Newbie Help required please :)

[mattpjsmith]

Hi All,

I have just purchased the following seeds and things:

Garlic Chives
Mint
Thyme (Common)
Parsley (Flat Leaf)

and also some Leaf Salad, and Tomatoes (Gardeners Delight)

I also have 4 Large Circular Pots (about 12" diameter and 14" deep), and some seeding trays with propagator lid. I also have some Plant & Grow Compost.

The instructions on the pack aren't very clear for someone new to growing IMO, so If you could offer some advice on giving me the best chance of getting it right first time around I'd really appreciate it.

I think the most important things I need to know are should I grow in the propagator first, or sow straight into the compost in large pots .... and how many seeds should I use?

I kind of planned growing 2 tomato plants, so I assume I would need to have them in separate pots? Do I need more pots for the other things or will they grow together?

I have a west facing garden so it should get a good bit of sun in the day time, but I wouldn't be too keen on keeping plants inside the house, mainly do to space issues. Also growing in the actual garden soil itself wouldn't really be an option.

I think thats all I need to know, but any more input would be gratefully received.

Cheers
Matt

[Digger-07]

Hi All,

I have just purchased the following seeds and things:

Garlic Chives
Mint
Thyme (Common)
Parsley (Flat Leaf)

and also some Leaf Salad, and Tomatoes (Gardeners Delight)

I also have 4 Large Circular Pots (about 12" diameter and 14" deep), and some seeding trays with propagator lid. I also have some Plant & Grow Compost.

The instructions on the pack aren't very clear for someone new to growing IMO, so If you could offer some advice on giving me the best chance of getting it right first time around I'd really appreciate it.

I think the most important things I need to know are should I grow in the propagator first, or sow straight into the compost in large pots .... and how many seeds should I use?

I kind of planned growing 2 tomato plants, so I assume I would need to have them in separate pots? Do I need more pots for the other things or will they grow together?

I have a west facing garden so it should get a good bit of sun in the day time, but I wouldn't be too keen on keeping plants inside the house, mainly do to space issues. Also growing in the actual garden soil itself wouldn't really be an option.

I think thats all I need to know, but any more input would be gratefully received.

Cheers
Matt

Welcome to the 'vine.

Sow the toms in small pots and transplant when they are big enough. Your large pots should be OK for 1 tom in each but they will need some support as they get bigger.

Keep the mint in a container of some sort or it will take over.

[mattpjsmith]

cheers digger .... just reading up on the mint, so i'll deffo keep one container for the mint to grow on its own then.

if someone can just confirm how many seeds i need to sow it would be of great help. I imagine its just one seed per Tom plant? ..... but completely unsure about the herbs .... do i use the entire packet in one go?

cheers

[ClayGarden]

If germination rates was perfect it would just be 1 seed per plant, but its not. If you start in smaller pots put a few seeds in, they i wont be too bad if you get too many seedlings, you could always face them off against each other as they grow, and pot up the strongest/largest. Especially when you first start, say theres a 50 seeds in a pack seems a waste to just plant 1.

Also since you newbie (like me only a year for me ), i'd try both the prop and just pots on window sill. You can see which herbs prefer which then. Personally i dont have a prop and never used one.

When you first start i think experimentation is best.

[mattpjsmith]

and there was me hoping it was going to be an exact science .... bugger

cheers for the advice .... I think I better just bite the bullet and sow the seeds and see what happens I guess

[ClayGarden]

Definitely just go for it. Good luck

You'll always be learning, i've just gone and tried this toilet roll pot trick, and then accidentally poured water on it and the top of blooming compost has vanished half way down the bog roll with my seeds

[mattpjsmith]

well i'm sure i'll be back on anyway ... this is a great website

best of luck with the toilet rolls

[jiminydub]

I'm sure you'll be fine. I think that much of the fun of gardening is the experimenting.

I'm no expert and am experimenting with herbs myself for the first time this year. I had success last year with tomatoes in large pots. It's also how my more green-fingered 85 year-old neighbour has been growing his for years! They will need watering every day though in the summer, but should be fine against a wall in a sunny spot.

[borage]

mint and chives I sprinkle the seeds over the surface of a 3inch pot and when germinated plant outside. Thyme I put one seed per 3inch pot and plant out when large enough and hardened off .

1 tomato seed per 3 inch pot to start them off and then when large enough and no likely hood of frosts put into large tubs, water daily and feed regularly.

[mattpjsmith]

more great info thanks!

Well I sowed everything just over 2 weeks ago .... I actually sowed 2-3 tom seeds per seed tray section (eight), and kept them under a propagator lid next to the window ... I think every single one of them germinated last weekend ... I couldnt believe it ... so I thinned them straight away to one per pot. and I reckon they will be ready to transfer to larger 3" pots this week. I only want to grow 2 tom plants, so I guess I'll have to give some to friends. I really wasnt expecting them all to germinate!

I also sowed salad/Thyme/Mint/Chives/Parsley seeds the same day straight into a large pot outside. The salad germinated in the last few days, and I just noticed this afternoon that the Thyme is showing too

I think in hindsight I should have propagated the chives, mint and parsley or at least start then in small pots inside as borage suggested, but i'll give them another few weeks before I try plan B.

cheers again