Seed planting in new house/setup/city

[buzzingtalk]

Hey all

Some advice if possible - I lived in Norwich for 5 years in a house with a greenhouse, garden and had an allotment towards the end. My windowsills didn't get the best amount of light so I had a daylight bulb rigged in the spare room to help them out...once spring began I had everything in the kitchen as I got about 3-4 hours of light in the morning/afternoon. When it came to hardening off time, I could ding plants outside in the morning and bring them back in, all of the 2m from the kitchen to the garden. I'd harden off for a few weeks then move things to the plot or into the garden/greenhouse to grow on.

I now live in London, and my allotment is a 5 min walk away. BUT I live on the 3rd floor maisonette, so no garden, and don't have anywhere I can put plants outside to harden off, unless i dump them on the doorstep but there's no light there, its super cold and windy, and there's cats/dogs/ pigeons/humans that will soon destroy them I have better windowsills here, although still not great (a few hours each side of the house, but at least they are double glazed here!)

I'm wondering how I'm going to sow seeds this year and get them hardened off? I can't walk stuff down to the allotment each day, although I could drive everything there. this would take about an hour as I'll have to cart stuff up and down stairs, then drive, then cart it across the site from the carpark...only to do it again in the evening. x10 or so days = not possible.

So, how do flat dwellers do it? I don't have a greenhouse/cold frame on the plot...and i am unemployed, so I can't buy anything, including plug plants. I have 1000's of seeds which are fine to use so I intend to keep raising plants from seed if possible.

I mainly used to start tomato (I grow lots!), chillis, peppers, cukes, squash, sweetcorn and a few others indoors...but there were lots of other plants I'd start in my greenhouse. Not going to be able to do this this year

Also, what is the typical 'growing season' in London? I'm in zone 4 north east, so not quite central but not quite rural. I've been growing for 4 years, this is my first year in London and the 4 years spent in Norfolk yielded completely different growing seasons, first/last frost dates (out by weeks and months!) due to crazy weather lately...

[sparrow100]

Do you have access to a balcony? Or can you put window boxes up? I share your pain - I'm on the 3rd floor too, but I do have access to a 3ftx2ft deep north-facing balcony. (jackdaws are my main annoyance, they love pulling things apart) My stuff goes there for a few days or a couple of months (pots of leeks and oca) and then gets its feet in the soil with the standard 2 choices explained to it. Otherwise either I sow direct a bit later or I keep them indoors with the window open till I feel I can plonk them straight out.

I have one south facing window. I've built some 'shelving' with stacks of books and old bits of mdf so my seedling windowsill is 2 tiers. With outrageous amounts of tinfoil to reflect light onto the trays & pots. OH hates it.

As to season length, I'm in zone 6 SW. I can usually get spuds in the ground at the end of March/beginning of April, squashes go in mid-May with cloche protection and first proper frosts hit around early to mid-November. (my plot's in a frost pocket)

Living in a flat does limit what you can do, but it by no means stops it.

Hope that's of some use.

[buzzingtalk]

Hey, nope no balcony. And can't put window boxes up either. I have LOTS of window space, so won't need to build anything in front of the windows to get more space...I just need to know what the hell to do with it all when it needs hardening off. I can't really leave the windows open if I'm in as I hate the cold (reynauds, yay) The main thing I'm worried about is things getting sun scorch, as my plot is full sun south facing (heaven) as was my old plot, and it used to take me a very cautious 2 weeks to get plants slowly used to direct sunlight so I could plant them outdoors in full sun. There's one shady corner on my plot that I could leave potted plants on and move then across slowly into the sunlight each day, but that means them staying outdoors overnight with no protection, and having moved from a 3/4th story windowsill in a warm house to a damp, cold corner of my plot.

What's the first frost date usually? your dates are about the same i used to follow in Norfolk, except I never used protection and everything was fine bar one year when a surprise frost came a month late. My soil in London is clay too, so I'm wondering when it will finally thaw out

[veggiechicken]

Can you knock up a cold frame for your plot? Old windows are often available in skips or from double glazing companies so shouldn't cost you anything

[buzzingtalk]

Could do - I'm always out raiding skips, although i don't often see glass laying about (I guess it gets sold on, or people are too skint round here)

I've never had to use one though so unsure on what/when to use them? what can you grow under, when, does it need hinges for ventilation etc?

[Bacchus]

What about where you work? Any scope there?

[veggiechicken]

Think of it as a low greenhouse, somewhere to harden off your seedlings before you plant them out.
Maybe someone who uses a coldframe will be along soon to help

[sparrow100]

Could do - I'm always out raiding skips, although i don't often see glass laying about (I guess it gets sold on, or people are too skint round here)

I've never had to use one though so unsure on what/when to use them? what can you grow under, when, does it need hinges for ventilation etc?

If you fancied a jaunter to south London I've got some I won't use now I've bought a greenhouse. I know it's a bit of a trek though.

[buzzingtalk]

@bacchaus - I'm unemployed.

@sparrow - what sort of glass is it? and is it in the way at all? I sometimes venture south of the river in my van so could pick it up, but would have to wait until I need to go there to save on costs. thanks for the offer!

I'd have to build it fairly big as I'll be hardening off tomatos in it, which will be quite big by then. arghhh logistical nightmare

[Bigmallly]

I've seen loads of greenhouses built out of old windows. I would be tempted to go round a few double glazing companies & see what they are skipping. You say you have a van so that's a big bonus. Good Luck.

Here's some ideas:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=di...w=1280&bih=702

[sparrow100]

Hi there, there are 2 pairs of wooden framed single-glazed windows and one double glazed single window. They are in my garage, so no, not at all in the way.

Bigmally and VC's advice will possibly get you some sooner and closer - the glazing guys I talked to were only too happy to donate them to me.

[Kristen]

If you need to shade them, when they first go out, some Scaffolder's debris netting would do the trick - whilst you are out skip diving

[Bigmallly]

If you need to shade them, when they first go out, some Scaffolder's debris netting would do the trick - whilst you are out skip diving

Or old net curtains.

[muddled]

Have you tried freecycle?
A couple of my friends have got old greenhouses from there. You have to dismantle and transport them yourself but if you have a van this could be okay?

Also, is there any way to put the word out locally that you need growspace?
My mum's friend shares her garden under that landshare scheme by Hugh fearnley wotsit. This bloke has a key to the side gate and made an allotment in the bottom third of (enormous) garden....rent is cutting her lawn and a tiny share of the produce. He gets to use her deceased husband's greenhouse.

[buzzingtalk]

I can do that, but I cant afford to get a base built. Would love a greenhouse!!

As for putting the word out, I live in a high density concrete area, the only gardens round here people keep them in a state resembling a dump. The mates I have round here live in flats or above shops, so theres nowhere local that will have a greenhouse. its only a short term thing as I only need it for 2-3 months really, so i don't want to go into anything extra when i'm just going to have this problem come up again.

Anyone ever built a greenhouse base? I've heard horror stories or when it goes wrong, so I'm a bit hesitant to do it myself unless people convince me otherwise. I'm pretty handy for a girl, but never laid concrete and my soil is clay so not sure how well i can level it without having to hire in stuff as its so clumpy. Any cheap ways to do it would be most welcome, as I've seen greenhouses for free on freecycle and have fixed horticultural glazing before so it's not too much trouble if i need to fix the glazing.