What did you sow today.

[Bigmallly]

It will soon be time to start off those chilis.

Yes, but how Jeanied?..........I'm after your secrets..........

[Jeanied]

If it is secrets you'd like then here goes.
Last year was my first year for chilies so I sowed a pinch of the seeds on the top of a pot and covered in washed sand - covered in a plastic bag and shoved them in the airing cupboard. I think I did this in April but some grapes started much earlier. I had quite a few germinate of each variety - enough for me, anyway, but not 100% germination. Later in the year I opened up one of my purple gustos and sowed the seeds fresh. Huge success - seedlings were shared at Grapestock!
My second secret I have written about before - is about parsnips.
I use a plastic clip-lock container to pre-germinate parsnips in - on a piece of moist kitchen towel and into the airing cupboard until they chit. Then transfer into the ground. I used up all my old packets of seeds, thinking that they were all out of date and dead anyway - and I found that not all had died! In the end I had loads - gave lots away and some of the successful roots are sitting outside the kitchen door now, waiting for xmas lunch. One is at least 2" across the top and it was grown in a pot.
Just realised. The secret of my success is the airing cupboard!

[gojiberry]

Most years I would have had a few seeds sown by now and would be planning more over the next few weeks. However it is so expensive to keep the heat up in the greenhouse when it is this cold (another -7 tonight) that I am delaying for at least another couple of weeks.

Ian

[scarletrunner]

Am sowing some more radish micro greens in kitchen cupboard,as described in latest mag issue.Nice on cheese sandwich.

[Bigmallly]

Just realised. The secret of my success is the airing cupboard!

Well that's my xmas pressie sorted, an airing cupboard.........Anyone know where I can get one?.......

Due to the great success from armpits last year, I plan on growing one tomato plant specifically to take armpits from rather than having loads of seedlings laying about.

[Davyburns]

The secret of my success is the airing cupboard!

Can I get one for my greenhouse

[Jeanied]

I bet you could use a heated propagator just as successfully BM.

[zazen999]

Well that's my xmas pressie sorted, an airing cupboard.........Anyone know where I can get one?.......

Due to the great success from armpits last year, I plan on growing one tomato plant specifically to take armpits from rather than having loads of seedlings laying about.

YAY - you know it makes sense.

We should have a trial...how many productive plants from one seed?

[Bigmallly]

I bet you could use a heated propagator just as successfully BM.

I have 2 x Garland 7's which are brill but I tend to over sow so I need to cut down on the wastage.

We should have a trial...how many productive plants from one seed?

Sounds a good idea, I'm deffo gonna do it with Toms as the armpits were a lot better than the seeds. Are there any other veggies that may work?

[solway cropper]

Due to the great success from armpits last year, I plan on growing one tomato plant specifically to take armpits from rather than having loads of seedlings laying about.

I had exactly the same thought but I will be growing three varieties so only 3 plants to start with. I lost all the Jan/Feb sown ones last year so unless we get a mild start to the year I won't bother sowing much till March. Might bung some bean sprouts in a jar just to have something fresh that's different to leeks and cabbage.

[alexkid909]

@Jeanied - You mentioned the term 'Chit' with regard to pre germinating your parsnips, can you explain what this means to a novice?

[Two_Sheds]

Chitting just means sprouting, usually done by wetting the seeds & sprouting them on kitchen paper

[Wren]

I think a sticky , dedicated seed sowing thread would be an excellent idea .
Threads get lots in all the activity an that is why they die a death. It would be useful to have it as sticky at the top of the page.

I am determined not to sow to early this year though (if i can hold back long enough), after five years of seed sowing i have realised that things catch up and early sowings just make for extra work, an extra worry with no extra gain if starting off indoors in modules. I will start in February to keep the juggling on window sills an frozen cold frames to a minimum .

Wren

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

I'll be sowing early tomatoes again, as the thread hasn't been started this year (hint, hint) and I don't know about moon planting I'll start sowing on 26th of December (unless some other Grape knows better?). Growing hydroponically this year, so start off in rockwool then into a hanging basket that can take 3 plants. Can't do the early onion sowing as my compost is frozen and will only be fit for growing lettuce in. Unless of course you can start onions off in rockwool? Chillies will be started January, in rockwool then into Acorn Pots (the ones I want to overwinter).

[Pumpkin Becki]

I'm taking part in Zazen's Moon planting Onion Trial, so last Monday I sowed a pinch of 'Long Red of Florence' onion seed for the non-lunar part of the trial, and this Monday I'll be sowing another pinch for the lunar bit.

I shall sow some more along with 'Alisa Craig' onions on the day after Boxing Day, and then sit on my hands for a couple of months coz I always get over excited about seed sowing.