What veg seeds can I NOT sow in seed trays/plugs (then transplant)?

[Samuel1988]

Evening all,

Got lots of different veg seeds today and I read on the packet that the lettuce seeds must be sown outdoors (which I assume means direct sowing). I remember though buying little lettuce plants in plugs so I was wondering..

what vegetable seeds can I not start off in the polytunnel (in trays, plugs etc) to transplant later?

Or more specifically can I start off carrots, beetroot, radish in seed trays/plugs?

Thanks

Samuel

[rustylady]

Carrots and parsnips are a no-no Samuel.

Beetroot do fine in celltrays as long as they are planted out before they get too big.

Radish are so quick-growing I wouldn't bother, just sow them direct when it's warm enough.

[Samuel1988]

Is the fact carrots & parsnips can not be sown in seed trays due to them transplanting poorly?

Are these two the main nono crops to not try in seed trays/plugs?

Thank you for your reply

Samuel

[GardenGayle]

I always thought it was a bad idea to transplant anything where you eat the root, just because minimal root is best for these crops. I could be wrong though.

[Martin H]

Also, carrots and parsnips grow by sending down a taproot very early on which then swells into the crop that we eat. If you sow in modules the root will touch the bottom of the container long before you can plant out, so you get bent and twisted carrots about 2 inches long.

[mothhawk]

Transplanting encourages root formation. You don't want that in a carrot or parsnip. You want one main root. No matter how careful you are, some of the micro-roots are bound to be damaged when you move a seedling and its soil to another pot/the ground. For most seedlings that's fine, it encourages more roots to grow, which is what you want for a healthy plant. In a carrot, it means you get forked roots.

[Ananke]

With lettuce, I find they sulk for a bit when they are transplanted but pick up after a few days.
Beetroot transplants fine.
As others have said Carrots and Parsnips are a nono.
I've been told peas don't like to be transplanted so I've never done it but I'm gonna try it this year with a few seeds just to witness what the issue is as it's never been made clear to me.

[WendyC]

I always sow my peas in trays and transplant them. If I sowed direct at the allotment mice would eat them first.

[Ananke]

Mice were my problem too Wendy, so good to know you don't have any problems with transplanting yours

[Potstubsdustbins]

I used to suffer with a mouse/pea problem now I chit them following 2Sheds advice then drop them into 21/2 inch pots in the GH. This gives me a nice early crop, can get two crops a year sometimes and eliminates the mouse problem.

Potty

[binley100]

I sow peas about 5 to a pot and transplant the whole pot , one pot to one cane on a wigwam. Sow about 6 pots and when they're up and running sow another 6 pots and so on so that hopefully there is a succession of them throughout the summer .....

[lottie dolly]

Got nothing to add to whats already been said except,we had problems with mice at the broad beans,that was until they were covered with debri netting,if you use seed trays,then just pop one of those tray plastic covers on,once the beans/peas growth gets to the top,they are usually fine,but the birds may well have the peas,

[Tripmeup]

Peas are fine to sow and then transplant as others have said... Like the big pot idea for the peas Bins!

I have sown and transplanted parsnip for last couple years.. but they were in toilet rolls or similar, so minimal disruption...

[binley100]

I use those shallow wide pots Trip , just find them easier to transport to the lottie than guttering as some people use..

[Tripmeup]

I use those shallow wide pots Trip , just find them easier to transport to the lottie than guttering as some people use..

I presume you transplant the pot and then build the cane wigwam around them?