Seeding Advice

[Howarth]

Hi All,
I've recently acquired additional land at the bottom of my garden. I spent most of last Autumn clearing it of weeds and rubbish. I've now got a land plot which is bare soil. I'm going to lawn the centre area but I'm left with a lot of space for plants and veg which is what I wanted. Due to the size, it would cost me a fortune to buy enough plants to fill it so me and the kids have decided to try and grow plants from seeds. So, in the net few days I should receive about £40.00 of various flowers and veg seeds. Now my question is, what do I do with them. I know that some have to be sown direct and some inside, and it the ones for sowing inside I don't know what to do with. I've got various seed trays and small plant pots but I don't know which I should use and does 1 seed produce 1 plant/flower? Do I keep the inside ones indoors or does it mean inside a greenhouse? (I've got one of those plastic walk in ones). If I plant them in the seed trays, do I then replant into pots and then into beds?

I think this should be able to get me started.

Thanks all.

[Two_Sheds]

I know that some have to be sown direct and some inside

Not many need to be sown direct, and you'll lose a lot that way (to slugs, weather, fate).

Sow them in modules and 3" pots, to start with. Get yourself a cheap heated propagator, which will vastly improve germination for you

I've got various seed trays and small plant pots

Scrap the seed trays, they're awful.

Get some modules instead, and 3" pots

does 1 seed produce 1 plant/flower?

usually, but not always

Do I keep the inside ones indoors or does it mean inside a greenhouse? (I've got one of those plastic walk in ones).

Plants don't grow indoors, there's not enough light.
You need a greenhouse or a sunny windowsill to start them off, and a coldrame or your blowaway to harden them off

Have you made your plan? On graph paper?

Have you a colour theme?

Where are your veggies going? (south is best for nearly everything: flowers are a bit more versatile)

[Two_Sheds]

If I plant them in the seed trays, do I then replant into pots and then into beds?

You always keep your seed/seedling in the smallest available pot. Big pots of compost just go sour. As the seedling grows, you will need to move it up into a bigger pot (sometimes more than once), until it's big & tough enough to go in the garden on its own.

Sow at the right time (read the pack) and don't pour all the pack into one pot (read the spacing distances given on the pack)

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/scho...ngFromSeed.pdf

[Howarth]

Cheers Two Sheds, so chuck the seed trays away and get modules, I looked it the link and these are what I was calling seed trays, but I've got the smaller ones about 40 cells per tray

My land is at the back of the house which is north but is only shaded in the morning and gets all the afternoon/evening sun.

Making a plan?? Don't be daft, that's too organised for me. I know where my veg is going as I've made some area's just for Veg.

[Two_Sheds]

My land is at the back of the house which is north

What is north, the house or the land? You need to know which area the garden is FACING... eg, my front garden is facing north, so receives less sun that the back (south-facing) garden, but part of the back garden also faces north, and is shaded by a 6ft fence.

Sun is all

I know where my veg is going as I've made some area's just for Veg

Yes, but are they going to be facing south?

[Two_Sheds]

these are what I was calling seed trays

Nah, this is a seed tray. Much less useful

[Alison]

I find the seed trays very useful for carrying loads of modules / pots around the greenhouse though

[Two_Sheds]

nah, they always split.

Gravel trays, now THEY are useful

[Howarth]

thanks for all the advise, please keep it coming.
My house faces south and the land at the back faces north but where the veg was planned to go with miss the morning sun but will get the afternoon and evening sun. I've created some ledges which will be sheltered by a supporting wall but I've just realised now that the wall will shade the sun. I think I'll have to see where the sun is through the day.

[Two_Sheds]

Yep, work out the sunniest position.



That's where the veggies go.

Some will tolerate a bit of shade, eg lettuce, but most things love the sun

[Samurailord]

And also don't feel that you have to sow every single seed in the packet all at at once.

Try to only sow just about as many veg as you think you will need, then a few weeks later you can sow a second batch.

This should help you spread your harvest out a bit and will provide enough spare plants to replace any that don't produce.

Some veg you can plant on a regular basis throughout the season, i.e. cut and come again lettuce, radish, spinach so with these kind just a few seeds sowed evey two weeks should have you happily harvesting all season long.

Andy