who's planning to start soon

[beginnergardener]

I have not started yet but cannot wait.

[Brengirl]

A rather silly question but one that bothers me every year. When using a heated propagator do you have to open the vents every day?

[jayjay giant]

I am trying to hold off as long as I can because once I start I won't stop !

[bramble]

Brengirl, I open the vents on mine every day because it is not thermostatically controlled. I make sure to close them at night though.
I think too much heat is as bad as being too cold. Its a hard one but I think we mostly just learn as we go.
Good luck with your sowing.

[nerdgas]

A rather silly question but one that bothers me every year. When using a heated propagator do you have to open the vents every day?

I would only open mine if I was keeping seedlings in there to help prevent damping off (but you might find the vents are not enough). I tend to move my seedlings out as soon as they come up as all my stuff is being started off indoors anyhoo.

If I'm trying to germinate seeds I would normally keep them closed to avoid any heat loss (although this would probably be minimal and I'm probably just being a bit anal!).

[binley100]

I have yellow and red onions in a unheated propagator on the kitchen window sill. The vents were closed till they started to germinate and now the vents are open cos apparantly they don't need so much humidity when germinated. I'll leave them a week and then take the covers off during the day and gradually harden them off before they are relegated to the green house to make room for more seed. (well thats the plan- lets see if it works)

[Flummery]

My onions have been through the compost for several days - and now the chillies are popping their heads up! (No propagator - just a poly bag and a windowsill - but I do bring them into the room at night - windowsills are CHILLY this time of year!)

[StephenH]

I sowed my onions (Ailsa Craig) in seed trays on Christmas day (which is the traditional time to do it for exhibitors, apparantly, not that I'm planning to exhibit, except on the photographic comp on here), and yesterday I pricked out the 45 strongest-looking seedlings into coir pots. My autumn-sown garlic (Marco) and Broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia) are coming on nicely. I won't be sowing or planting anything outside for a while yet, though.

[crazii_c]

i cant wait to start growing some veg. im frustrated though coz im still waiting for my seed potatoes to be delivered! i wanted to have them chitting now. I think next year i will just buy them from the garden centre instead. im sowing my broad beans tho inside this weekend

[Newbie]

I have had shallot sets in the veg bed since before xmas and garlic & onion sets in modules in the greenhouse planted at the same time too. Potatoes have been chitting on the spare room window sill for a week or two. Not sown any seeds yet - been meaning to sow leeks, onions, chilli, tomato, basil and so on but not got around to it yet.

[jemma_charlie]

Nothing I started in Jan/Feb survived last year so I have brought myself some seeds and done myself a colour coded spreadsheet instead :-)

[Rhona]

I keep meaning to get started! I've made some little paper modules for onions and leeks, sorted the seeds, got the compost inside...just need to clear a windowsill in the sunny utility room and put them all together!

Don't need to buy anything except shallots, but I expect I'll see other things that I really 'need.'

[Lazgaot]

While the lottie is frozen over I've started the following in modules in the bubble wrapped GH.

40 x Garlic cloves
40 x Red Onion Sets
20 x Shallots

I've also got two trays of leeks and Alisa Craig seedlings indoors on a cool but bright windowsil, most have come through now so they'll go out at the weekend for full light.

[Bren In Pots]

I made a start yesterday with Chillis, toms, peppers, and aubergines in my new propagator, then I've got some potatoes chitting upstairs they didn't have any shoots last time I looked.
Its the first time i've started this early so i hope its not a mistake.

[Bigmallly]

I have Parsnips - Hollow Crown & Gladiator, Cabbage, Aubergine, Mangetout, Nasturtiums & Marigolds in the 7 tray propergator. Just waiting for them to come through after the carry on with the label fairies so then I can see which is which.