Sowing Seeds and Potting On

Sowing and transplanting today.

The weather has been dry but pretty cold, especially in the wind without any sunshine. So decided to work in the greenhouse although there is plenty I could do on the plot.

First the peppers, aubergine and tomato seedlings left their little shared pots and went into modules. Always seems so wasteful, large packet of seeds turns into seedlings, half or more of these get discarded and then only the strongest end up as plants.

They’re still luxuriating in the front bedroom but no longer in the heated propogators.

Having carefully planned what to grow, I threw the plan away and sowed some more tomatoes. Ace, a standard cordon variety and Roma a bush type plum. Now Roma is not really suitable for pots or growbags but I think we may have a decent summer. Accordingly the plan is to grow them Spanish style (or at least as my pal in Barcelona used to) on ridges so the trusses hang down.

Big dangers are weather and slugs.

Then I planted 1 potato seed tuber of International Kidney (the one they grow Jersey Royals from) in bags in the greenhouse. I put about 3″ of all purpose compost in, added a couple of ounces of fish blood and bone and then covered with 2″ of compost.

As the leaves grow, I’ll add compost to the top of the bag and hope for perfect, very early Jersey Royals.

Next, the Leeks.

I start those off in 8″ pots. Last year I found that those started in ordinary seed trays didn’t do as well by far. I scatter thinly and do not thin. When ready to plant out it’s a bit of a game teasing the roots apart, but very frugal of growing space. As sson as they are up they’ll move to the coldframe.

I planted 4 varieties.

• Carentan 2


• Autumn Giant 3


• Autumn Mammoth Verina (rust resistant)


• Lyon (heritage variety dating from 1880)

Then a tray of little gem lettuce in modules. They’ll go in the deep bed under a cloche when they hit a reasonable size.

Next, some brassicas, again in modules.

• Broccoli, early white sprouting


• Cabbage, Savoy Ormskirk Late


• Cauliflower, All Year Round.

To make room for the seedtrays the chitting potatoes got moved into the shed. As they’re talking about minus 2? tonight, covered in a sheet to ensure they don’t get frosted.