The first seeds you sow

[Alice Johnson]

Hi everyone, we are looking for some top tips for our January issue and would love to know what the first veg seeds you sow each year are and when you sow them.

[rary]

My fist sowing of seeds will be mid January when I sow onions, and normally that's it, but this year I have, for the first time, had red peppers, which I think is due to a longer growing period, so I will be sowing peppers at the same time, as it is easier to keep small plants warm than large ones, but that's it till the end of February when I will sow cabbages possibly sow some beetroot and carrot for transplanting later on but that depends on the weather if it is too cold I won't bother

[toomanytommytoes]

Chillies and sweet peppers at the start of February, indoors in a heated propagator. Mid-February, carrots under a polytunnel and fleece outside if the weather is good enough and rapini (broccoli raab) in modules in the greenhouse.

[Penellype]

Tomatoes (Balconi and Shirley) for growing on the windowsills are usually the first to go in. I may sow peas for pea shoots and some microgreens or lettuce as well - all of these are to be grown in the house.

[veggiechicken]

By January, I'll be half way though my trial to see whether seeds germinate at the same time, regardless of when they are sown. I'm sowing 5 seeds every week for 6 months - cucumber, courgette, tomato, climbing French Bean and Mangetout. Most people think I'm nuts .

[burnie]

Onion seeds on or as close as I can get to Boxing Day in a heated propagator, followed by chillies once the onions have hit the "loop" stage, usually in early February. Tomatoes follow on usually in early March, all inside in the propagator in our conservatory.

[Thelma Sanders]

Onion seeds I sow indoors at the beginning of Jan, then in Feb it's pointy red peppers, a couple of chillis, and a couple of early bush tomatoes that stay small enough for windowledge until they can go out into the greenhouse. Main crop tomatoes I don't sow until March.

I plant Winterkefe mangetout direct in the greenhouse in Feb.

[Lumpy]

Radish as they are tough mothers.
Toms in Feb as they sent so tough but live on the window ledge.
Anything else I think might just survive in the Jan/Feb temps

[Chestnut]

I won’t actually sow much in January, maybe some cress on the windowsill and a couple of seedtrays of winter lettuce in the greenhouse for salad leaves.
However, I will be busy making lots of newspaper pots ready for the main sowing season. I reckon I’ll use over 800 seedling sized ones and about 200 larger ones, so I will be glad of some good tv/radio over the Christmas season whilst I’m making them!

[Bumblingbroccoli]

I tend to get far too excited about it being a new year! So I sow tomatoes, order potatoes for chitting far too early. Then I sow some cut and come again lettuce and may be melon and chilli seeds and hope for the best. All this indoors of course, crossing my fingers that by the time they outgrow the windowsill it's warm enough to transfer seeds to the unheated greenhouse...

[bramble]

Chilli peppers will be sown in early January.
At the end of January I will sow my tomatoes.
I started them really early this year and had a great crop right through the summer.
Just cut them today as they had finished.
I my opinion it was well worth starting them esrly.
All in a heated propagstor of course.

[cariann88]

I am excited that it's growing season again so I sow my tomatoes, peppers and chillies begin of January.

[Mitzi]

Chillies - chinense and pubescens late Dec or early Jan. Baccatums later in Jan. Annuums in Feb.

[Chestnut]

Another idea for you. What about a feature on hotbed growing?
I have never done it, but I’m sure you’ll find some more experienced growers here who have. If January is too early, then maybe it could be the woodwork project of the month, and sowing stuff in it could go in the February edition?