Cold weather germination

[Vince G]

During the lovely warm weather we had towards the end of March, I decided I'd get sowing. So on the lottie I planted:

2 short rows of fennel;
a 20ft row of perpetual spinach;
a 10ft row of chick peas;
20-odd mangetout seeds I had left in a packet;
approx 20ft U-shape of kelvedon wonder.

Must have been weekend of 30/31 March. Net result thus far - 8 kelvedon wonders and 2 mangetout, all of which look a little yellow and rather pathetic and sickly. Nothing else has poked its head through yet.

Since the hosepipe ban came in here in sunny Suffolk, it's been more like soggy Suffolk, we've barely had a day where it hasn't rained. My lottie has very free-draining soil so can easily deal with all the water, but it's been pretty nippy too.

So are my seeds just keeping their heads below the parapet until it warms up, or have they rotted away? Is it worth me sowing again in the ground or maybe sowing in modules and keeping them pn the windowsill?

Whaddya think guys?

[vegnut]

Hi Vince G.
I would personally wait for a few warmer days just to make sure. If it's florence fennel you have sown then that would have been better sown in late july to auguast time, due to it's tendency of bolting. The spinach is usually as hard as nails so it could very well be lurking underground for it to warm up. Peas could easily have rotted but as your soil is very free draining i would give them a chance. Good luck

[zazen999]

Mice also will take any pea or bean seeds. I'd say that chick peas probably wouldn't germinate outside yet.

I know it's hard work, and it clags up my greenhouse no end but I sow everything except carrots and parsnips into pots/trays/modules and plant out. You lose less seeds and things get started much quicker and you can ditch non-healthy plants and grow the really good ones.

[Two_Sheds]

I think you've been premature with the chick peas?

Chick peas do best in dry conditions (!) with much warmer temps that we get in April: about 21c, with nighttime temp of at least 17c ideally

Growing Pulses | Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

[Florence Fennel]

Like Zaz, there's only really carrots and parsnips I sow direct these days. I've loads of stuff in modules that I grow on to give them a chance with the slugs. Hope your seeds pop their heads up soon.

[Vince G]

Been back tonight and there are a lot more Kelvedon Wonders poking through, so am hopeful for them, but nothing else, so I've been busy tonight with the modules I bought from Wilkos 3 × 24 module trays for £1.18. Zaz, interesting what you say about mice, noticed neighbouring plot has 2 traps under his pea "cage". Little buggers!!