My First Seedlings

[bwfc07]

Yes i have seedlings i got up for work yesterday and while making a cuppa i had a quick look in the tomato propagator on the window sill and WHoooooooooo in nearly woke everyone there was a little gardeners delight seedling And today i looked again and its stood up also signs of the thyme & my peas i sown at home excitment or what does this happen to ever first timer ?


TheGrosvenorStPlot

[zazen999]

I am afraid so...that's it now, no going back to normality.

Just wait until you pic the first red tom and sink your teeth into it - drooling here already.

Congrats no longer a seedling virgin

[gardenplot]

Well done bwfc07, the excitement never leaves us first and every other, you will be like this for ever excited

[smallblueplanet]

Its great isn't it, it never goes away. Now you see why we get so desperate to start our seeds off!

[bwfc07]

No so good at night when you cant sleep because your thinking about the lottie might just me that though ? yes and i'm a seedling my self

Cant wait for the weekend !!!!!! off work till monday night rain or shine i WILL be on the lottie


why i'm on the subject of the lottie can anyone tell me what ( bolt ) is ?

[bluemoon]

Do you mean when plants bolt? This is when they rush to flower and make seeds and usually means that the leaves, bulbs or whatever become bitter, or hard and woody, and thus inedible. It happens when growing conditions are less than ideal and the plant 'panics' to produce seed before it dies. It's just natures way of making sure that there are seeds for next year, but it's a pain for us gardeners. It can also happen when conditions are too good, like when an onion, which will normally only flower in its second year, is doing so well that it decides it can manage it in its first.

Oh and the seedling excitement will be an annual thing from now on. Just warn the relatives and learn to live with it. Perhaps we could all start a support group?

[bwfc07]

Yes thanks blue
i bought a book today carol kliens.. grow your own veg from asda £10 ..........but came across some terms such as bolt/bolting with beetroot...........So if my soil is bad I.e the Ph or to hard rocky they may bolt?

[zazen999]

OH
I though this WAS the support group!

[jeannine]

If you grow beetroot 'boltardy' then (as the name suggests) it is very slow to bolt so you can plant it in March.

I totally agree about the joy of raising your first seedlings.

And I'm ridiculously pleased and grateful when plants self-seed (especially when they're edible plants). Even if they're in the wrong place I usually transplant them and treat them extra well.

[bluemoon]

Bolting is caused by many different things; hot weather, drought, starting the seedlings off too early, overcrowding. It varies from veg to veg, but there are some good bolt resistant varieties of beetroot, the only one I can think of off the top of my head is 'Boltardy' which is probably the commonest. But in general try not to let anything dry out for too long, grow it in the recommended conditions and sow it at the right time and you should be fine. Some things are going to bolt whatever you do, it's the way plants reproduce so they're bound to, the trick is to try to prevent it for as long as possible.

[pjh75]

Yes i have seedlings i got up for work yesterday and while making a cuppa i had a quick look in the tomato propagator on the window sill and WHoooooooooo in nearly woke everyone there was a little gardeners delight seedling And today i looked again and its stood up also signs of the thyme & my peas i sown at home excitment or what does this happen to ever first timer ?


TheGrosvenorStPlot

I'm just as excited as you and it's also my first year... I currently have sweet pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato and cucumber seedlings in my greenhouse. I took photos of them today because I'm so proud of them.

pjh

[Litha]

i couldnt beleive it when my babies started sprouting every morning the family gets woken up with a cuppa and a running comentry about how everythings going and how many of what are growing, even my mam gets text piccys

this morning i was super chuffed cos one of my dorset naga seeds has started germinating ( all 25 of the jalapenos are out too most with leaves )

but the pain and agony of seeing things die is abit awful... for 2 days iv known that all 12 of my cumbers are going to have to be binned, they were really strong and healthy then i murdered them by putting them in the conservatory

[bwfc07]

More Seedling

Well once again more seedling this morning i can just about see the moneymakers poping through and signs of my chilli's (cayenne) Delighted

Not so delighted about what the wind has done to my lottie gate thoughTheGrosvenorStPlot

[Sue]

bwfc
Hi
Like the others say, you never get over the excitement and wonder at watching the seeds growing, and at the other end when I'm eating my produce and think of that tiny seed that it started from, lump in the throat time!
It also makes you appreciate your fruit and veg far more when you've laboured over your seeds, looked after your babies and seen them through to maturity. Not at all the same as casually buying some veg plastic wrapped from the supermarket.

Oh why did I leave getting an allotment so late in life, if I had only known what a passion it would turn out to be....
Back to seed sowing tomorrow
Sue