2023 season begins..................

[tigerburnie]

Just sowed my Onion seeds and put them in the propagator, Sturon and Mammoth Red, half a tray of each, should give me around a hundred Onions. As I use multi purpose compost and not seed compost, they will probably be in there till February, then I pot them on, I find this gives them a much better start and they have a proper root ball as they are grown in cells. Last year I sowed Leeks early too, but they all bolted and we lost the lot to the heat, this winter, I won't sow them till late Feb or even March.

[Westi]

I have sown mine following the suppliers instructions & they are up looking OK & about 4" high . I just bulked sowed them into wide deep pots so I could leave them to do their thing until time to plant out.

Tiger should I pot these on to a richer mix or give them a sprinkle of something? They are in the tunnel on staging with a high fleece barrier around not on, which seems to suit them even with it being a bit colder than usual in there.

[tigerburnie]

I have sown mine following the suppliers instructions & they are up looking OK & about 4" high . I just bulked sowed them into wide deep pots so I could leave them to do their thing until time to plant out.

Tiger should I pot these on to a richer mix or give them a sprinkle of something? They are in the tunnel on staging with a high fleece barrier around not on, which seems to suit them even with it being a bit colder than usual in there.

I prefer to use multi purpose compost for all my seed sowing, now the professionals will tell you the seed has all the nutrients to get the seed to germinate. This is true, but as soon as the loop stage in onions or the first true leaf appears on others, you have to be there to pot on, that is not always possible. Last March when I had plants ready for potting on and I ended up in hospital and it took me a long time to recover, had my seeds been sowed in seed compost they would have all failed, as it happens I lost no plants at all as there was feed in the MPC.
It works for me and as I have said in my videos I did in the summer, it is just the way I do it, it works for me because I am not a full time gardener and I need all the extra help I can get with my crops. I'm no sentimental traditionalist, if it doesn't work I try something else, if F1 seeds produce better than heritage, I will sow them. I do use organic heritage seeds too, but only if they work, life's too short to have crops fail and you lose time in the growing season you cannot get back.
Short answer Westi is that if you sowed in seed compost, then it will have no food in it for the plants, never tried a top dressing, it could work, I'd be tempted to pot them in new compost, just as a bunch and do not disturb the root ball until the gentler weather arrives would be my choice.

[Westi]

Thanks Tiger,

As it happens I have some even deeper pots now available so I will pot on with MPC.

[tigerburnie]

I warm the compost inside for a day, so as not to shock the plant, it can stop them growing just as the cold does outside in the garden.

[Westi]

Thanks Tiger for the prompt. I keep a little trug of compost in the tunnel but I won't have enough for the new pots & I would have forgot that.

[tigerburnie]

Mucho gardening today, totally unplanned, went to the hospital for my CT scan and when we returned the postie had delivered my bare root Strawberry plants I ordered a while ago and forgot they were coming. Some of the old Mara de Bois have been confined to the compost bin and some pots and one of the window boxes now have Flamenco in them, perpetuals like before to be grown in the greenhouse. I have also sowed two dozen Onward Peas in cells in the propagator for another bash at growing peas in the greenhouse for an early crop, I shall also be growing radish, lettuce and carrots inside the greenhouse in the borders, again for early crops. I had mixed success with the carrots last time, so going to try a different variety.

[Primrose]

Usy day tigerburnie and jus the right sort of positive activity to take your mind off medical issues.

[tigerburnie]

It was minus 6 inside my greenhouse last night, but the Onions inside the blowaway look ok, just need to be careful watering in these temps. I got a bit of a bargain yesterday, 3 bags of farmyard manure, 3 bags of compost and a bag of 6X all for £35 pounds, so I'm ready to go once the weather sorts it's self out.

[Primrose]

Good bargain Tiger. Frustrating when you,re raring to go and the weather is totally against you. Agree that frozen water seems to to more damage to seedlings than dryer soil which seems to warm up more quickly. Still gardeners learn to be a patient bunch.there are always indoor chores one can find to do in these "waiting" periods.

[oldherbaceous]

An excellent bargain, Tigerburnie…I keep missing them…..

[tigerburnie]

The bags look a bit faded, obviously last years stock, but compost and manure, just like gardeners improve with age lol.

[Geoff]

I've ordered a trailer load of manure from the local Young Farmer's Charity Muck Haul at the weekend, they do it every year for different charities, this year is proceeds to Muscular Dystrophy UK.

[oldherbaceous]

Where there’s muck, there’s money…..

Sounds like you planned your wife’s knee was better, just in time, Geoff!!

[tigerburnie]

One of my raised beds cleared, weeded and a bag of manure added, also lifted what was left of the Parsnips.