If it says sow into ground...

[Suspect Sprout]

Ok, got the trays, shall I plant the lettuce shoots a bit lower so not so much 'stem' is showing? or just as they are now?

Also, how far apart? Sorry if someone's answered this above!

[SueA]

You can plant them so that the seed leaves are just above the surface but you have to be careful not to damage the stems, plant them an inch or 2 apart for now.

[Suspect Sprout]

Ok thanks. was going to put the seeds out today that need going straight into the soil as we're going to have a sunny week. However, the nights are going to be down to 0 temperature wise. Should I wait?

[nick the grief]

I would. Can you cover the soil with a cloche to warm it up at all? You could plant out under this then.

[nutsaboutveggies]

Hello to all

Hi there everybody, I am new to growing things and would like to get to know some of you so that I might actually have some vegetables to eat by the autumn!

[Jaxom]

Welcome NAV to the Vine. You have come to the right place to learn about growing vegetables. This is the start of the growing season and we are all just starting out with seed packets in and bated thingies as Nic would say If you don’t have a veg bed sorted then you could try growing in containers for this year while you sort things out. Try the search buttons at the top of the page and hunt for information you need. It is surprising how much information there is on the vine and we are still in our first year.
Have fun and enjoy.
Jax

[nutsaboutveggies]

Thanks Jax,

We have got one side of the garden dedicated to my vegetable venture.. Lets just hope they turn out

[nick the grief]

.. Lets just hope they turn out

I'll resist the johnny craddock quote Jax
Hi Nav, well if you've got half a garden dedicated, your half way there

Any questions, don't be afraid to ask, we're a friendly bunch of grapes. and don't forget to take some photo's for us all to see.

I can reccommend Geordies Missives that Jax & LJ have managed to paste in to several mails.

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Nutsabout! I'm sure your vegetables will be great and you will be the envy of your neighbours. One vegetable that never fails to produce a bumper crop is courgettes. It must be the easiest vegetable to grow as well. Defender is a good green courgette variety and Gold Rush is a yellow variety.

[Suspect Sprout]

Hmmm, I have to say most things are doing well. Not a word from the peppers yet...I hope! Everything else has now sprouted, cucumbers are about 2-3 inches tall!!

However, the lettue sprouts which I moved into a seed tray are all kind of droopy and just lying there!

They don't look dead, but they're not stood up like they were. Any ideas? Have they had it or should what should I expect to see happen next?

[nick the grief]

They are pining for the fjords SS

Seriously, it's just the shock of being transplanted, they should pick up in a day or too once they have re-easablished themselves.

It might pay you so put some plastic over them loose - the really thin white waste bin bags are ideal the thinner the better. this will keep a moist atmosphere around them & also give them a bit of shade fom the sun which may stress them until the get their roots out. make sure they don't dry out aswell.

[nutsaboutveggies]

Hi there guys and girls,

Can you tell me approx how long it should be from planting tomato seeds and chilli seeds before I should see shoots coming through??

[Lesley Jay]

They should take up to two weeks but it depends on the temperature. Just be patient and give them chance.

[SueA]

If you put them in a heated propagator they could be up in about a week. I bought one last year & was surprised how fast the toms germinated. If you've got them in trays or pots cover them with plastic bags which will warm them up a bit. The germination times given on seed packets are usually just a guideline & seeds just come up when they're good & ready.

[Mel]

Even with seeds in the same tray, there can be a radical difference in germination and growth times. I've got tomatoes on the go and some have come up in a few days whilst others have taken a couple of weeks.

My peppers are even worse. I have some that are starting to grow second leaves, some that have only just germinated and some that haven't come up at all yet.

My problem is not with germination rates but with trying to keep the damned seedlings alive when they do come up. I transplanted some tomato seedlings last week and killed them all. The rest of the same batch I left in the seed tray and now some of those are starting to look like a bit unhealthy. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. I've got some more just germinating so hoping I can keep these ones alive.