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 .
