Topic: Itchy fingers and feet

[goodlife]

When do people start their brassicas.  My PSB looks set for the off soon so I will want something to follow on so itching to get my calabrese going.

I might sow some early caulis end of February but nothing before that...and carry on sowing until end of June..depending of type of brassica.

[Digeroo]

I did well with one batch of calabrese sown early feb a couple of years ago.  But tried again this year but due to lack of sunshine they went leggy and then damped off.   It is very difficult to gauge I think they need some sun just as the leaves open.   So there is a need to forecast a nice spell of weather 10 days in advance.   The 10 day weather forecast is an indication but certainly not accurate enough.

I have bought some F1 seeds from Tozer and you get loads in the packet so I do not mind so much if some are wasted.

I also have a SAD light so I can use that if needs must.  The other problem is noticing they have surfaced, it is like watching milk boil.  It never seems to happen until you get bored and stop watching and it boils over.

The other thing I found was they all cropped at the same time so I know I only really want 6 at a time.   So I suppose if I sow 6 a week then sooner or later I will get a batch which takes off. 

I am not very good at indoor brassicas.  Actually bought a lot of mine this last year.

[markfield rover]

I cleared a few love in a mist seed heads and noticed some of the seeds had germinated so I take that as the official sign to get going. A friend was telling me that we do need make physical contact with the soil  removes negative energy ,that will do for me. Good luck everyone.............

[Chrispy]

I also have a SAD light so I can use that if needs must.

What make of SAD light do you have?
I have a Lifemax Light Pod.
Totally useless for treating SAD, but I am wondering if it would be of any use as a grow light.

[goodlife]

Totally useless for treating SAD, but I am wondering if it would be of any use as a grow light.

sorry...no idea..but if you sow something easy and quick growing..you'll soon find out with the 'test pot' of herbs or even peas. And if they seem to be doin ok...you can then sow something bit more demanding to grow under the lights
It will be intersting to find out what the results may be...

[Nigel B]

I also have a SAD light so I can use that if needs must.

What make of SAD light do you have?
I have a Lifemax Light Pod.
Totally useless for treating SAD, but I am wondering if it would be of any use as a grow light.

Go for it. It seems perfect for small seedlings at least. The only caveat I can see, and I haven't owned one myself, is that the makers say ........' these lights are not intended for continuous use'........
I would assume the unit may get hot in use, so keep an eye on it. Maybe it would be better to use a timer on it. A few hours on. Fifteen minutes cooling-off time, then on again for a few before switching off for the night?

[Nigel B]

Ah! Here's what I was looking for ^^^^

"12W output and 14,000 lux at 2.5 cm, or 5,500 lux at 7.5 cm on full power"

Plenty enough for seedlings. :)

[ed dibbles]

Sowed some bunching and welsh onions in pots the other day and some borage today.

From now on it will be something to sow every day or couple of days - broad beans - peppers/chilies, first toms, flowers etc.... I've got a lot planned for this year...

It's so good to be starting the cycle once again...

[Robert_Brenchley]

I meant to get to the plot yesterday, and ended up spending all day sitting about waiting for someone to fix a leaking pipe. Got there briefly today. There's loads to do, and if I can't get on with it I'll never catch up!

[galina]

I meant to get to the plot yesterday, and ended up spending all day sitting about waiting for someone to fix a leaking pipe. Got there briefly today. There's loads to do, and if I can't get on with it I'll never catch up!

Know how you feel!  We finally have gone from squelchy to very wet soil, not good enough to do any new digging, but I could level the surface of previously dug soil and finally get some shallots in.  The garlic has rooted in the greenhouse in pots so I am leaving that until I get more soil cultivated.  There is just so much still to dig and we need weeks without rain to get the soil dry enough to dig.

Have sown 3 small trays of lettuce - Pink, Lollo Rossa and a new to me Austrian lettuce.  They will at least need 6 weeks before they can get out under cloches or in the greenhouse but a start has been made.  Get the first peppers going in a few days too.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I managed to get down for a bit today. It's all well waterlogged, but I've cut back the rasps and done some strimming around the stumps, and I can build another raised bed as the ground is already cleared of weeds.

[goodlife]

Wet here too..but I've got one bed that was dug over before monsoon and the soil was left on high heap as I didn't get round to level it. Good thing is that heap of soil had drained and tommorrow I can rake it down and put some more garlic in
And plan is to put all undersize shallots into big planter..should by shoulder, tightly packed in and use the new growth this spring as 'greens'.
Most of the chillies are now in propagator...just odd few left to do as there come more room in 'sauna'.

[green lily]

Seems strange not to be sowing something but going away and everything on hold til I get back. Then there will be  a massive 'sow in' of everything. Be interesting to see if I do better or worse than the other years.
Still pretty wet here even in the east ['dry'] of the country. Not fit for digging although I've winter pruned most things . Just an old ragaty white current left to tackle before I go off. See you all in Feb

[Squash64]

A lot of my chillies and Kelsae onions are up.

[Jayb]

So much for my itchy fingers! I lost the tomato seeds I sowed on Winter Solstice, I'd put them in the airing cupboard to keep warm, then I went down with Flu..... 'fraid I forgot all about them until it was too late.

I've just sown a few more toms and hope these do better, cherry varieties for the greenhouse. Sungold F1, SunsugarF1, Floridity F1, Verde Claro, Coyote, Medovya Kaplya, Suncherry F1, Tigris F1, Black Hole Sun, Golden SantaF1.

Next week I'd like to sow some Onions, Pepino, Chillis, Naranjillo, Tamarillo, Bay Tree and Hablitzia tamnoides.

[galina]

Ouch - hope you haven't lost any rare ones.  Guess you are far too wise to ever put all your 'eggs in one basket'.   Glad to hear you are better    flu is no fun at all.

Tiny lettuce seedlings here and more to go here.  Been trawling through the freezer for peppers that I haven't been growing for years.  Must get that propagator going.

Nice picture Squash 

Happy time away, Greenlily. 

[Jayb]

Guess you are far too wise to ever put all your 'eggs in one basket'.   Glad to hear you are better    flu is no fun at all.

I wish I were that organised, luckily no major disasters this time and I had replacement seed for them all. Horrible to just let them die when they try so hard.

No sign of my tomatoes germinating, I'm sure if I stare at the compost long enough they'll sprout 

[Jayb]

Just checked my tomatoes and both Sungold and Datterini/Dattero (forgot to list it before) are just starting to push through 

[manicscousers]

Onions are up and cayenne peppers, still no sign of the pot leeks but they're not in the propagator. Next will be early tomatoes 

[cambourne7]

Picked up some soil to get seeds started and i have left it in the boot of the car so its going to be cold but not frozen solid like the soil in the ground :) propagators are outside but clean and empty cant see me doing anything at the moment now though as we have just over an inch of snow here and its FREEZING!!!