sowing seed, transplanting

sweet peas, sowed 10 seeds 8 days ago, only 2 up but they are slow germinators. Out all day, in all night

Last year I found that leaving sowing for the majority until the weather warmed up slightly benefitted the seedlings.
The seeds sown a little later produced just as good plants as the earlier ones that were subject to a cooler environment in the greenhouse.
However, some seeds, particularly the pea family do need the cold to start germination.
I love the foibles of gardening, so much is experimenting and wait and see.

I have had to order sweet pea plugs, they are best started in autumn anyway. My germination rate is 1%, rubbish old seeds, will be abandoned this week

T and M sent me 24 lavender plugs. Except they were not lavender, I think they are pansies. I am not really bothered, they were cheap and I cba waiting 2-3 years anyway. They might be violas, I hope so. In and out of my small wooden greenhouse, each day, they look healthy

I plan to get my propagator out in a couple of weeks, I want to get some tomato ferline going

I don`t have good growing -on space here so will leave many seeds to as late as possible

sown today inside with a lid. 3 x ferline (dt brown). I only want 2 plants. Very good blight resistance, outdoors

Crafty one please tell us what your aphid repelling plants are. I have put in some seeds and have little Tigerella tomato plants an inch high. I also have some perennial sweet pea seeds in, gathered from a gateway in the village. I soaked then overnight and some had tiny sprouts on. The flower seeds from free packets with magazines are not doing anything yet. They are on a window sill in the utility room, maybe I'll bring them where it is warmer. I like the idea of a diary of seed sowing. I have a garden notebook but rarely write in it.

Yesterday I planted canary creeper and nasturtiums in window boxes. Will add tagetes in a couple of weeks. A tray of red geraniums from b&q will complete the boxes.
Last year was all about shades of purple and pink so a change of colour scheme is called for.
Lots of buds on the lilac, the plum tree and the hydrangeas.

Just started off some sweet (bell) peppers in a polythene bag in the airing cupboard as I don't have a heated propagator now. Then it will be pattypan squash and mini corncobs. I want to try some different veg this year although will sow french beans and mange tout outside later in the year.

rubysong, I use marigolds, they attract beneficial insects that eat garden pests. I like the simple marigolds like tagetes

I am going to move a new rhubarb plant from a very large round container to a shadier patch of bare soil. I want to put dwarf beans in the container

Yay won`t be long before it is full on. I feel like sowing some boltardy in small tray pots outside today. Also a few lettuce in the propagator, which is only at 18 right now, not needing heat. I use a moisture mat underneath, and vermiculite on top of the pot, keeps it all nice and moist

Time to go through my many seed packets. At one time I had seed packs neatly filed in sowing order

I am very much tring to keep a hold on amounts. Its not an allotment any more

Today, sun is warm and first vegtrug is ready so I have sown rows of seeds and topped with a flat fleece cover
radish escala
spring onion feast
lettuce little gem and mazur
beetroot boltardy
spinach trumpet

I decided to sow outside as the temperature of that soil in a black liner is high enough

10 of my sweet peas have sprouted indoors, I want to put them out soon in a cold mini greenhouse, just waiting to see if any more come up

is anyone sowing any brassicas yet?

Yes I’ve shown some calabrese and cauli a few weeks ago inside in trays and I’ve potted some on as they’ve got their ‘true’ leaves. Other than that I’ve also got lettuce, beets, and spring onions on the go, all started inside but now in the cold frame. Toms and peppers a good size and one cucumber constantly being moved from windowsill to windowsill as we don’t have any south facing. They will all go in my little greenhouse on the allotment eventually. Thank God I can immerse myself in gardening now and then to take mind off ‘you know what’ a little.

Also sown some sugarsnap and parsnips direct. The parsnips with a large amount of optimism but little expectation!

I have sown rocket and lettuce outside yesterday. I have them bin pots as the raised bed is just a slug magnet. I also had some flower bombs for Christmas. I thought they were for the bath but they are flower seeds in little balls of clay and you just scatter. Will be interesting to see what comes up, no clue from the little Hessian bag.

I used slug nematodes 2 days ago, they worked wonderfully well on my allotment some time ago

The first plugs are arriving the end of this week, I hope and I put more veg seeds into the propagator a few days ago, only at 19 degrees. I see that red drumhead is waking up. I only sow on the surface and cover with vermiculite

Cucumber and courgette soon at 21, squash ony needed 19

I think I will sprout the runner and french beans on a bit of damp kitchen roll before I pop them into rootrainers.

red drumhead are up, sprouted very fast, will transfer to a cool bright window cill for a couple of days then do the in/out dance

I have a small space in a raised bed on the ground for carrots, I have carrot net, it looks a very good product and re-usable for a very ong time

Carrot sowing starts this week, half first and then half in 6 weeks. I have put the canes in and am just about to sew channels down the mesh as cane channels. 95 x 95 bed, 4 corner canes for net with a 5th cane to overlap so I can access. 4 extra cans on the inside to help support against wind

Rocket sown today and I added spinach to a few empty spaces. Not sure about the mixed leaves row but I can transplant lettuces if needed

Green and red cabbages sown in raised seed beds outside

Tomato seedlings in and out as appropriate, a bit too windy today so are in shelter outside. Their stems get nice and strong if out and a bit windy

I have ordered veg and flower seeds, fingers crossed they will arrive safely.

I shall watch this thread for some tips thank you.
I've just realised that I didn't order tagetes.

Mini glass greenhouse is built and waiting, plugs might arrive today, compost and transplant pots and trays are ready. I use a keter outdoor box as my table

Dahlia tubers arrived yesterday, they need to go into pots in a frost free place, garage will do for now. Potatoes in pots are showing green, will need to add compost to cover. I put them under shelter each night while there is frost potential

I am not growing parsnips here and have only a 1 x1 m space for potatoes, as well as in 3 pots. I chose reliable tasty charlotte for outside. . No roots here apart from carrots and beetroot, reliable boltardy. I have to restrain myself

Today I will transplant only 4 red drumheads, I only need 2 to make much red casserole to freeze for one. I keep the rest safe, just in case. I bought grazers for cabbage whites. Old days (70-80s) I used to squish eggs on leaves

I am having to be disciplined not to sow too many seeds and not too early eg 2 sqash in a pot and 2 pots and will remove one from each. Too cool yet for beans and cucumber (marketmore) and courgettes, only 1 courgette plant needed, neighbours will have courgettes for cross pollination

I’ve just sown some dried tomato seeds squished out from a cherry tomato a few days ago, in a plastic ricotta pot saved from the recycling.
They’re on the kitchen windowsill in a ‘greenhouse’ plastic bag.
I’m not over hopeful but you never know.
Used to grow tomatoes a lot, before we started being away too much in the summer to be able to give them enough attention.

good luck, would be nice to see your own tomatoes from your own seed

10 Toscana strawberries are coming from 17 april, I had to do a shifty around the big patios earlier, before I fill big things or they get too heavy. I had 3 poppy trugs in a sale and to my delight, they each have 3 pockets on each side, they would be perfect for toscana and there will be some room on the top for a few marigolds. I am going to put the 3 parallel to the house, in a N/S direction so that each long side gets sun

I know I have ordered too many seeds but I will as always keep them in the fridge through summer and most should sprout next year

I am fretting about where to put the beans, have not got a dedicated space for the tall ones yet and certainly not much organic matter yet, brand new garden. I must not sow too many anyway, maybe a max of 4 plants, only me and I dislike frozen beans. Maybe I will grow a mix of tall nasturtiums and beans up an obelisk

I'm working all the hours I can clearing 12 raised beds ready for planting up. Everything's late this year thanks to the weather and sciatica which has thankfully buggered off improved.

Greenhouse full of seed trays showing signs of life, seed potatoes and onion sets still not planted but the weather forecast for the weekend is terrible so I'm not worried about them still languishing in the shed.

No housework being done at the moment - other than the necessaries. Garden taking priority.

housework can wait anyway no-one coming to the house. I am glad you sciatica has improved, it is a devil

I have a squash alert:
Mine were not showing, so I carefully took the covering soil out of their pots, using gentleness and a small knife. One in each pot has started a small tail and the other one has not done anything. The compost was far too wet, I did not realise that I had soaked the water retaining mat so much. I have not replaced the soil over the seeds, I covered with vermiculite and put both pots in the mini glasshouse. I took the dead seeds out. The sun may well get the shoot started. I have to be on lookout, if nothing appears in a few days I will start again but this time, the quicker way ie carefully taking the outer hard shell off

I will now sow my cucumber and courgette in the propagator, when the mat has dried out but first need to get changed, which requires discipline

My chilli seedlings stuck in the seed

That was an accidental post, but if anyone has any suggestions now as to why their first leaves don't manage to 'burst' out of the seed, I would like to hear them ?
My tomatoes have sometimes been like this in the past, but they are perfectly ok this year, though sown the same way and at the same time as the chillies.