Sowing a bit later?

[moggssue]

Okay all - I've been reading all the posts about all the seeds/sets/potatoes you're all sowing now. If I wait and do all those things from early April instead of early March, will I be missing out?

I know its a bit of 'piece of string' question, but do you really think that month will make much difference in the end?

[crichmond]

You dont have to sow now as the ones sown at the normal time usually catch up. Unless you use grow lights like I do to get the growth really going.

You can sow on a windowsill but as the days are still a bit short a lot of seedlings have a habit of going leggy.

Cheers Chris

[Two_Sheds]

You won't miss out - anything planted later nearly always catches up with the early sown stuff.
Things you probably should start early are things like chillies that need a long growing season to ripen. But check your packet

[jacob marley]

when your ready is the best time my seeds have been out of the box once and gone back in again plenty of time yet we have had snow showers today so brrrrr jacob

[Norm]

Once upon a time, there was an old guy down the lottie, may G-d give him peace, who turned up every year in the second week in June with all his outdoor plants and stuck 'em in. By the end of the season, they were as big if not bigger than what everyone else had produced. All his seeds were sown at the end of April and went from his warm greenhouse at home into warm soil on the allotment.

[andrewo]

Well, we've had snow and hail today and I won't be doing any planting. I think nowadays you have to play it by ear and have fleece ready to cover up any seedlings, even if grown undercover. However, do note that if you do starts your seeds off now they can be weaker than later sowings, why? If the weather gets to them it can effect the cell structure and weaken the plants. I would do successive seeds, do a 1/4 now and a 1/4 in 2 weeks etc etc. That way you will have successive harvests. And if the first 1/4 die off or become susceptible to disease it won't matter compared to losing them all. Be ready with the fleece though!

[JennieAtkinson]

I got completely carried away by you all last year and started my sowing far too early. So this year I am going back to my old sowing times, mostly mid April, but beginning of May for some.

Okay we get 24 hour daylight in the summer, but things do eventually catch up. It may mean that I won't get any peppers though!

[moggssue]

Thanks folks!! I think I will hang on a bit for most things then. Got garlic, a few broadies, leeks and chillis in the coldframe and will put out the onion sets at the weekend - everything else I think I'll hold onto for a few more weeks. Good luck to those of you sowing now ....

[Norm]

Unless you use grow lights like I do to get the growth really going.

Yo Chris, errrrr, what er erm are you erm ....growing that needs growlights
You don't live in a village near a woman named Grace do you by any chance

[crichmond]

Yo Chris, errrrr, what er erm are you erm ....growing that needs growlights
You don't live in a village near a woman named Grace do you by any chance

Chilli (various), early tomato, aubergine (various), strawberry, cucumber (various), mammoth onion, mammoth leek, rosemary cuttings, spinach (various), comfrey (new plot hasnt any), lettuce, cress (for the wife (ready to cut after 4 days)), artichoke emerald star, beetroot (various, but mainly boltardy).

But nothing of what your thinking, but obviously your joking like I was when I first got the grow lights and came home after a night out and asked the wife if we had been raided yet.

For those that dont know, yes they do make a big difference to the growth, but they do cost money to run, about £5 per week for a 600 watt lamp.
I have 2 x 600 watt and 1 x 1000 watt lamp (about £8 per week to run), but I also have a 200 watt envirolite which costs about £1.50 per week to run as it is a CFL (compact flouresent light)

PS: you may be thinking why I would be willing to pay the electric costs of these lamps, the reason is I get my chilli's started sooner giving them longer to ripen, and if they are on the go then why not take advantage of the fact the lights are on for the chilli's and put other stuff under to benefit as well.


Cheers Chris

[Two_Sheds]

you may be thinking why I would be willing to pay the electric costs of these lamps, the reason is I get my chilli's started sooner giving them longer to ripen, and if they are on the go then why not take advantage of the fact the lights are on for the chilli's and put other stuff under to benefit as well.

We grow, and ripen, chillies in an unheated greenhouse. No lamps. No electric.

[Alison]

We grow, and ripen, chillies in an unheated greenhouse. No lamps. No electric.

Me too - get more than I need as it is so no need to force them early

[roadkill]

im going to wait till next month i think , my grandad has starting sowing some seeds for me in the greenhouse

[Nicos]

Other than my chillies and peppers we don't do any sowing until Easter weekend.
As it's early this year, we may wait until April- I suppose it depends on the weather at the time.
No rush!