Sowing in pots

[Grumpy Git]

As I don't have a greenhouse, but do have a window shelf, should I sow anything now in pots?  If so, what should I plant.

Mulchas Gracias   

[Grumpy Git]

[sandersj89]

Plenty you can sow now, anything from tomatoes, peppers, chillies, spring onions, main crop onions, lettuce, raddish, parsley, broad beans, etc, etc.

Aim for a warm but not hot room with plenty of light. If very cold and you draw the curtains don't forget the pots can get chilled at night as they are insulated from the heat by the curtains.

Best to put the pots in some sort of drip tray to to protect your window cills.

HTH

Jerry

[piglit]

Hi GG,

I don't have a greenhouse either, just a plastic tent with limited warmth so I start lots of stuff inside.  I found that the drip trays from under window boxes are perfect for fitting 1/2 seed trays with little plastic lids (all can be purchased at wilko for next to nothing).  Using this fine technique (why don't they show that on GW?) I produced baby sweetcorn, peas, beans (french and runner), salads, radishes, chard, tomatoes, aubergines, herbs, peppers, beetroot and fennel.  The sweetcorn and runner beans actually went into toilet rolls centres as they don't like being moved but the rest just in normal seed trays.

Makes the spare room earn its keep at any rate!

piglit

[Moggle]

Grumpy, last year I grew a lot of stuff on my windowsill in the spare room too, and I also had a table in front of the window too. You can even use an ironing board for extra 'bench' space.

I'll second Jerry's comment about not being too warm, I had the radiator (under the window) on a lot, and my toms got leggy from being too warm, got too big to be inside, and had to go outside while it was probably too cold. They suffered some scorching, being outside in the cold, after being grown too hot.

This year, I have been banned from the spare room  :'( I have got myself one of those plastic mini-growhouse thingies (£17 from Robert Dyas) so it is probably all for the best.

Have just sowed onions, broad beans, hardy peas and leeks. Might be sowing some asparagus soon too  :)

[GardnerJ]

oh my, so many things to sow and not enough room!
I have the same trouble whereas i don't have anywhere outside to start stuff off but i have a grumpy hunny who complains about the bits on the windowsills and anywhere else i can grow stuff! gosh there is a lot of stuff to start now isn't there but it is so exciting!
Jem x :D

[tim]

All one can add to that is - DON'T try to do everything at once - start the long season ones (like Aubergines & Chillies) first & follow up with the rest. Most things will catch up. = Tim

[thistle]

I'll second tim's advice.  Sowing things like tomatoes now is ok if if they're destined for a heated greenhouse.  But if they're for outdoors, you won't be able to plant them until mid-late May when the last frosts have finished.  By that time, they'll likely be spindly and overdue for planting out.  Wait a few more weeks and you'll most likely have better plants in the end.  Moggle's list (broad beans, onions, hardy peas aka round-seeded peas, and leeks) are good February ones though. 

If you really can't wait, try sowing the same veg again in another few weeks.  Then later in the year you can compare the results of your Feb sowings vs. your March or April sowings.  That way you'll find out what works for you and your growing conditions.  Good luck !

[Carrot Cruncher]

HAVE A GO AT SWEETPEAS THEY CAN GO IN NOW AND IT WILL KEEP THE OTHER HALF SWEET

[philcooper]

Tim,

Why do you keep injecting a note of sanity into the advice given?  ;)

As you say, only sow NOW - which was the question, htose that

a. need a long season

and

b. can be planted out when they reach the right size

I would add to your aubergines and chilles, onions and leeks

But next month you'll need many more windowsills!!

Phil

[aquilegia]

Another one without a greenhouse here.

You really do have to be sensible. It's so easy to sow everything and later, when you've potted things on, run out of room.

I've got some aubs, chillis, sweet peppers, onions and hardy salads on my windowsills at the mo. and the two south-facing ones are already packed. The salads and onions I'm planning to harden off in March and put in my mini plastic greenhouse.

I won't sow toms and other tender things until March so they won't grow out of the space they have before I can put them outside after the frosts. It's only worth sowing them early if you have a greenhouse.

Last year I completely ran out of room - I had the ironing board next to the living room window to increase space and the kitchen turned into a greenhouse (we had to move plants in order to cook!) So be careful. Only sow what you need to.

Modules are a great invention for saving space and square pots take up less room than round ones. I also collect plastic bottles and clear plastic bags to use them as mini greenhouses.

[philcooper]

Last year I completely ran out of room - I had the ironing board next to the living room window to increase space and the kitchen turned into a greenhouse

So we can recognise you in the future, you're the one in the Ilford area in March/April wearing crumpled clothes, looking as thought they haven't eaten for a month or so ;D

Phil

[aquilegia]

I'm allergic to ironing anyway! It's the only time the ironing board gets used (can't use it now anyway - it's all stained from water overspill and dropped compost!)

[wardy]

 ;D  I don't have any window sills so have to find whatever space I can to keep my seedlings (no greenhouse either)  I ruined my mahogany cupboard using it as a nursery!  My dog jumped on a trolley I put in the bay window and I had compost and plants everywhere (didn't repeat that exercise).   I have quite a collection behind the taps in the kitchen and loads in a guest room.  Guests due this week so I don't where the seedlings are destined yet.  I thought of putting them in the car but I don't know if it's frost free.  ;D

Wardy

[Multiveg]

I'm allergic to ironing anyway! It's the only time the ironing board gets used (can't use it now anyway - it's all stained from water overspill and dropped compost!)

Ah, so that is your reasoning for not doing the ironing then!

[philcooper]

Wardy,

My last visitor, admittedly a gardener, enjoyed sharing the room with a selection of African Violet and other houseplant cuttings!

Phil

I think Aqui may have found a niche in the market, a seed tray holder build on an ironing board type chassis or a seed tray holder to clip on ironing boards (or an ironing board thing to clip on the new seed tray holder thing!!

[diver]

Ive just acquired a greenhouse but it doesn't have any glass yet...next week I hope....so my spare room is full of leeks, cabbage, onions, spring onions and caulie..and having read this thread I am now going upstairs to sow sweetcorn and lettuce. I save plastic containers from the supermarket and am using them, partly because they are cheaper but also to reuse them and delay their entry to the land fill.

[wardy]

Diver  :)  I've got now that I can't buy anything from the shop without first thinking if I can re-use the container!  Be it washpowder or mushrooms.  I have used some blue plastic mushroom containers as seed trays today and washpowder containers double up as slug traps.  I can't go past a skip or building site without taking something home with me for the plot.  I wonder if there's any therapy I could have for this unfortunate condition  ;D

Wardy

[philcooper]

Diver,

If you sow swwet corn now, it will be several foot tall before it is safe to plant it out, wait till late April, unless you live in southern Spain

Phil

[northener]

Do you reckon its worth investing in a elecctric propogator

[philcooper]

It depends on what your needs and other resources are.

I have a large home made propagator in the frost free greenhouse that is currently in use for cuttings - dahlia, chrysanths, fuchsias. Later on it will be used for half hardy bedding seeds and veg that like a cushy start - toms, squashes and sweet corn (they will germinate in the greenhouse but I get a quicker and higher rate of germination)

I also have a smaller one on a spare bedroom for the very early seeds - onions, leeks, antirrhinums

You then, of course, need loads of room to take the output from the propagator

Phil