Allotments 4 All

Pete has started 2 lots off in seedtrays in the greenhouse but is not having much success.

They seem to go thin and weak.   >:(

Are there any tips on growing sprouts that might help him?

Ive got him to register here but he doesnt enjoy the pute so you may all be talking to him through me in the future.  ::) 

Hi Maz....I can't understand why they should be thin and weak if they are in a g/house with plenty of light ;)although sprout seedlings are not exactly big and beefy when they are born so I would be inclined to leave them to get ther true leaves and then t/plant deep into large sized cells.I t/plant mine singly into 3" pots and let them grow quite large before planting out as I have clubroot on my lottie :( . good luck   Alan

In the warm weather we've had recently they do trend to grow very quickly indoors and hence become drawn - low light levels would make it even worse

Phil

What - spindlier than this? White sprouting.

Thoughts - too close together; poor compost; not near enough to the light?

Thanks guys , will pass the message on .

Sowed mine direct about a week ago and beginning to pop up.  Seem to remember doing the same about 8 years ago and managed okay.  But all advice very gratefully received!  Same with my purple sprouting, is appearing nicely!  something's bound to go wrong!   :(

I sowed some Brussels and Greyhound cabbage in cells at the same time.  They both sprouted around the same time and have had the same conditions - outside in propagators from the start - cover taken off when germinated.  They both get a good amount of light - the Brussels look leggier than the cabbage and I am just putting it down to them being a taller plant in the long run.

Brussels seedlings always look a bit weedy to me too but they soon catch up

Hi Maz,
           Make sure that your greenhouse does not overheat, this is a common cause of weak seedlings.

They out grow their energy reserves due to the excess heat that is not required, they are hardy sods.

Mine germinated 15 days ago and after 5 days in the greenhouse the tray was put out to harden off.

Once outside they take on their natural colour and vigour, the only help they need after that is transplanting and disease protection.

I transplant mine into 1 litre plastic lemonade bottles which have been cut at the neck and bottom, I then plant the bottle leaving 2 1/2 to 3" of the bottle above ground level.

this protects the plant from club root and slugs, but make sure that the portion of the bottle sticking out of the soil has a ragged edge to further deter slugs.

Hope this information is of some help to you.

                                                          PREMTAL

Thanks for that Premtal, I was going to do mine in plastic bags or cut off pots because of the clubroot, but I think I shall give the lemonade bottle idea a go! ;D

Quote from: PREMTAL on May 05, 2005, 04:13:48
.... this protects the plant from slugs, but make sure that the portion of the bottle sticking out of the soil has a ragged edge to further deter slugs.....

Premtal,

I dn't know where your slugs come from but a bit a plastic (no matter how ragged) is no deterant to mine - I even have had slime trials over the spines of cacti  :D

Phil

  :o  :o  :o  Phil! They Pole Vault you know! ;D

Oooo thank you all for the replies. :-*

They are grown in a cold 'greenhouse'  Its really a glass lean-to/conservatory type thing and its south facing. It gets so hot in there that you cant breathe at times but then the sun goes and its nippy. I think the fluctuation in temp has a lot to do with it.

Also I thought as Clanger did that they are meant to look as they do.

Prem we have just begun to collect plastic bottles for that very useage. I didnt think about making the ncks jagged tho. Good tip ( unless your name is Phil  ;) ).  ;D

What a gross pic that conjours up in my head......... pole vaulting slugs. Bleughhhhh  :P

Takes them a while to get the hang of it Maz...........cos they keep sliding down the poles! ;D  (I shall get my coat on the way out!)

Practising for dancing then?  ;)   'ang on I'll get my coat and come with you.  ;D

Well can you believe it, being a newbie at this veg lark, ive planted my sprouts,........ result :-  thin and weak  :-\

So was thinking, oh i know, ill have a word in my friend Maz's ear ;D.....and lo and behold , i come across this thread. ::)

So after reading all of the advice i think the conclusion is just to hang in there , right????

sorry, the bottle planting method sounds great but how does prevent club root?
Thanks

Hi Philcooper,
                      Your slugs are obviously Ninja slugs, but don't dispair there is a solution.

The Organic Gardening Catalogue sells sticky back copper slug tape, so what you do is cut it to size and tape it about 1" from the top of the prepared bottle.

I have never Known of a slug that will pass over copper

                                                       PREMTAL

And the cost of the sticky copper??!!!!

Someone wrote in to Garden News this week saying that they had produced cheap copper threads to wrap round pots to keep out slugs by unravelling copper pan scourers

Phil

Luckily it seems my slugs like a tipple.  Pity I cannot say that about my weevils.