I just planted my carrots...

[Gryfon]

...and beetroot and leeks...in trays After last year putting them in whole trays and then realising that I shouldn't...and they still grew fine after transplanting, but now they're in indiviual little trays which I can't think of what it's called! The main reason I've put them in that is that I'm still waiting for some ground for my raised bed!!! So have to start them somewhere

[Doggler]

Ooh, I've just got some seeds and am sowing in little jiffy pots tomorrow. I'm not too late am I?

[WiZeR]

I'm super late with my carrots, you can plant them succesionally all through the season, so it is certainly not late. It might be too late for parsnipsm but im going to give it go anyway. Heck i'm still planting tomato seeds

[JennieAtkinson]

Gryfon - what sort of trays have you used? I planted my leeks in a tray last year and they went quite leggy with very little roots. I think I need something deeper. Any ideas? Modules?

[Gryfon]

That's the one...modules! That's what I've used this time.

Last year I started them in normal inch high trays, but then transplanted them into bigger pots when they were about 2 or 3 inches high.

Oh and I plan to sow some more in a weekand then the week after that or so so I end up with some every week Children love them!

[bramble]

Jenny, never grew leeks but decided to give them a try this year. I put them in riit trainers. Don't know if they will be a success buit am keeping my fingers crossed. Let me know how you get on with yours.

[Don Vincenzo]

I just planted my carrots....

For years I have been growing beetroots in modules one inch high with very good success and then transplanting them without thinning. The result - two to four beetroots in each spot. For leeks I use 4 inches high trays and transplant them in early July. Thinking about I grow almost everything in modules or trays including sweedes but never tried with carrots or parsnips, has anyone tried? if so please let me know your result. I find that the advantage in growing veg. in moudules is that the ground can be cleared of weeds before hand and eliminates the need of thinning.
Don Vincenzo

[Gryfon]

Carrots I did in trays last year and then transplanted them to pots...didn't realised that you shouldn't plant them in compost so they ended up forked (in a pretty twisty sort of way) but the children still picked, washed and ate them

Just have to remember this year to bank the ground up around the leeks, forgot last year and wondered why I only had an inch or so of white

[Lesley Jay]

Gryfon how deep did you plant your leeks?

[Gryfon]

Not very! Live and learn though

[Lesley Jay]

When you plant your leeks make a 6 inch deep hole and drop the leek in. Fill the hole up with water and gradually over time the hole fills up with soil. This way you should get more than an inch of white and I never get any grit in my leeks.

[Janette]

I live in Hampshire and it is blazing hot here but not sure if it is safe to put the runner beans out yet. They are taking over the greenhouse and looking really limp?

Anybody from this part of the country?

Janette

[lyndap]

I don't plant my beans outside until end of may, but I live near the midlands. Any earlier and we have had frost.Am I to late to sow'King Richard' leeks? I don't know how I missed them on my 'to do' list last month!!!

[Squirrel]

I came out the house yesterday to discover that the tray of leeks that were growing away quite nicely, had been bent in half and deposited on the floor! Am I too late to start more? Don't know if it was the cats or the dog to blame but I am not impressed!

[gcroft]

parsnips

For years I have been growing beetroots in modules one inch high with very good success and then transplanting them without thinning. The result - two to four beetroots in each spot. For leeks I use 4 inches high trays and transplant them in early July. Thinking about I grow almost everything in modules or trays including sweedes but never tried with carrots or parsnips, has anyone tried? if so please let me know your result. I find that the advantage in growing veg. in moudules is that the ground can be cleared of weeds before hand and eliminates the need of thinning.
Don Vincenzo

i always start my parsnips in peat pots so i cant see modules being a problem just get them as tall as you can, i do get forking with pots occasionally but with the peat pots i remove the base carfeully trying not to damage the main tap root.. this year im growing pop bottle parsnips which seem to be working well