The Seed Sowing Thread - 2017

[forgetmenot]

I had planned to sow basil, more beetroot, swede and turnip but after i got all the pots and soil out i realised I had left the seeds at home !

[Florence Fennel]

Basil green and purple on the windowsill and AYR cauli outside

[Jungle Jane]

Sowed some radish kulata cerna in a large tub outside covered with fine netting & some rocket 'astra' in a large tub & also in a space next to some peas in a large tub.

[bario1]

Spinach 'Viking'

[lolie]

Sowed some salad burnett this morning and some baby pak carrots, spring onions, curly parsley, celery and winter savory yesterday.

Everything is inside on the kitchen sink at the moment. I don't usually bother starting parsley inside but the seeds I sowed outside haven't germinated this year (the Italian parley in the same pot is doing just fine).

[Jungle Jane]

Sowed the second lot of meteor peas yesterday,a little 2x2 foot patch next to where the three year old runner bean plants are.

[Jungle Jane]

I just sowed broad beans The Sutton,Aquadulce Claudia & Aguadulce in a 4x4 ft area. Next to them Ive made two small teepees (I'll add string soon so the peas can grab on) & sowed a lot of Douce Provence peas around them,Ive covered everything with a layer of last years tomato compost. Haven't made any supports for the beans though,I'll wait & see where the growth is first,I might just need one support in a one inch section of the bed

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

Still no sign of the broad beans in my raised beds that I sowed nearly 4 weeks ago now. Definitely signs of roots in two of the seeds I checked but no sprouting.

Meanwhile the 9 backups I sowed in modules and kept indoors have all sprouted nicely. I'm wondering how much longer I should wait on the direct sown seeds before giving up, removing them and planting out my modules.

Do indoor sown broad beans need hardening off before planting out?

[bario1]

Yes, you'll need to harden them off, or they'll get a serious shock when you plant them out and the temps hit single figures overnight... never mind the cold wind!

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

Yes, you'll need to harden them off, or they'll get a serious shock when you plant them out and the temps hit single figures overnight... never mind the cold wind!

Thanks, I've put the cells out on the patio today, if I take them in over night and do that for a week, then leave it outside in my unheated garage for a few nights before planting I assume that will be fine?

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

TCP! Patience is a virtue!

The whole idea of sowing autumn broad beans is that they put firm roots into the soil and as spring rolls in and the soil starts to get warmer thats when they start to emerge!

Seriously! Leave em be! They'll be sound!

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

TCP! Patience is a virtue!

The whole idea of sowing autumn broad beans is that they put firm roots into the soil and as spring rolls in and the soil starts to get warmer thats when they start to emerge!

Seriously! Leave em be! They'll be sound!

Hmm, but this contradicts everything else I've read which says they should germinate and emerge within 2-4 weeks.

[veggiechicken]

Its just a guide, TCP - its not set in stone. There are too many variables - like weather, rainfall, quality of seeds and appropriateness for the time of year & location, daylight, sowing depth, soil, exposure to wind, shade etc etc.
One thing is certain, the more times a seed is dug up to check whether it has roots, the less likely it is to thrive.
With the current cold spell, its better for seedlings to keep their heads below ground - than risk being frost damaged.
Deano is correct, be patient. There's plenty of time to sow more broad beans if these fail.

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

Well I don't like to waste anything, I'll still harden off these seedlings and plant them in a separate planter I've got going spare.

[veggiechicken]

You could plant them alongside the ones you've sown direct -since you're SFGing, I believe?
I always start beans in modules and plant out when they're sturdy enough.