Itchy fingers and feet

[Jayb]

No not some flaky medical condition, more the OMG can't wait to get sowing and growing obsession thread.

I'm guessing I won't be alone and soon there will be some cranking up of propagators , good use made of airing cupboards and other treasured hotspots and windowsills cleared ready for seedlings. yayyyyyyy

There have been a couple of threads mentioning the SOWING phenomena, but after reading the Solstice thread I can really hear the compost calling. I'm just going to have a little rummage in my seed box and find something to sow today!

Anyone else having problems with itchy fingers, or have you started sowing?  What 'goodness it's early seeds' are you sowing/cosseting?

[Jayb]

[tricia]

I have just sown one pot each of Jalapeno and Cayenne chilli seeds as a Christmas present for a friend who loves chillies. His wife says 'he will be tickled pink' and loves the idea. There is also a fancy bottle of different coloured chillies to show him what he could have if he is diligent and takes care of the pots - and hopefully the plants as they grow.

I'll wait awhile before sowing anything for myself - no chilli plants for me this coming year as I have loads dried and frozen from this year.

Tricia

[BarriedaleNick]

Im in hibernation mode at the moment but will bung some chilis in on New Years day.
But I have just finished work for the year and who knows what santa may bring!!

[davejg]

I'm not to bad this year, got plenty of fruit to plant & sort out on my new plot, otherwise i'd be putting stuff in the propagator.

[ed dibbles]

I try to hold off as long as I can but by early january I'm itching to go too. 

Still have a bit of pruning and general tidying up to keep me busy for now but I will sow a little old seed in a saucer with tissue paper to test it for germination this week.

[manicscousers]

Got some oriental salads on the go and some mixed leaves on the windowsill. I'll be starting off some bedfordshire onions after New Year, then end of jan will be stating some toms and peppers 

[carolinej]

Trying to hold off till after Christmas.

Will stoke up the heated propagator then and pop something in. Prob peppers. Any better suggestions? Is it leek time yet?

[Nigel B]

Well, I have two trays of sweet-peas inside a small plastic tent in my unheated greenhouse. They are a couple of inches tall and looking great so far..
There is also a tray of onions from seed I planted a month ago, just to see what would turn up if their parents were left to flower.
I'll be planting  these outside soon, I hope. :)

I have some Leek seeds as well that I saved in the same way, and I'm also about to sow these. I'm pretty sure they'll come out true to form. 'Musselburgh Leek' . That's them.

I'm trying to feed my family with organically-raised food as much as I can. Its not all that easy though, to be fair.

The wartime allotment, which most seem to favour for some reason, was not an organic affair at all. Out of 1 single plot of approx 300sq yards (250sq M), each square yard was 'helped' by 4 Ounces  (and there are 300 of them), of an inorganic chemical called 'Growmore
I'll be happy will smaller returns, but 'organic', if that helps.
Dear Santa. Deer Poo. Please. :)

[aj]

Started yesterday as well

http://linearlegume.blogspot.co.uk/

Onions plus the weekly 'random' seeds.

[goodlife]

We are having our Xmas dinner today...so yesterday I started major job of clearing the dining table from the last of the drying seeds that was on all those 'millions' of trays and dishes...how did it get so cluttered?
And while I was 'at it'..I bagged, labelled and neatly put it all away and had good old rummage in seed boxes to see what has accumulated into there while I haven't payed much tention to the contents. Do seeds breed?..can they skip the actual plant stage?
I found so many 'new' seed packets that I've forgotten I had!!! And as by magic...my fingers are itching to 'go'..even if its grey and wet outside (just like all last summer)..once I get the festivities over I might just start playing with my newly found toys...err...TOMMORROW!
Sod the Xmas!...its soooooooowing time!

[Chrispy]

I promised myself that I would not start until Imbolc.
Is a promise still a promise if it has exceptions?

Well at least Christmas day has enough distractions to stop me thinking of seeds for a few hours.

[galina]

I'm guessing I won't be alone and soon there will be some cranking up of propagators , good use made of airing cupboards and other treasured hotspots and windowsills cleared ready for seedlings. yayyyyyyy

You mean get our windowsills ready for seedlings, after the very short spell over Christmas when they were bare - following packing up the bean and pea seeds that were drying there all autumn  ???   

[Pescador]

Sowed 2 24s of Ailso Craig Onions in cold plastic greenhouse yesterday.
Felt good just to be handling some compost again!

[martinburo]

I've sown broad beans indoors, because I find the results are more consistent than sowing outdoors in autumn, and I'm trying overwintering some garlic indoors this year too. I'll probably sow tomatoes and chillies in the next few days.

[Digeroo]

Yes you are right I need to get my windowsills clear.  They are still full of dried beans, so I must shell them and pack them up.

I am off on my summer holiday next week, so all sowing will have to wait until I get back.

There seems to be even less sun shine than usual at the moment.

I have plenty of broad bean seeds so I could sacrifice a few.  Something for the mice to chew on. 

[steve1967]

Sowed my onions and chillis yesterday.....My wife wont let me get the propagators out in our conservatory till after Christmas............Now its full steam ahead 

[galina]

First tiny lettuce seedlings are up and it feels good 

Does seed testing count?  Broad bean seeds were tested for the seed circle and they are doing well but that doesn't feel like 'intentional' sowing 

[strawberry1]

It won`t be raining today, I have got cabin fever, the small christmas tree is going away today and my propagator is coming out. Chillis and lettuces at least and broad beans in the root trainers under cover. I`ll be on my bike today, up to the allotment, I need to get a cabbage, other than that there isn`t much to do. I have been saving egg boxes for when my first earlies arrive and from now on, I`ll be counting the weeks. Oh I don`t have any seed compost, I`ll have to get some 

[antipodes]

As I am in a flat and the seedlings drive my hubby insane, I keep it to a minimum and now only do the tomatoes and peppers indoors and a couple of cucumbers. I won't be starting for a few weeks, when I will get some peppers going :-)
I have still got a few things on the go though: picked a surprise cauli on Saturday, and also a bag of sprouts, leeks, some wild rocket and two small but tender lettuces. The PSB (which is white!) is doing well as are the winter caulis so we will have a few greens during the lean period!

[Digeroo]

I'm off.   

Was going to sow broad beans yesterday but forgot the freezer bit.  So today is the day.

Some of my autumn sown ones are doing well some under an ikea net curtain and some under bottle cloches.  Aquadulce looking sad but masterpiece doing best. 

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.