If it says sow into ground...

[Suspect Sprout]

does it really mean it? or can you sow in pots inside first to give them a good start? (salad & veg crops that is)

[Lesley Jay]

It depends what vegetables they are. Some grow better sown straight into the ground others I find are better started off in seeds trays or cells. Give me your list of vegetables.

[Suspect Sprout]

HI Lesley,

Radishes, spring onions, cut & grow lettuce

thanks

[Suspect Sprout]

Lesley, i've just noticed on my other post you comment about sowing the above (except lettuce) straight into the ground, does that mean I absoutely have to?

Also, add on leaks!

[Lesley Jay]

You usually find that if you are eating an underground vegetable - carrot, parsnip, beetroot, swede, turnip, radish etc. that they are better sown into the ground because the roots can get established better. Spring onions are such a quick crop to grow that you sow them straight into the ground. With leeks start them off in a pot and then transplant either to seed trays, cells or root trainers. Grow them on and then plant out. Get a wooden stake and bash it (we have clay soil) into the ground about 6 inches deep. Remove and keep doing this every 6 inches along the row. Now drop the leeks into the holes and fill the holes with water not soil. Gradually the holes eventually fill up.

[Suspect Sprout]

Thanks, you're a star!!

One more thing ( I doubt it) with spring onions, how many do you get per crop?? I know this sounds daft, but one onion or several?!!

[Suspect Sprout]

just wondering, see, I knew there would be something else!! when planting outside, although our soil is good, it's fairly stoney. I have got rid of the biggest one's, however, i'll be here for ever if I try and get rid of them all.

Once i've sown stuff straight into the ground, is it worth covering with soil/pete from a bag that's nice and finely sieved? Or don't worry and just cover with normal garden soil?

[Lesley Jay]

It's one spring onion per seed. Sow the seed very thinly and just have short rows. It depends how many you think you will eat which is always tricky to work out for the first few years of growing your own vegetables. If you sow now they should be ready in June and then keep sowing a new row every month so you will always have fresh spring onions. You can buy a Japanese variety Ishikuro and there is no need for repeat sowings. Just sow a full row and start pulling them when they are pencil thin. They gradually get thicker but donot grow an onion bulb like traditional spring onions.

[Lesley Jay]

You don't really want stoney soil for carrots, parsnips, beetroot etc. because the stones can damage the vegetables when they are growing. You will be okay with radish because they are only small. Just walk across the ground where you are going to sow a row to compact it. Then get the edge of a trowel and draw a thin and very shallow line in the ground. Thinly sprinkle the seeds in the line and then just cover with a thin layer of garden soil. Water the row and put markers at each end so you know where the row is.

[nick the grief]

What you can do SS is take out a drill (shallow furrow in the ground) put some compost in the bottob of this then sow on to this as it will give the seeds a bit of something "softer" to root in before they hit all the stones.

You can grow Spring onions i seed trays in the greenhous for use in the winter if you keep it frost free just depends how keen you are to have spring onions

[Suspect Sprout]

ah, that's a good idea to line first with bagged soil then cover with normal.

Some seeds are really tiny aren't they? for example leek seeds, i just threw a few into a pot as one didn't seem enough!!

[Lesley Jay]

Sprout some seeds are really tiny just remember that each seed is a potential vegetable. I have just read what I wrote before about sowing leek seeds and I meant to sprinkle a few in a pot then plant them on. Sorry I didn't make that bit clear.

[nick the grief]

You think the are smalll SS, I've just sown some Lithops (living stones as they are called in the garden centre) and I was sure the packet had a hole it ti I held it up to the light - it's like dust !!! The seedlings are about 0.5mm across now I guess its a young persons game !

[Suspect Sprout]

Ok, everything's in cells/pots, ready to go, i've given them an initial water, how often do you generally have to water? I don't want to overdo it otherwise I assume they'll go funny?

[SueA]

Hi Suspect,
As Lesley Jay says you have to be careful about sowing seeds too thickly or you will just be wasting seeds. If they all germinate you will have to prick them out & repot them separately or thin them out if you plant them all direct in the ground otherwise they will be too crowded & not have room to grow to full size. With things like tomatoes, cucumbers etc. most people just sow 2 seeds to a pot then prick out & throw away the weaker seedling. With 'cut & come again' lettuce you can sow quite a lot of seeds together as the idea is to get a lot of small leaves not larger separate lettuces which would need spacing further apart.