Monthly Vegetable Seed Sowing List

[GreaterMarrow]

February Vegetable Seed Sowing List

Potatoes - Start them chitting when they arrive, frost free.

Where do people leave the potatoes during this process and how long does it take? I'm going to attempt growing them for the first time this year

Thanks!

[Guest]

Where do people leave the potatoes during this process and how long does it take? I'm going to attempt growing them for the first time this year

Thanks!

In an egg tray where ever there is space. Conservatory. kitchen worktop, side board in spare room

[Bigmallly]

Where do people leave the potatoes during this process and how long does it take? I'm going to attempt growing them for the first time this year

Thanks!

From late January/ February, ‘chit’ your seed potatoes by setting them out in seed trays, shallow boxes or empty egg cartons in a cool, bright, frost free position (10C/ 50F) to allow them to sprout. You will notice that the immature 'chits' are all at one end (called the rose end). Place the rose end upwards. Sturdy 'chits' will form and should attain up to 25mm (1") in length.

[Kristen]

Where do people leave the potatoes during this process and how long does it take?

Mine are in the conservatory. Temperature there doesn't fall to 0C (and if it did the frost-stat would bring the heating on). They stay there until I am ready to plant them (if I put them somewhere dark they will grow white, weak, brittle shoots that will break off when I plant them, so I keep them in good light. Important they are not too warm otherwise they will try to grow rapidly and waste energy trying (given that they aren't in the soil )

Here's a video from Allotment Diary that explains the process. Egg boxes are fine, if you have enough lying around, but he uses seed tray modules which i think are a good choice - once you run out of egg boxes! as I have loads of module trays lying around.

[Scoot]

Got my Leek, Onion, Tomato and Carrot seed all in right now.

I currently have some Broccoli in my garden which I grew last year and I'm waiting for it to come into flower so I can harvest it, it's obviously an over wintering variety but was just wondering when it usually flowers? The reason I ask is because where it is in my garden is where I want to plant my potatoes this year but obviously I wont be able to do so whilst the Broccoli is still there. This also leads me to ask when the best time to chit the potatoes would be as I don't want to do them too early or too late.

Any advice would be great, thanks.

[Kristen]

I've modified the February list (sorry, a bit late, retrospectively) to move some items into a separate group headed "Kristen thinks it is to early to sow these"

If you disagree let me know please.

Here's a link to that February Sowing List:
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1318458

and I've added a new post for the March Sowing List. I've split this into:

Sow now (including things that were in earlier Months but which I think were too early then ... March is THE main sowing time for many things.

A "Continue to Sow" section, split into "Last Chance" for things that must be sown this month, if not already done, and a "Continue to sow" where sowing can start over a number of months and there is still time. And finally a "Successional sow" for things that could be sown earlier and a successional sowing is advised - like Radishes.

I'm hoping that these new sections will be appropriate for future months, but if folk have smarter ideas I'll go back and change the earlier posts retrosepctively.

March Sowing List is under the February one, here's a direct link:
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1318460

[Bigmallly]

Hat's off to you fella, much more comprehensive than I would have done.............

[Kristen]

@BM: Ah ... but I'm a Detail Person ... although you might have noticed?!!

[Kristen]

P.S. My aim was to cover off two situations:

Impatient (or naive) folk sowing too early in late Winter, that which would be better sown in Spring

Folk sowing late, or thinking it was late, or that they had to rush to sow "now" - which hopefully my "(until Apr)" comments will help with.

[Martin H]

Nice one, very thorough. In the March list, maybe you could add "(under glass)" or "(indoors)" to Cucumber, Tomato, Melon? I know it's obvious but a newcomer might be confused.

[Kristen]

Yes, good point. Definitely want to labour the point, rather than assume that folk know something is "under glass" or "only if brave"!! etc.

Got to do some chores, but I'll fix that in a mo.

Edit: Done (Chores & Edit )

[NatalieCooke]

Great thread keep up the good work!

[KevinM67]

Busy month now - I can't wait to get 'properly' started.

No pressure Kristen.

[Kristen]

Yeah, sorry about that. I've made a few false starts ... but I figure folk will want to be using this 4-day weekend to get a wiggle on, so I'll see what I can do

[KevinM67]

Yeah, sorry about that. I've made a few false starts ... but I figure folk will want to be using this 4-day weekend to get a wiggle on, so I'll see what I can do

C'mon Kristen - can you please drop all of your work and family commitments, don't even consider having time off during this holiday period and update monthly seed sowing list !!!

Some of us can't wait to get started.