Seed sowing thread 2022

[Gearoid]

I sowed some basil varieties:
Genovese basil Lemon basil
Dark Opal

[Holly Daze]

Today I sowed Sungold, Super Marmande and Gardener’s Delight tomatoes.

[peanut]

I sowed 4 Black Beauty Aubergines last week which came up on Monday or Tuesday, didn't check on them till Wednesday, now I just have to try and keep them alive and with enough light...this could be tricky!

[lottie dolly]

i sowed a few a few bits 6 days ago,to see what happens,3 types

winter imperial,marvel of 4 seasons,ATY round,result they are showing
cue beth alpha,courgette black beauty,,nothing yet
and toms from saved seed
san marzano,tigerella,sungold,marmande,kalidoscope jewel,
nothing yet,i want my propergator found,

[Mr Bones]

Sowed ten of each (all peppers)
Palermo - Jalapeno - Hot Wax - Friggitello

[Jungle Jane]

i sowed a few a few bits 6 days ago,to see what happens,3 types

winter imperial,marvel of 4 seasons,ATY round,result they are showing
cue beth alpha,courgette black beauty,,nothing yet
and toms from saved seed
san marzano,tigerella,sungold,marmande,kalidoscope jewel,
nothing yet,i want my propergator found,

Lottie cover the pot/tray with a little clear bag for a DIY propagator or a bit of clingfilm That’s a nice lot of seeds sowed!

[lottie dolly]

they now in the propagator thank you Jane
tomorrow will be peppers/chillies
long red Marconi,sweetpepper
chilli Anaheim
chilli Tabasco ,these are out of date sow by 2019,but will try,if no good,will get more,and sow,as i want plenty for sauce making
Now in the prop,and toms are just starting to show,amazing what the right conditions can do.

[Jungle Jane]

I just sowed sweet peppers Long Red Marconi,Astor F1 & Beauty Bell F1. Also sowed about twenty spring onion seeds into two pots.

[quanglewangle]

I sowed 4 Black Beauty Aubergines last week which came up on Monday or Tuesday, didn't check on them till Wednesday, now I just have to try and keep them alive and with enough light...this could be tricky!

We've grown aubergines successfully every season since we got the greenhouse (four years?). I am convinced that light level is the key. Obviously temperature mustn't get too low but do whatever you can to keep the brightness up: reflective foil, trim shading hedges, even clean the glass...

[Holly Daze]

One of my sungolds has popped through after 4 days in propagator

[peanut]

We've grown aubergines successfully every season since we got the greenhouse (four years?). I am convinced that light level is the key. Obviously temperature mustn't get too low but do whatever you can to keep the brightness up: reflective foil, trim shading hedges, even clean the glass...

Thank you for the tips about lighting. What would you suggest the minimum temperature should be? My greenhouse is unheated, but I was thinking I could put them in plastic bottle cloches and wrap with some bubble wrap to up the temp a little.

[quanglewangle]

Looks like you are in East Anglia peanut . We used to live there: where the Russians send the weather they don't want.

Aubergines in an unheated greenhouse will be a challenge this early in the year. A dull day followed by a still clear night will lead to very low temperatures however much you insulate.

We don't routinely heat the air in our greenhouse - but for emergencies there is a tiny 200W heater that comes on if air temperature goes below 4°C. Only been on three times this year.

What we do is to heat a big sand tray propagator and the greenhouse beds with buried heat cable. Under 100W together and they go off in sunny weather.

For what its worth here are the daily minimum temperatures in greenhouse since we sowed our aubergines.

+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
| Date min(air) min(compost)
+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
| 2022-01-04 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022-01-05 | 1.62 | 2.812 |
| 2022-01-06 | 1.37 | 5 |
| 2022-01-07 | 4.22 | 6.812 |
| 2022-01-08 | 6.39 | 7.875 |
| 2022-01-09 | 6.21 | 7.437 |
| 2022-01-10 | 9.8 | 15.937 |
| 2022-01-11 | 6.62 | 13.312 |
| 2022-01-12 | 3.43 | 7.125 |
| 2022-01-13 | 2.55 | 10.937 |
| 2022-01-14 | 2.79 | 11 |
| 2022-01-15 | 3.15 | 11.812 |
| 2022-01-16 | 4.87 | 12.562 |
| 2022-01-17 | 1.81 | 9.687 |
| 2022-01-18 | 4.24 | 8.812 |
| 2022-01-19 | 5.69 | 13.5 |
| 2022-01-20 | 4.83 | 13.625 |
| 2022-01-21 | -0.11 | 9.937 |
| 2022-01-22 | 5.88 | 7.125 |
| 2022-01-23 | 1.33 | 10.687 |
| 2022-01-24 | 5.94 | 12.187 |
| 2022-01-25 | 4.73 | 12.062 |
| 2022-01-26 | 3.28 | 12.25 |
| 2022-01-27 | 6.54 | 13.25 |
| 2022-01-28 | 5.28 | 10.812 |
| 2022-01-29 | 7.35 | 12.75 |
| 2022-01-30 | 4.5 | 10 |
| 2022-01-31 | 7.1 | 12.75 |
| 2022-02-01 | 8.84 | 14.062 |
| 2022-02-02 | 7.95 | 13.375 |
| 2022-02-03 | 7.51 | 12.75 |
| 2022-02-04 | 6.8 | 12.062 |
| 2022-02-05 | 7.17 | 11.812 |
| 2022-02-06 | 10.11| 14.187 |
+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
34 rows in set (0.66 sec)

[peanut]

Looks like you are in East Anglia peanut . We used to live there: where the Russians send the weather they don't want.

Aubergines in an unheated greenhouse will be a challenge this early in the year. A dull day followed by a still clear night will lead to very low temperatures however much you insulate.

We don't routinely heat the air in our greenhouse - but for emergencies there is a tiny 200W heater that comes on if air temperature goes below 4°C. Only been on three times this year.

What we do is to heat a big sand tray propagator and the greenhouse beds with buried heat cable. Under 100W together and they go off in sunny weather.

For what its worth here are the daily minimum temperatures in greenhouse since we sowed our aubergines.

+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
| Date min(air) min(compost)
+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
| 2022-01-04 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022-01-05 | 1.62 | 2.812 |
| 2022-01-06 | 1.37 | 5 |
| 2022-01-07 | 4.22 | 6.812 |
| 2022-01-08 | 6.39 | 7.875 |
| 2022-01-09 | 6.21 | 7.437 |
| 2022-01-10 | 9.8 | 15.937 |
| 2022-01-11 | 6.62 | 13.312 |
| 2022-01-12 | 3.43 | 7.125 |
| 2022-01-13 | 2.55 | 10.937 |
| 2022-01-14 | 2.79 | 11 |
| 2022-01-15 | 3.15 | 11.812 |
| 2022-01-16 | 4.87 | 12.562 |
| 2022-01-17 | 1.81 | 9.687 |
| 2022-01-18 | 4.24 | 8.812 |
| 2022-01-19 | 5.69 | 13.5 |
| 2022-01-20 | 4.83 | 13.625 |
| 2022-01-21 | -0.11 | 9.937 |
| 2022-01-22 | 5.88 | 7.125 |
| 2022-01-23 | 1.33 | 10.687 |
| 2022-01-24 | 5.94 | 12.187 |
| 2022-01-25 | 4.73 | 12.062 |
| 2022-01-26 | 3.28 | 12.25 |
| 2022-01-27 | 6.54 | 13.25 |
| 2022-01-28 | 5.28 | 10.812 |
| 2022-01-29 | 7.35 | 12.75 |
| 2022-01-30 | 4.5 | 10 |
| 2022-01-31 | 7.1 | 12.75 |
| 2022-02-01 | 8.84 | 14.062 |
| 2022-02-02 | 7.95 | 13.375 |
| 2022-02-03 | 7.51 | 12.75 |
| 2022-02-04 | 6.8 | 12.062 |
| 2022-02-05 | 7.17 | 11.812 |
| 2022-02-06 | 10.11| 14.187 |
+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
34 rows in set (0.66 sec)

Thank you QW, that temp chart is really useful, I have a thermometer in the greenhouse with display indoors so I reckon it would be worth taking them in and out according to temps just so they get the extra light. I'll pop them in a plastic bottle cloche with extra bubblewrap and keep and eye on temps, they're already a bit leggy so I think it's worth doing.

[quanglewangle]

Thank you QW, that temp chart is really useful, I have a thermometer in the greenhouse with display indoors so I reckon it would be worth taking them in and out according to temps just so they get the extra light. I'll pop them in a plastic bottle cloche with extra bubblewrap and keep and eye on temps, they're already a bit leggy so I think it's worth doing.

Good luck peanut ! I think our temperatures are about the minimum. Yours will go really well once you get into the dry hot East Anglia summer. Given their ancestry in South Asia it can't be too hot or too sunny for aubergines.

[brrttpaul]

I got 5 chillie plants (kashmiri) planted on the 2nd of jan, 5 lettuce plants , a dozen onions (bedfordshire) all on a heat mat on a TV dinner table by the side of my computer and one of those lights full spectrum , they are all doing well but really need to pot on the chillies