veg sowing indoors

[kymrob]

want to sow some veg seeds (normal cabbage, sprouts, leeks ect) indoors on windowsill  for head start, this will be our 2nd year ur first year we sowed direct as we got the plot late april and thought this year could start earlier. we do have couple of coldframes up lottie but thought i would start them of on windowsill, now is it to early? should i wait abit?  what should i start with? any advice pleaseeee ;D itching to start!!

[kymrob]

[goodlife]

You can relief you itch with some of the seeds..but others I would wait for few weeks yet.
Any onion family is safe to sow..leeks etc.. but cabbage and brussels will be too early, end of March is early enough for those, I normally do brassicas early April.
You could do some cauli and broccoli for early crops.
As the weather is still so cold..it keeps ground cold too and you are not gaining anything by sowing early indoors as you can only plant them out once ground and weather is warmer too.
You could start some 'cold' weather salads indoors..and grow on under you cold frames..if you really feel like 'ripping under your skin' with you itch ;D But put some black plastic on ground and coldframe over to warm the soil..and once the salad are big enough to handle then plant into 'warmed up' soil. ;)

[goodlife]

another thought...you could sow some herbs..chives, thyme, parsley..once those are ready to go out, it is time for you main crop veg. ;)

[kymrob]

ok thanks would u sow leeks directly now or indoors? and the rest end march directly in ground?
we have onions and garlic growing and have started shooting in the ground i just cant wait to get going he he

[goodlife]

Start you leeks indoors..they need little warmth to get germinated and room temperature is enough for that.
As for rest all of them you can start indoors..but once you prick them out into pots..grow them then bit larger plants under the coldframes untill about..say 4 inches or so tall and then plant out.
Or...Wait till end of March/ April..and then sow into ground, under the coldframe..dig out when larger and re-plant into final growing position.
There is so many ways doing it ::)
I like sowing indoors and then growing on in pots untill planting outdoors..there is less chance to loose any plants for slugs etc.

[kymrob]

thanks for that ;D

[chriscross1966]

Nearly all brassicas (All Year ROund Cauli being an exception) are very day-length sensitive... they have a time to be sown and a time to be harvested and it's pretty much pre-programmed.... also the hardy veg doesn't generally need the head start, OK to use a fleece cloche and it will get you a couple of weeks but no need to go sowing 2 mmonths early.... Onions, leeks if you must are OK, the alliums have been so modified that thye don't really notice the start of the year, only the end.....