re-sow. what hurts most is that it is a Humex propogater with sliding glass doors, the Parasene ones now the only similar one on the market are top-entry only and not comparable for quality. I bought a Parasene one as an extra, the thermostat was on the blink from day 1, eventually I cut a hole in the bottom, bad production meant that a push-on connector had never been pushed on and was only making contact by chance. Yours truly has sorted it now but what good is a years guarantee on that sort of thing?
Allan
One of the maturer gents on our allotments showed me how to identify sprouts from other brassicas when mine all got muddled .its really quite easy ,sprouts have spoon shaped leaves so you can tel them apart if you look more closely ,
Fuchsia
Fuchsia
