How do you raise your plants?

[Finedon.Dandy]

Sorry to be harping on again about "my" way to get sweetcorn going but its not failed me after I started doing it this way after the seeds either always rotted off or failed to germinate in the past. I roll the seeds into a roll of kitchen roll, at least halfway up. I then put the whole roll into a glass, water, drain and then ensure the bottom section of the kitchen roll is touching a resevoir of water, so they get what they need without being submerged. You can see when they have sprouted a good long root and shoot and then pot them up. The roots n shoots are quite tough for sweetcorn so seem to take the rather harsh sudden transplant well. I get at least 90% germination and 95 transplant success everytime

[salilah]

Pretty nearly everything is started under cover - so many benefits (early start, protected, avoid being munched by slugs, avoid being sat on by cats, can apply warmth easily)!
Also agree with other posters - this way, you can have the outside beds productive longer - why waste time with seedlings in a bed, when they can be in a module in the greenhouse or cold frame waiting for their chance?

[weekendwellies]

I do a combination, some get chitted in the airing cupboard (or fridge depending on needs), some get started on a sheet of kitchen roll then moved to pots in growhouse, some get sown in trays and put straight into growhouse out back to be put on plot when big enough, carrots get sown under cloches or net on plot, to protect from cats and because they don't handle being moved very well. Now and again, when seeds have failed for one reason or another, I get some plug plants from GC. And sometimes I just get the plugs because I see them, usually on offer, and buy them. So I voted other.

[adamhartree]

I start all my tomatoes, aubergines, chillies & peppers in a heated propergater but as soon as they germinate they get put into my grow tent under a 125w cfl light. Not only does this bring on healthy plants it also allows me to start off earlier for a longer season. Once all frost has passed they will then go into the pollytunnel and fed via a dripper system.

[perkin]

Most things are started out undercover - either in the house at this early part of the season or in an unheated greenhouse later on. Right now, toms, chillies and peppers are in modules in cheapo plastic propagators on the kitchen floor (underfloor heating) and they'll be moved once they germinate into spare rooms and surrounded by foil-covered boards to maximise the light.

[Alison]

Can't really chose one option as it totally depends on what I'm growing. Things that need a long season such as chillies and peppers are started off one seed per small newspaper pot in a heated proporgator in January. The whole pot is then transplanted into a 3" pot and onwards until they are planted out in the polytunnel / greenhouse in late May. Some are also kept for window ledge use. Early peas and mange tout are started without heat in a cool conservatory in guttering and put in the cold greenhouse to grow on before being planted out in the polytunnel, slightly later ones are planted out and the latest sowings are direct. Brassicas (with the exception of turnips, radish and swede) are sown in strips on some outdoor staging, transplanted into 3" pots when ready and then out on the plot later. Tomatoes germinated without heat inside but otherwise treated in the same way as the chillies. Carrots, parsnips, radish, swede, beetroot and turnps are all sown direct (life is too short to waste time on them and they do fine like that) and salad stuffs sown in module for later planting out. Basically it depends on the time of year and the type of thing I'm growing.

[shona_b]

A real mixture. Somethings go straight into the ground (beans, peas etc) and any "holes" in a row are replenished which gives a small advantage of meanign the growth is staggered so not all beans are ready at once. Other items are planted into small pots and germinate in the lounge bay window as its the only way of ensuring a decent temperature. I would like to say I carefully harden them off but most of the time they get a rude awakening by being transplanted directly onto the plot but with a plastic cloche for initial protection.

[Spunky]

My plan is to go from heated propagator under fluresants into cold frame April, then out mid April
I started some toms off in late December 2 have got a truss I think you have to be a bit careful with artificial light there only 10-12" tall it doesn't seem normal

[cyllo]

I start almost everything in small pots indoor. Some big seeds in damp tissue and sealed in plastic bags, when the seedlings appear, transplant them to pots.

Window sill space is not enough apparently, so some are moved out to the plastic green house in March. Transplant everything when weather is warm. I take off the green house cover in summer.

[wyken]

I have two unheated greenhouses which are clad with twin wall poloycarbonate sheeting. I know that not all gardeners approve. All I can say is that in twelve years I have lost only ten overwintered pelargoniums and fuchsias and I'm including this year ( so far! ) Tomatoes, peppers very successful. Aubergines, I'm still learning but improving.

I start seed in a heated propogator and pot on twice before transferring to greenhouse. The propgators are the two seed tray size only so have to time carefully to get everything in. These are sited in a lean to lobby with transparent roof so can be easily supervised.

[SarrissUK]

I sow everything in modules that don't mind growing that way on window sills and on a cheap bookshelf inside my French doors in the kitchen. I don't have a heated propagator, and tbh I don't need one - I sow a little and often, so the time saver from a propagator doesn't really benefit me much.
I would sow more insitu on the allotment if I could go up there more often to look after the little blighters, but since I only tend to go up there once a week, it's so much easier to sow in modules, then bring the plug plants up to the lotty for planting out.
I have a blowaway greenhouse to put up, and I have a feeling I'll need to buy more cheap bookshelves to house all the plug plants!

[JamesM]

I started a few bits of in a propagators yesterday. As i only have pots i tend to sow as much as possible in modules before transplanting the stronger stuff outside when conditions are suitable as it gives me more control over how much i have and i don't want gaps. This year i have a small heated prop so i'll be prioritising into that this year!

Exception this this rule are carrots and spring onions which are hardy enough and reliable from my experience.

[GardenFaery]

A little bit of everything really? At times, I'm such an impatient gardener, while at others I can 'forget' about plantings for a while, apart from weeding and watering and then be pleasantly surprised when they all spring up.
It also depends how busy I am at work/how much time I have to spend in the garden, so I sow seeds indoors, outside under large bell cloches in raised beds, and sow 'easy' crops such as radishes straight onto warm, raked soil in the Spring. This year's sweet peas have been bought as plug plants and planted straight out next to canes.