helppppppp what now??

[lynda66]

ok i have lots (ok far too many) seedlings on my windowsills, the onions leeks and spring onions are fine, as are the tomatoes cucumbers and other stuff, well for now anyway

but i have a bit of a problem with peas and beans .... not that they are a problem .... oh i know what i mean lol

anyway, they are getting too big for their little round fibre pots, (i sowed 3-4 in each one) some of the beans are ok, but they are growing very fast, so what do i do with them now? (i only had a few peas last year sowed outside, and my beans didn't grow )

so do i
leave them a bit longer, even though they are about 6 inches tall and the roots are escaping

or should i put them all in a big square planter till it's ok for them to go out in the garden

should i put the polytunnel up and stick em in that, (can the leeks and onions go out in that too?) but i really can't be bothered

or should i do something else???

i'm very short of small pots (ie i have about 3 which are probably broken cos they've been outside since last year) so the only real option is a big square planter or a storage box with compost till they can go out in the ground

[lynda66]

oh, and has anyone ever grown proper plants from mung beans?? i'm running out of beansprout seeds, so planted some to hopefully grow new ones..... so far doing ok

[Capsid]

This is the problem with sowing early. If you can put the peas and beans outside in a cold frame or some sort of protection then this will slow their growth.

But I haven't sown anything yet and probably won't until the end of the month.

[womble]

The onions leeks and spring onions can go outside in a cold frame I should have thought. The peas may be ok to go in to a cold frame as well, I know some people are talking about sowing in there atm.

OK I know a load on here are doing an early tomato sowing test and I still have trouble seeing the point tbh. But beans, cucumbers, where did you think you were going to put them? They can't stand a frost and this seems way too early to have plants growing, waiting to go outside, they are going to be in a right old mess by the time the weather is good enough.

[Flummery]

I'm in agreement with Womble on this. Plants need to grow on steadily and if you give them a check in their growth they're never really the same. I'm for the Late Tomato Sowing thread (only there isn't one!)

[cupcake]

I must admit I'm with Flum on this one. I tend to leave sowing till at least the middle of March. The plants always catch up and it's far easier to keep them growing.

[zazen999]

Onions and leeks outside.

Beans and peas in big planter.

Just keep one or two strong toms and give them the space and light and attention






but Cucumbers????

[Alice]

Lynda, with beans late is good. As you've discovered they get very big very quickly and they can't go out til frost is passed. If you're determined to try and save them put them in the big pot if you can give them enough light. But honestly, I think you would be better to admit the mistake and sow some more at the beginning of May.
The onions and leeks should be fine outside if you give them some protection but do harden them off before just putting them out. I'm putting mine outside during the day and bringing them in at night.
As for the cucumber - it's liable to be very big before you can put it out.
Good luck.

[lynda66]

well i got kind of excited i only planted a few of each just to see what would happen (was bored) and i only planted 2 cucumbers, the plan was to transfer them and the tomatoes to the big pots and keep them under the grow light, the leeks and onions and tomatoes and cucumbers are fine, they are still only tiny, as are the other things, they can stay in the modules, till they need transplanting, was really just not expecting the peas and beans to grow quite so fast lol (last year the peas were weedy specimens that took ages and only produced a handful of peas) ....... think triffids .... everything else is only about an inch tall .... and everything looks healthy, so it'll be like ermmmm container gardening ..... but in my kitchen #

anyway when have i ever been conventional

[Snadger]

Lynda, your life seems to be one big drama!

.......But we luvs ya!

[lynda66]

oh it is .... and thats very reassuring snadger

[lynda66]

guess i might put the polytunnel up tomorrow when we've finished the chicken house

[Eyren]

I'm for the Late Tomato Sowing thread (only there isn't one!)

Maybe we should start one

My fancy new heated propagator arrived yesterday, so I'm having to exercise an iron will to resist setting it up right away. That's one advantage of using the moon-planting method - I have to wait to sow my tomatoes until the next "fruit" phase, which is March 4th-10th

[TonyF]

This is the problem with sowing early. If you can put the peas and beans outside in a cold frame or some sort of protection then this will slow their growth.

But I haven't sown anything yet and probably won't until the end of the month.

Me neither, not putting anything in pots or anywhere else until 1st full week in March. Although it's ok here weather wise, it's still cold at night and I don't want my little darlings put off growing, another couple of weeks should see things warming nicely.

[Alice]

Hope you get the chicken house up tomorrow Lynda and get those chooks out of your living room..