Started already

[burnie]

Sowed my onion seeds in a heated prop in the conservatory as the greenhouse is unheated and not frost free, I used to always grow Robinsons Mammoth, but I tried Red Baron a couple of years back and we have taken to those now. I also got some Shallot sets, but not started those yet.

[Mark Rand]

Brilliant idea for a thread to remind us all to get moving on the early sowing and to record our progress at this quiet time of the year. I've stickied it so it'll stay visible.

[Nicos]

Hmmm….You’ve got me thinking about starting my chillies. I usually leave it until much later because of not having somewhere to protect the seedlings

[burnie]

I start with the hardiest(Onions) and then the chillies/peppers, usually around February then the tommies are last as we get late frosts.

[burnie]

Germination a bit sporadic so a second sowing done today, a bit unusual?

[MelanieSW]

My onions (Mammoth red) haven't germinated at all. They were sown nearly 3 weeks ago .
While the leeks from an already open packet have happily popped up.

[burnie]

Up until two years ago I used to grow Robinsons Mammoth reds and whites, I didn't bother with the graded seeds and they were usually very reliable, I went over to Red Baron as I got some free with the Magazine and now buy them from real seeds, which are a rather fetching blue colour for some reason?

[burnie]

Continuing on from Nicos thread about plans for this year, plans inside the greenhouse are as follows, it's an 8 x 12 foot one, I rotate crops each year except for the strawberries that are now in the ground, not pots. This years rotation sees me having the end opposite the door, for growing odds 'n' sods, so 8 foot wide and about 3 foot deep. Intended crops are peas, carrots, salad crop like spring onions lettuce and radish, all early sowings, aiming for a February start weather permitting.

[burnie]

Prep'ing for sowing Chillies/Peppers, just two varieties this year, Hungarian Hot Wax and Anaheim, we both enjoy those taste wise and they are hot enough for our uses(use spices for curries).

[burnie]

Built the "blowaway" inside the greenhouse and three dozen pea seeds in modules, for under glass growing, they are in a un heated prop inside the plastic cover inside the greenhouse, now this has worked before so hopeful, the plants will be hardened off and planted inside the greenhouse in the border soil for our early crop, Onward are again the seeds of choice.

[burnie]

Broad beans are sprouting, I always start them under glass then plant out, I often get 100% germination, something that never happens when I sow them direct.

[burnie]

Carrots sown in the greenhouse, in the border soil this year, I have done this before with some success, peas are almost ready to be planted in the border as well.

[burnie]

Early peas, radish and lettuce all growing, strawberries looking good too, all in the greenhouse border.

[burnie]

Sowed more peas in cells in the blowaway inside the greenhouse, we had minus 1.5 last night and I find starting peas the same as other seeds give a much better germination rate rather than direct sowing outside, these are for going in the garden for later crops.

[burnie]

Tomatoes sown today, might seem late, but as we have been having frosts up till Monday, I am not in a hurray, frosts in May are not uncommon either, seven different varieties as I am going to grow less plants................................................I am going to grow less this year...................................................I might grow less this year.............................I