Howay then. Whats everyone sowing over the christmas period?

[chilli_grower]

all chillies in February for me.

This year I sowed some on new years day, and then some mid February.

The February ones caught up very fast indeed.

So no more very early sowings for me, as they unnecessarily take up space around the house.

[Noosner]

Sowed some garlic down at Lottie on t'shortest day. I really like the saying about sowing it on the shortest day and harvesting it on the longest whether or not there's any virtue in it.

[BertieFox]

Started off spring onions (old seed is rotting but newer stuff already sprouted), baby turnips, Chinese greens Pak Choi, Novantina (turnip greens), and Red Russian kale (to harvest as small sprouts).

Thanks to others for the peashoots idea (I used to use dried peas from the supermarket for the seed), and for chillis suggestion. I always leave the latter too late and they do repay early sowing.

[veggiechicken]

Just bumping this thread in case you have itchy sowing fingers at the moment!

[Penellype]

Itchy fingers, but seriously short on space. I've just eaten all my alfalfa sprouts so I'll be doing some more of those in the next couple of days. Other than that I think it will be a case of replacing things in the grow light garden as I eat them - lettuce, spinach, chinese greens (mizuna, pak choi etc) and pea shoots and possibly sticking the odd tomato side shoot in a pot.

[sparrow100]

Another week or so and then it'll be onions and chillies. Possibly with some cape gooseberries and aubergines to keep them company. And maybe some garlic to go in pots.

[Thelma Sanders]

Some cress and more pea shoots and then the onions

A few weeks and then it's chillis and a few early tomatoes

and so it begins......................................

[muddled]

I'm starting on new years day.....seems appropriate....with banana shallots and red baron onions.
As soon as they're up I'll do some chillies, sweet peppers and cape gooseberries in the prop and parsnips in modules in the greenhouse.

[Spunky]

Where would you all be keeping you're onion seedlings after they've germinated? I wouldn't mind having a go a bit earlier with some zebrune but I don't have a greenhouse only windowsills or thin plastic hoop cloches

[Spunky]

I've got some artificial lights I start my chillies under around feb time could I put the shallot seedlings under them till feb then have them on the windowsill for a month before they go out in the cloche in March?
Is it worth it or after all that would a March sowing still catch up?

[Bohobumble]

I'm afraid I succumbed to temptation a few days ago, I have sown one/two/three of each of my selection of pumpkins/squashes/courgettes (far too early I am sure) in a 24 cell tray. In another tray I sowed a similar selection of chilli/tomato/aubergine (again probably far too early).

They are on the bench in my greenhouse, may the winds not tear it down. I have more that I can sow if nothing comes of it.

I shall probably sow onion seeds on Boxing Day, I'll see how they go.

Reading the back of lots of seed packets tells me that I should;t really sow anything until April, but that's far too long to wait as I am impatient. Is there anything I can sow a little earlier in an unheated allotment greenhouse?

[Kristen]

Where would you all be keeping you're onion seedlings after they've germinated?

Supplemental lighting. Might not be needed for Onions (and indeed I have panicked in the past that my extra lighting, into/over night, might fool the plants into thinking daylight was such as to encourage them to Bulb Up!!) but light levels in mid Winter are rubbish, so with sufficient heat plants will just be "drawn" due to low light. Better to grow on "cool" so they grow slowly - probably fine for Onions, but Chillies need 10C

If you don't have the light available then better to delay sowing IMHO.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Well the earliest I've sown tomatoes is the 22nd December and got tomatoes from the plants in June (sowed Bajaja). Would not attempt squashes right now nor for a few months. Onions are Boxing Day, may even sow on the 25th. Will sow some chillies (long season ones) within the next few days. If you have really itchy fingers (and I know the feeling) how about sowing some peas for pea shoots?

After writing the first part of this post I scanned page 5 - pea shoots, pea shoots and more pea shoots

[Bacchus]

I'm so tempted to get a few chillies started. I have a grow tent, heated propagator, and grow lamp but I still think it's a little early for me - I really want to wait until January. Then again I'm not going for the super hots so I think I can afford to relax for a bit.

[Martin H]

Supplemental lighting. Might not be needed for Onions (and indeed I have panicked in the past that my extra lighting, into/over night, might fool the plants into thinking daylight was such as to encourage them to Bulb Up!!) but light levels in mid Winter are rubbish, so with sufficient heat plants will just be "drawn" due to low light. Better to grow on "cool" so they grow slowly - probably fine for Onions, but Chillies need 10C

So I guess a windowsill will be too warm / dark for onion seedlings in winter. Would a cold greenhouse be ok or will they just stop growing altogether until it's warmer and lighter?