14th to 21st February 2015 on Plot 44

Before the fence was treated.
Winston Potatoes chitting
Winston Potatoes chitting
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The heated propagator in the background
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The roots are multiplying nicely on the Sweet Potato

This last week has been spent seed sowing as well as doing plenty of research from past masters and their methods (often contradicting each other.) with the hope of being more productive . Not so much “on the plot” but that has a lot to do with the stormy weather and rain that we have had here last week.
On February 13th I placed a 60 cell seed tray in the propagator and filled each cell with different seeds and began my sowing in the smallest of spaces . I am monitoring how well they perform as this is the second year of me using a heated propagator and I feel I have must to learn and that’s it’s being greatly underused. Anyway here’s what I sowed :
Row 1 : Dill , Thyme , Chives , Onion (White Lisbon) , Celtuce , Swede (All The Best )
Row 2 : Cauliflower (All The Year Round) , Kohl Rabi (Purple) , Brussels Sprout (Darmar 21) , Cauliflower (Alpha 7 Jumbo) , Cauliflower (Igloo) .
Row 3 : Cabbage (Dutchman F1) , White Cabbage Greyhound , Cabbage (Primo 2) , Cabbage (Earliest Of All) , Cabbage (Hispa F1) , Cabbage (Greyhound).
Row 4 : Spinach (America) , Brussels Sprout (Groninger) , Lettuce (Kagraner Sommer 2) , Broccoli Rabb , Leek (Giant Winter) , Onion ( Long Red Florence).
Row 5 : Onion (Mammoth Improved) , Cucumber (White Wonder) , Cucumber ( Burpless Tasty Green) , Cucumber (Passandra) , Aubergine (Black Enorma F1) , Spring Onion (Lilia).
Row 6 : Pepper(Long Red Marconi) , Aubergine (mixed) , Tomato (Cheshire Temptation) , Tomato (Alicante) , Tomato (Black Krim) , Tomato (Marmande).
Row 7 : Tomato (San Marzano) , Tomato (Roma VF) , Tomato (Maskotka) , Tomato (Shirley F1) , Tomato (Tiger Striped) , Tomato (Amateur).
Row 8 : Tomato (Gardeners Delight) , Pepper (Sweet California Wonder) , Cayenne Pepper, Anaheim Chilli , Habanero Orange , Jalapeno Pepper.
Row 9 : Nicotiana Sylvestris , Dianthus (Russian Skies) , Marigold (Disco Mixed) , Petunia ( Coloourama ) , Antirrhinum , Coleus
Row 10 : Pansy (Giant Mixed) , Dahlia (Pompone Mixed) , Aster (Pompom Mixed) , Petunia (Rainbow Trumpets ) , Dahlia ( Coltness Hybrids) , Cleome ( Helen Campbell)
According to the thermometer placed in the propagator it is maintaining a temperature of 28.8 °C . As I write this 32 cells out of the 60 have germinated . The first seeds to germinate were Broccoli Rabb on February 14th .
On February 15th Brussels Sprouts (Darmar 21) , Cucumber (Passandra) and Aster (Pompom Mixed) had germinated .
On February 16th Kohl Rabi (Purple) , Cabbage (Dutchman F1) , Cabbage (Hispa F1) , Cabbage (Greyhound) , Tomato (Alicante) , Tomato ( Amateur) , Tomato (Gardener’s Delight) , Dahlia (Pompome Mix) and Dahlia (Coltness Hybrids) all germinated.
On February 18th Aubergine (Black Enorma F1) germinated .
On February 19th Petunia ( Rainbow Trumpets) , Nicotiana Sylvestris , Jalapeno Pepper , Tomato (Roma VF) , Tomato (Black Krim) and Cauliflower (All The Year Round) all germinated.
On February 20th Dill , Aubergine (Mixed) and Petunia ( Colourama) germinated.
Once the seeds had germinated they were transferred to an non-heated propagator to hopefully slow their growth to prevent them getting too leggy . It’s a bit fiddly faffing around but I am short of space this year so I am trying to sow as much as I can in the smallest space necessary. Elsewhere on the windowsill the potatoes are chitting nicely and finally the sweet potatoes are progressing in their jam jars .
Until next week I thank you for reading/returning , Paul .

See also  Growing Your Own Potatoes
Paul1sh
A little bit about me . I live in the NorthWest of England and have been sowing seeds and making jam since I was knee high to a grasshopper . I'm inspired by gardeners of the past and present and intertwine their methods with new ideas brought to my attention via Twitter, Google and the rest of the internet. I try combining my allotment with my tiny domestic gardens to service my kitchen. My interests besides growing, cooking and preserving include genealogy which explain the profile photograph which is that of my GreatGrandfather from 1870 who maintained his kitchen garden in Cheshire for over half a century. Thank you for reading and hopefully I can keep up with regular updates . All the best, Paul
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