Starting Off Indoors

[WiZeR]

I am just thinking about what I will need to start growing my seeds indoors before planting them into the beds on the allotment (if that ever gets done).

What is the preffered method? I saw Titchmarsh using plug trays. Certainly seems like the best idea, but is this just an unescesary expense? Are root trainers really worth the cash?

Where do you get your seed trays from? Online or the garden centre?

How about potting compost? Do you have a preffered brand/mix?

Your personal views always apprecieated.

[andrewo]

Mix it up

My soil mix for seedlings/seeds is:
1 part peat free soil/compost
1 part my own compost
1 part blood fish and bone.

My prefered containers are:
3"-4" plastic square pots that I can put into trays and reuse from year to year.
Toilet rolls for tomatoes, peas or beans.

Never used root trainers, though considered them for sweet peas until someone pointed out that toilet roll inners where just as good and can be planted directly into the soil as they rot down. Don't have the problem of storing more pots than.

I have a small upright coldframe with shelves that fit nine trays, so the toilet rollls mean I can cram more in.

I also use fleece to warm them up more.

Andrewo

[poultrychat]

For some of my veggies last year I used cut down guttering cut to the length of my staging, worked really well

[Lesley Jay]

With tomatoes, courgettes, squashes, marrows and cucumber I sow one seed per 4 inch pot then pot them on into larger pots when they are ready. I do not believe in sowing 2 seeds per pot and throwing away one seedling - it's a waste of seed. Then I use plugs for most of the other seeds. With the fine seeds I will sprinkle these on the surface of the compost in a pot and then transplant into plugs when the seedlings are large enough to handle.

[JennieAtkinson]

I used root trainers last year for runner beans, french beans, sweet peas and squash instead of toilet rolls as I got a good offer in a magazine. I found them excellent as I was able to keep them in the root trainer for longer waiting for the better weather given my northerly location (which never actually came but thats another story!). I found that previously having to wait before planting the toilet rolls got very wet and started to disintegrate and exposed the roots.
The root trainers have remained in good condition, are easily stored, and I think will last a good few years. Look for offers in magazines or try Kays Horticultural Products (they advertise in most garden magazines) as they have some good offers.

[nick the grief]

I've tried all sorts of methods over the years and seem to have stuck with pots, trays and cell packs. for convenience. A lot demend on how much room you have available.

One of the lads in the chrysanth blub spends the winter months making pots from the free newspapers that fall through his door. He made some formers of various sizes and now swears by these. He even uses them for his carrots & parsnips!

He makes the "pots" around some 3/4" piping, tucks the bottom in and puts some tape around the edge, then pre germinates the seed on damp tissue and sows them in the compost then plants them at the desired spacing.

A bit of a fiddle but sys he doesn't have the carrot fly problems that he used to have.

[Looloobowers]

I've tried all sorts of methods over the years and seem to have stuck with pots, trays and cell packs. for convenience. A lot demend on how much room you have available.

One of the lads in the chrysanth blub spends the winter months making pots from the free newspapers that fall through his door. He made some formers of various sizes and now swears by these. He even uses them for his carrots & parsnips!

He makes the "pots" around some 3/4" piping, tucks the bottom in and puts some tape around the edge, then pre germinates the seed on damp tissue and sows them in the compost then plants them at the desired spacing.

A bit of a fiddle but sys he doesn't have the carrot fly problems that he used to have.

I would be very interested in the full method of making these pots i.e the mixture of newspaper and what? It sounds very ingenious.

Looloo

[nick the grief]

Hi Looloo,

I'll be seeing John next week, so I'll get the info that you require. He did show me once but it was some time ago and I can't remember.

[Hardy]

Hi

For seeds that are big enough to be sown individually I use modules. I buy packs of these from Poundland! I can't remember how many you get for £1 - maybe 4 or 5, it might be more - it's a while since I bought any as they can usually be used for more than one season.

For smaller seeds (eg herbs, onions) I sow them in square pots (which are easier to fit in trays than round ones) then prick them out into modules when they are big enough.

I have bought some rootrainers for the first time this year - they seem a bit flimsy but I hope they will be reusable for a few seasons for peas, sweet peas and beans. I got them via e-bay.

I have only had this veggie garden for a season and the soil isn't in good enough condition yet to sow things straight into it - I also find things stand up better to eg slugs if they have been grown on a bit first in a greenhouse or coldframe.

Hardy