When to start my Peppers and Tomatoes!?

[keepitgreen]

Does anyone know the earliest times i can start these off?
This will be my third year in my Veg Garden and i am still learning a lot. I was quite upset last summer that my 26 chillis plants died in the rain and my tomatoes got BLIGHT! (although i saved one chilli plant by bringing it in and it is still flowering now and growing chillis)

I was thinking of starting some plants off inside by the warmth of my radiators and the light from my patio doors mid January. Then moving them to sunny spots (if we get any) on my window ledges and then finally into the green house early March time.

I am hoping this will give me the best chance of having some nice big plants ready to go into the ground as soon as weather permits.

Can i start plants off this early??

[bobleponge]

Etoliation is your enemy!
I only know this word from reading it on another thread.
There is a thread somewhere recently about planting toms just after xmas. I think Zazen (the moon goddess of the vine) is going to post a sticky and we shall all plant our toms around the 27th of December, and report progress.
On a personal note, I sowed my toms on boxing day last year and the majority of them survived and fruited. They were started off indoors and then moved to the greenhouse once the sun reappeared.
I started my peppers a bit later, normally March time indoors and then out to the greenhouse once they start to look ok.

[Flummery]

I sow mine in March. Mid Feb at the earliest for some of the chilies. It depends on whether you are prepared to heat your greenhouse. The light levels are low even so - shorter day length - and even a sunny windowsill isn't as light as you think. You cold always test with a light meter. You are likely to get leggy weak plants. I prefer shorter, sturdier ones and don't heat my greenhouse so I sow later and put out later. They catch up. I still think the flavour is better from a tom that has grown without check and ripened naturally in the summer warmth - but then I'm just an old romantic!

[Two_Sheds]

I was thinking of starting some plants off inside by the warmth of my radiators and the light from my patio doors mid January. Then moving them to sunny spots (if we get any) on my window ledges

Hi!
that's just not light enough, sorry.
You may well get germination, and some seedlings, but they will grow weak and floppy and useless without enough light.
Hold your horses and wait till winter's nearly out.
you'll know when it's time to plant, because there'll be 50 posts a day on here about chillies

[zazen999]

LOL at Bob.

Yup, we are trying a little experiment - but in the main most people will be sowing their toms late feb/march/april. They DO catch up - but I got red toms last year by sowing on 8th jan for a 8th June harvest...so I'm trying some early toms that don't mind the cold so much [the Russian Varieties].

You're welcome to join in, but don't me responsible for any failures!

[HayleyB]

I am itching to plant, I'm gonna seriously get to grips with chillies, unusual toms and so on to sell alongside the eggs. I'm hoping to sell varieties you can't get at supermarkets just to earn some much needed dosh. I'm even considering kicking the horses off one of the paddocks

[zazen999]

I am itching to plant, I'm gonna seriously get to grips with chillies, unusual toms and so on to sell alongside the eggs. I'm hoping to sell varieties you can't get at supermarkets just to earn some much needed dosh. I'm even considering kicking the horses off one of the paddocks

So am I chuck. I usually move stuff about during the winter to curb the itch - such as random garlics and onions...you can sow hardy winter lettuces, esp the oriental ones - now - they won't do much but at least you'll be sowing something!

I sowed some peas as well last week, for a pea top pot...there was a photo on here a few weeks ago. Harvest the pea tops and chuck in with rice...it is keeping me on the straight and narrow until the 27th when the toms go in.

[Alison]

I planted a few early chillies and peppers last year in early Jan and they did produce a good early crop but only bother with the varieties that need a long season. In my oppinion it's not worth it much in this country as we don't have the climate and I don't consider it cost effective (or good for the environment) to heat a greenhouse or use grow lights for a week or two early. Sow a few if you have space on the window ledge but be prepared to cosset them.

[maytreefrannie]

I've got my one pepper plant near the kitchen window for the Winter - I think I read on one thread that it will/might start up again in Sping.

I'm keeping it as warm as I can and hoping for the best.

[BrideXIII]

I have at present on the kitchen windowsill.
basil seedlings
mustard red frill seedlings
rocket seedlings
beetroot seedlings
peas
PBS
all for eating as sprouts, keeps my growing itch occupied.
alongside this are 6 broad beans growing nicely ready to go out for hardening off in a week or so, I already have some in the ground, but needed some more.
oh, and two chillie plants flowering as per other thread.

I sow my chillies and peppers end of january, those i dont overwinter anyway, and they stay indoors until they are hardy enough to go outside.Bloomin things have thrived on neglect this year, i have had the best crop ever from plants that got forgotten, slug eaten, moved, sprayed with soap, potbound and generally deprived.

usually i can kill anything.

[BarleySugar]

The last couple of years I have sown some tomato plants in mid-Jan, and grown them on using my bedroom window sill. They get planted into larger pots and into an unheated greenhouse around mid-April, but I only have a few, and still move them in for the night if it forecasts a cold snap. Last year was not as early as the year before, but still picking tomatoes by the end of June. Chillies and peppers went in the same time. The chillies did well, but I just don't have much luck with peppers since moving here.

[sewer rat]

I will be sowing my chillies in Mid February, into 54 cell packs on one of the kitchen windowsills, as a lot of chillies take quite a while to germinate and we have a shorter growing season up here, so the need to get a flier counts !
I did this two years ago with great success and had a huge harvest - still have about 7kg of chillies in the freezer.
One other seed that I will be sowing early is celeriac, as it seems to take forever to get from sowing to planting out stage.
Everything else will be sown from late March to end of April, either in cell packs, 3" pots or direct sown.

[Flummery]

The last couple of years I have sown some tomato plants in mid-Jan, and grown them on using my bedroom window sill. They get planted into larger pots and into an unheated greenhouse around mid-April.

But you are in Kent - it makes a HUGE difference where you are.

[Duronal]

i still have a pepper plant that's hanging on for dear life in a plastic unheated green house. It even still has a pepper on...... i thought i'd see how long it lasted.....i may repot it.......just for fun

[coreopsis]

I will be sowing my chillies in Mid February, into 54 cell packs on one of the kitchen windowsills, as a lot of chillies take quite a while to germinate and we have a shorter growing season up here, so the need to get a flier counts !
I did this two years ago with great success and had a huge harvest - still have about 7kg of chillies in the freezer.
One other seed that I will be sowing early is celeriac, as it seems to take forever to get from sowing to planting out stage.
Everything else will be sown from late March to end of April, either in cell packs, 3" pots or direct sown.

Rat,I'll be following you closely as you're the nearest when it comes to climate.
When do you want to sow celeriac?I tried to grow it along with beetroots and never had any success.
I thought about planting toms in March(windowsill)