Calabrese seedlings

[The gardener]

Nearly read for pricking out;

[The gardener]

[tim]

OK - someone has to ask?

How do you get them so short-jointed? Gro-Lamp? = Tim

[Debs]

Na Na Na Na Na, mine are bigger than yours - and I've already pricked them out !!

Yours smugly,

Debs

[legless]

ooh they look just like the picture i have of turnip seedlings, are you sure they're calabrese?  ;) ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Okay, good, mine are a touch bigger than that so pricking them out will be this weeks plan.  Nice sturdy little b*ggers Gardener.  ;D

[The gardener]

OK these were sown on the 20th March.

The variety to the left is Chevalier, a new variety for me, its replacing 'Shogun' the one I normally sow.

The other variety is Corvet, a quick growing variety that throws plenty of secondary shoots after the large initial head.

To answer your question Tim, No! grow lights, although 'light' does play a major part.

As with all of my brassicas I use a seed compost of 50-50 silver sand & multi-purpose compost.

I place the seed individually on top of the compost at about 12mm (12") centres, and cover them with a top dressing of compost equivalent to the size of the seed.

I find this method helps with the pricking out and lets more light in around the seedlings when they germinate.

I sit them on the 'hotbed' to give a soil temperature of around 18°C (65°F) ensuring they get maximum daylight.

As soon as they have germinated I get them off the heated surface onto something cooler i.e. 4°-6°C (40°-43°F)

I generally grow them on until I can see the start of the real leaves then I prick them out into individual 70c pots (2 1/2")containg 'potting compost'

At this stage I also sink the seedling right up to its 'seed leaves'

Depending upon 'heated' space I grow them on for a couple of weeks in the greenhouse then get them into the cold frame.

and thats all there is too it!

[tim]

In 'the olden days', we used to grow one which had very little head, but masses of side shoots. I preferred that, because I find we can't keep up with the heads - just too many to eat before they start to flower. And I don't like buds in my teeth! = Tim

[The gardener]

Can't you take your teeth out Tim?  ::)

[tim]

Some! Now let's change the subject!! = Tim