Allotments 4 All

Hi all,

I'm getting an allotment on a brand new site and have found out today that it'll probably be at the end of the month that the site will be ready.

On my window sill I have sown, 2 weeks ago: 12 Broccoli (Calabrese), 12 Cauliflowers, 12 Red Cabbages and 6 Brussels Sprouts. Also I sowed some Broad Beans yesterday.

My question is, has my enthusiasm to get started been too soon? Will the seedlings survive for another month in the little pots on my window sill?

Thanks in advance for any help

They will survive (probably) but they will most likely get a little leggy - tall, thin and weedy ultimately they may just fall over!.  There isn't really quite enough light as yet and your window sill is warm and cosy- try opening the window or reducing the temp in the room.  Get a little fan to move the plants a little or even take the plants outside for a bit each day.

I agree, taking them outside for the day and back in at night is a good idea to get strong little plants.  There are ways of increasing the light on a windowsill with fixing a foil screen on the inside edge of the windowsill.  for example measure a 1ft high cardboard strip as wide as your windowsill, line it with foil on one side and fix it to the windowsill and to the wall on either side of your window. The plants sit between the foil screen and the window and the foil reflects light back onto the plants, effectively doubling the daylight/sunshine for your plants. Another way of increasing light onto plants on the windowsill is to raise the pots higher up (for example place them on a temporary 'shelf' above the window sill by placing 3 bricks on top of each other on two sides to hold a piece of wood for your shelf).

If you have more seedlings than one windowsill can hold, it is also a good idea to create a second shelf.

If at all possible, a south facing window gives the best light.

Congratulations on the new allotment plot and wish you a very good start on the new site. 

Thanks for the replies. I'll open the window in the day time. Cant take them outside as we live in a first floor flat but the window is south facing.

I think my initial question should have been, how long should/can I keep seedlings in the 2 inch modules I've currently got them in? I've can transplant to bigger pots when they get bigger but I don't know at what point I should do that.