Early sowing...

[jacob]

The new season has started. I've kicked off by sowing on New Year's Day a dozen types of chilis, a couple of types of pepper, some aubergines and (experimentally) some tomatoes...

[rustylady]

Goodness me Jacob, you're early with the exotics this year. Hope they do well for you.

[Shadylane]

It's started.....
I've been slack for the last month, done hardly owt, but I'm going to start some sowings tomorrow I think. Might sow some scotch bonnets as they were so slow last year. Maybe some spring cabbage cos I didn't get around to it AGAIN last summer. Broadies maybe? Oooh and deffo some onions. Lots of onions. The leeks can wait though. Our neighbours didn't get around to doing theirs til May last year and they look fine, not bolted like ours did in the drought. I'm going to try sowing some tommies outside in the placcie as well and just leave them there and see what happens.

[debbiedigger]

have you got a heated greenhouse that your using? I'm in the Midlands and only have cloches and a cold greenhouse. I'm new to veggie growing and the info on the seed packets says not to sow yet ?
I'm itching to get sowing already...

[solway cropper]

It's going to be a few weeks yet before I get going with anything. Will probably start with some peppers in the heated propagator but I don't normally sow much before February having learnt in the past that there's no advantage and I end up losing a lot of stuff.

Now, if I lived in Cornwall I'd be chucking seed all over the place.

my blog:
the recycled gardener

[binley100]

have you got a heated greenhouse that your using? I'm in the Midlands and only have cloches and a cold greenhouse. I'm new to veggie growing and the info on the seed packets says not to sow yet ?
I'm itching to get sowing already...

I've got a few bits and bobs sown ....have an airing cupboard and a kitchen windowsill .some things can be started off now if you have somewhere warm with plenty of light

[Potstubsdustbins]

I hate waste, don't have a heated propagator or a good light source therefore no planting just yet.

I'll catch you up later.

Colin

[chris]

have you got a heated greenhouse that your using? I'm in the Midlands and only have cloches and a cold greenhouse. I'm new to veggie growing and the info on the seed packets says not to sow yet ?
I'm itching to get sowing already...

As binley says... but to add, a few of us here start off a small selection of crops that can be sown early. The issue is, at this time of the year the light levels are low, so the plants will become 'leggy' - long, thin and weak. Some plants, such as tomatoes can be buried deeper each time they're potted on as they'll readily root from the stem (which will provide extra stability to the plant when mature..etc).

If you want to get sowing, chuck some tomatoes in (via the use of a heated propagator, or in the airing cupboard if you have one - just check on it daily and remove once germinated as they'll need light then) , but just be prepared for a few failures along the way

The ideal temp once they have germinated, I *believe* (someone correct me if I'm wrong) is 10C and above for growth - if it drops below this during the night (or day ) then the plants can sulk and be put back a bit. That said, zazen999 here slings hers out into a cold GH once they're established I think, covered in horticultural fleece.

There is plenty of time to re-sow early (again in Jan, Feb) - or when the packets will say is the "proper" sowing time.

Welcome to the forum

[Chef_uk]

I started last year on Jan 30th with 12 Broadbean seeds. Not growing them this year but am growing peas and as this years winter is the complete opposite of last year i'll not be waiting until the end of this months to start sowing so will be starting them real soon, maybe the end of the week. Will also start a few toms and peppers off as well.

The warmth to get them to germinate will come from the airing cupboard with the pots wrapped in clingfilm so to act as a propagator.

Then once sprouted they will sit on all of our windowsills in the house facing South. To help keep them growing straight up i will rotate them 180 degrees daily.

for the ones in the kitchen i shall build another deflector for this year so the plants think there is sunlight from both directions thus forcing them to grow upright.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Already started off a few toms and today I'll sow some Curry Pepper seeds but I'm not brave enough to sow aubergines (I've still to decide if I'm going to grow them)

[DGoulston]

Planted 3 shallot bulbs in the spare room windowsill as I read you can plant them on the shortest day of the year. the strange thing is I also read that they should lay dormant for 1 month, but one of them has already start to sprout lol... should be interesting.

Never grown them before..

Going to start planting some of my chilli seeds soon and maybe my tom's,
Could put them in the Airing Cupboard if needs be, got a massive one!


Darren

[Paulieb]

I'd say for me that its quite experimental but yesterday I sowed some Aubergines (Calliope & Black beauty), Lemon grass, a few onion seeds (Paris white and Rouge de Long) and a few leek (Blue de Soleil), in a heated propagator that'll sit in the windowsill of my south facing porch.

According to lots of varying literature I've read they should be fine but I'm prepared to molly coddle them, and also for them to fail. But hey, they've got 2 choices!!

[Shadylane]

have you got a heated greenhouse that your using? I'm in the Midlands and only have cloches and a cold greenhouse. I'm new to veggie growing and the info on the seed packets says not to sow yet ?
I'm itching to get sowing already...

I never use heat in the 'greenhouse'. Waste o money. I'll be germinating them in the airing cupboard but will try some outside too just to see if they end up being tougher and if they'll survive. I know they'll germinate out there cos I found a bunch of seedlings that had sprouted from a tomato that had dropped into a pot that I hadn't bothered to clear up. This was very early in the year.

Our bathroom seems to get lots of sunlight so I don't have major problems with legginess but you just have to try these things and see. As for things catching up, well I think that's debatable. We had our first ripe one in May last year. Admittedly it was just one and the others took a while longer. It's more for the laugh than anything else. Best bet is to stagger. Try some now, some in Feb and some March and compare and contrast. Or like me forget to label which was planted when and then vow to label properly next year knowing full well that you won't.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Have chillies and toms sat in warm places. Had to move them as they were a bit cold.Chillies are only just starting to warm up. Will be sowing aubs (for the anologue study)at some point this month, contingent in space available. If the tomatoes do germinate and get a couple of inches high, they will go into the Wendy house or the mini four tier. Chillies need time, so that's a wait and see jobby. Perhaps some other bits and pieces too.

[Leeds_lad]

Did my cauliflowers, onions and leeks yesterday! Spring approaches! =D