What have you already sown and what will you sow this month?

[calamityjayneuk]

Hi all

Last year my lottie was ok, but I seemed to be too late sowing and planting a lot of things. I really only got things that were fast growing to grow, eg salad leaves etc. My tomatoes didn't ripen and everything just seemed too late. We had a very wet start to the spring and the lotties around mine were all waterlogged (heavy clay soil), so everyone was a bit late.

The other lottie growers around me seem to get no more adventurous than growing leeks, potatoes, tomatoes and cabbage so not really able to pick their brains much.

I have a small unheated greenhouse and I don't get down the lottie through the week in the winter, only weekends. How can I make sure I have some decent crops this year? I would love to know what everyone's plans are for the next month or two and any tips you might have

[calamityjayneuk]

[dtw]

I've planted loads of chilli seeds, and a few other odd seeds (Lemon grass, pomegranate, rhubarb and passion fruit) in my new electric propagator a few days ago.
The lemon grass has come up already.  :D

I've transplanted a few tree seedlings into Bonsai pots too.

I've got to clear out all the old stuff from my greenhouse first before I can put new stuff in.

[manicscousers]

Hi, Calamity, love the name..have you got any cover at the allotment, cloches, cold frame, fleece etc ?
we've got some early beetroot , also broad beans,  started on the windowsill and now in rootrainers in the g house
and spring onions and early carrots, I sow these in fibre pots in the house , then they go out under cover  :)

[calamityjayneuk]

I've been buying up some fleece and a few small polythene cloches from poundland and I have an unheated greenhouse.

It's quite cold in Stanley (co durham) so I'm not sure if I am too early to start seeds - could I start some things of in my house on the windowsills?

[kitten]

Hi cjuk, we're in Lincs and are planning on starting some beetroot & carrots off in modules on windowsills this weekend.  We don't have a greenhouse yet so as soon as they're ready we'll be putting them in the cold frame or straight in the ground with protection.  It's our first year tho' so we could be completely wrong - but I can't wait to find out!  ;D  Happy growing x

[artichoke]

I planted 75 shallots yesterday! Broad beans sown a month ago are up, also those sown in November. I've got another lot chitting in the airing cupboard, as I find that helps to prevent gaps in the rows (you chuck out those that are not growing a root when all the rest have) and brings them up faster. I'm thinking about putting onion sets in soon. Garlic planted in November are well up, as are shallots also planted then. But my spinach beet row, sown last September, is looking very pathetic, disappointingly. We've got frosty nights at the moment, so I may regret all this.

[supersprout]

I've planted loads of chilli seeds, and a few other odd seeds (Lemon grass, pomegranate, rhubarb and passion fruit) in my new electric propagator a few days ago.

ooh, what sort did you get dtw? I just got a Two Wests & Elliott windowsill propagator, can't wait to get stuck in with more aubergines :D

[caroline7758]

I too was late off the mark with some things last year. In particular aubergines and peppers. But if I sow them now indoors, do they need to be kept warm until planting time? I've only got an unheated greenhouse or a coldframe to put them in & not that much space indoors if they get big.

[supersprout]

I've only got an unheated greenhouse too caroline. Germinated indoors so they reached the germination temperature. Once they are up and growing, as long as they're free from frost I think they'll grow, the colder it is the slower they'll grow. My first year with both :P

[Tee Gee]

I haven't made a start yet knowing I am going off for a long weekend in mid February.  Had I started this would be some of the things I would have considered doing;

http://tinyurl.com/2huj75

[manicscousers]

some of the early peas in a gutter are up, if you're going to plant things out, don't forget to warm the ground up first, cover with something for a couple of weeks  ;D

[Biscombe]

Heres the summer crops that I´ve sown in pots so far! run out of room now! mad for it eh!!!!  :D

14-Dec-06   Pepper Anconagua
14-Dec-06   Pepper Orange Macaroni
14-Dec-06   Pepper Cubanelle
14-Dec-06   Pepper Sweet Orange
14-Dec-06   Pepper Large From Plaza
14-Dec-06   Pepper Corno De Torro
14-Dec-06   Chili Pepper From Sicily
14-Dec-06   Chili Peter Pepper (Red)
14-Dec-06   Pepper Reus Long Paral
14-Dec-06   Pepper Yellow Banana
14-Dec-06   Pepper King Of The North
14-Dec-06   Pepper California Wonder
23-Dec-06   Aubergine Striped From Gandia
23-Dec-06   Aubergine Dewako Nash
23-Dec-06   Aubergine Neon
23-Dec-06   Aubergine Mohican
23-Dec-06   Moneymaker
23-Dec-06   Aubergine Black Beauty
25-Dec-06   Okra Mammoth
25-Dec-06   Okra Cow Horn
25-Dec-06   Okra Clemson Spinless
25-Dec-06   Okra Silver Queen
7-Jan-07          Tomato Black Prince
7-Jan-07          Tomato Black Marv
7-Jan-07      Tomato Monkey Ass
14-Jan-07   Cabbage Derby Day
14-Jan-07   Tomato Speckled Roma
18-Jan-07   Kohlrabi Early White Vienna
18-Jan-07   Pac Choi
30-Jan-07   Tomato Ace
30-Jan-07   Tomato Alsia Craig
30-Jan-07   Tomato Amish Paste
30-Jan-07   Tomato Bananna Legs
30-Jan-07   Tomato Big Rainbow
30-Jan-07   Tomato Big White Stripes
30-Jan-07   Tomato Bulls Heart
30-Jan-07   Tomato Bulls Heart Orange
30-Jan-07   Tomato Cherokee Green
30-Jan-07   Tomato Cherokee Purple
30-Jan-07   Tomato Fuzzy Peach
30-Jan-07   TomatoGerman Red Strawberry
30-Jan-07   Tomato Hungarian Italian Paste
30-Jan-07   Tomato Italian Giant Pear
30-Jan-07   Tomato Polish Ellis
30-Jan-07   Tomato Principe Borghese
30-Jan-07   Tomato Reif Italian Heart
30-Jan-07   Tomato Rio Grande
30-Jan-07   Tomato Roma VF
30-Jan-07   Tomato Roman Candle
30-Jan-07   Tomato Pink Ping Pong
30-Jan-07   Tomato San Marzano
30-Jan-07   Tomato Striped Cavern
30-Jan-07   Tomato Sungold
30-Jan-07   Tomato White Wonder
30-Jan-07   Tomato Zomok
30-Jan-07   Tomato 42 Days
30-Jan-07   Tomato Mule Team
30-Jan-07   Chili Pepper Joes Long
30-Jan-07   Pepper Aconcagua
30-Jan-07   Chili Pepper Antonio´s
30-Jan-07   Pepper Sweet Baby Orange
30-Jan-07   Pepper Tollies Sweet
30-Jan-07   Pepper Big Bannana

[kt.]

It's quite cold in Stanley (co durham) so I'm not sure if I am too early to start seeds - could I start some things of in my house on the windowsills?

I live in teeside. I intend to wait another 2 weeks or so.

[saddad]

We are going to restrict ourselves to putting the onion sets into trays today...
;D

[MrsKP]

I've just thrown caution to the wind and this morning I've sown:

Peppers padron
Chilli de Cayenne
Unknown Spanish chillis
Pepper Boule de Turquie
Yellow Peppers

Large brown marigolds (Mum's technical name for them)
Canterbury Bells (ish but not quite - another Mum term)
Jolly Jester Marigolds

I needed to feed the addiction !

[cambourne7]

with frosts forcast this week and still no cover on my greenhouse i have held back from planting 2 much.

Garlic is now up in the allotment

I have moved 2 large peices of glass onto one of my beds to help warm up the soil

heading up to get shed up today

[bennettsleg]

Blimey - did I see a Monkey Ass Tomato in that sowing list, Biscombe!!  What on earth does that look like, let alone taste like!

I shall be starting some jalopeno chillies in the proporgator (in the kitchen that plants are banned from! all because OH loves his chillies... ::) :D).

Have also got a load of polystyrene delivery boxes and a laaarge plastic lid (courtesy of Ma) to make up a cosy cold frame base for starting off peas, leeks etc. Finger's crossed!

[supersprout]

:o @ Biscombe
How many of each of those toms do you grow Biscombe? (thinks: she must have acres :o 8))

[Biscombe]

!!!! I know I did exactly the same last year!! a weakness for holding back!! but I get soooo excited early spring!!
I plant 3 toms in a pot and will perform geniside and pull the weakest 2, or If
I´m feeling sorry for them I´ll repot and give away the plants!!!
Going to get a gardener one day a week and sell organic boxes at work! too much work for me last year and I´m planning a bigger plot!!!
OOooooohhhhh It´s all too exciting!!!

[supersprout]

;D feel better already ;)
That list just screams for e.g. a charity tomato tasting, don't it? ::)