Sowing to early

[johnygreenfeet]

don't sow to early if you have to give heat to your seeds i think your missing the point you just as well go and buy your veg no one at all can call them self Eco friendly buy using heat in February don't try to grow stuff in Feb that is not to be sown until April
what do u think

[davefromthechipie]

don't sow to early if you have to give heat to your seeds i think your missing the point you just as well go and buy your veg no one at all can call them self Eco friendly buy using heat in February don't try to grow stuff in Feb that is not to be sown until April
what do u think

I beleave seasons are a thing of the past here in the uk. Iv had..past 3 years. trees/flowers blossom in december/jan and still living yet still I tend to grow 1 month before recommended sow dates on veg outside , as light hours is still an issue
Hasnt always worked out but its worth a gamble most of the time

As for trying to be eco , there is lots or ways you can use heat mats /lights without taking from the grid loads of DIY plans on the net , wind sun water earth just for a start . You could also tap into your house heating .

[jeannine]

The amount of electricity used by a windowsill heated propagator is tiny, and if that means you get crops a month earlier and you don't buy stuff flown in from abroad, then it's well worth the gamble of sowing a few seeds a little early.

[jeannine]

Also lots of seeds (such as peppers, aubergines, tomatoes) all need heat to germinate and should be sown early to get good crops, so you may as well use the space in your propagator to try a few other crops early.

It's certainly greener to grow your own ratatouille than to import it!

[bluemoon]

I always sow as late as possible, but there are a couple of things which I do start in February, the main one being peppers, the growing season simply isn't long enough for these to produce lots mature fruits if you don't. Don't forget though that it isn't just a case of how much heat seedlings have, but also how much light, so those started in the early part of the year often don't do any better than ones started later, simply because growth is stunted due to low light levels and that, generally, is why I leave it until later.

[gojiberry]

In the past I have never really had the time to do much planning or early sowing due to work commitments. However I am now semi retired and this year has seen a big difference in my gardening. I am usually the last to plant everything and the usual reminder to sow something was when someone else was harvesting. This year I have peas a good 2" high and carrots already germinated on the lottie (started in pots). The greenhouse is full of stuff germinating, although very little tender stuff yet. Ive never been so far advanced at this time of the year.

[Flummery]

I would also only sow peppers etc in Feb but I don't use heat - I use my kitchen windowsill and a small poly sandwich bag over the pot. When the time comes to prick out I transfer them to the dining table overnight and the unheated greenhouse in the day. I don't use heat preferring to grow the plants as naturally as I can. Anything I can't grow without heat ... well, I just don't grow. I still get a huge variety of veg - trouble fitting it all into the garden and greenhouse to be honest!

[Janco]

I have a thermostatically heated bench in my greenhouse and do grow things early with gentle heat (cables 120 watts). I am very happy to do so as we generate our own electricity using a grid connected wind turbine

[jacob marley]

I work on day light and so do the plants and if sown to soon the plants are always looking for light and grow spindley and tall .
If you delay sowing so as the seedlings are looking for light after the 20 of march which the equinox the first day of spring each day it stays lighter about 5 mins longer thus giving the plants what they want .
I know it is nice to win with a early crop but we are only kidding our selves the crops are always better sown or planted later nature always catches up jacob

[Norm]

At the moment, my greenhouse is empty except for the grape vine. Tomottow, I start the toms and peppers and put the parafin heaters on. At the equinox, I'll start everything else in the greenhouse to be planted out in May. Before then, the soil is too cold

[johnygreenfeet]

jacob
i think you are right
veg like onions and carrots leeks ect i think its ok to sow now but in one thread i read some one has sown sweetcorn and you would not dare plant them out untill may and its still feb and snow is on the way

[BarleySugar]

I was given one of those small heated propagators for Christmas, I usually start stuff off on the kitchen windowsill, then put them on the bedroom windowsill to grow on, where it is cooler, but good light. I put some thyme seeds in on Saturday, the packet said to expect them to take 2 -3 weeks to come through, so I put celeriac in the same tray. I went out to check today, the thyme is already through no sign of celeriac though. I don't heat the greenhouse usually, even though my brother (qualified electrician) did put the electric in for me in case I wanted to.