Sowing direct or starting off on a windowsill?

[GingerKatieSparkles]

Wow Thurston I am hugely jealous of both your tunnel and your organisation!

[Thurston Garden]

Thanks GKS! I love neat rows, trays all laid out in a grid, pots all the same size, orderly veg, God forbid there's a plant out of line....

*rocks back and forth in high winged chair and says "Wibble"*

I could even need help

[ina]

Wow! Impressive! (I did whistle appreciatively, but that's difficult to get across on a post. )

[PeterNZ]

Fom a gardeners perspective (my previous life) there are a lot of plants which need colder temperatures and should be sown directly into the soil. They will do much better than on a windowsill. I'd say Peas, Beans, Carrots, definitely spinach are some of them!

Cheers

Peter

I've heard that mice are rather fond of pea seeds and was planning to start them off in pots to avoid them getting munched. I've run out of indoor space now, but if I started some off in small pots, would they be okay outdoors?

Often if you start them indoors the plants are not as robust as if you would seed them directly! The cell structure is softer and is prone to insects and other diseases.

Some plants require complex temperature patterns to germinate. My rule of (green) thumb is: if the natural environment of the plant is similar to your climate, then sow them directly! Unless they need some special treatment. Some need heat and should be soaked in hot water, some need frost and can be kept in the freezer for a day or so.

Exotic plants usually benefit from being started indoors!

Sorry it s a complex topic and difficult to come up with a general rule. My experience from the time when I worked in horticulture is, that people usually do not think about where the plant comes from. This results often in e.g. Cacti which are overwatered or Orchids which are to cold etc.

My approach with the mice problem would be: Treat the cause not the symptoms! Don't let the mice win! Don't move your plants indoor because of them. Get rid of the mice!

Hope it doesn't confuse more than it helps!

Cheers

Peter

[Enormous Sage]

Wow Thurston I am hugely jealous of both your tunnel and your organisation!

Same here, I think this may be my first instance of "Greenhouse Envy"

[Millymollymandy]

Thurston Gardens, what on earth is a grey rhone? As I don't know what I am supposed to be looking at I can't spot them in the photo!

[pouch]

Thurston, I have greenhouse jealousy too! You are going to have lots of lovely stuff to eat :)

re starting off indoors, when I grew stuff from seed last year, I started them off on window sills and in April/May carried them out to the garden every morning and back in every night. I had to remember not to leave them in the garden or a whole tray of seedlings got frostbite and died...

This year I am busier with my new website, so I am scaling it down to toms and salad and herbs this year

I also bought a mini greenhouse last year for about £10 and it is invaluable for hardening off your plants and for growing a couple of pots of toms in. I've heard it helps to prevent blight as it keeps the tom leaves dry :)

[Thurston Garden]

Thurston Gardens, what on earth is a grey rhone? As I don't know what I am supposed to be looking at I can't spot them in the photo!

Rhone is the proper name for what most people call a gutter. They are the grey plastic types without ends on them. You might can make out three on top of the glass hot frame in the first pic in between the rolled back fleece cover.

I start them off on top of the hot frame because a. they benefit from the extra heat and b. the mice cannot climb up the glass sides and scoff the pea seeds!

When the peas are about 4" tall, I draw out a wide drill with a hoe in the soil and slide the compost/pea seedlings out of one end of the rhone into the drill. How to get a head start on your peas and beat them mice!

I might do a wee bit on my blog when I sow the seeds this year - maybe over the weekend.

[red]

I'm a huge fan of starting things off in modules or pots.
the exception : carrots radishes and spuds. i grew rocket direct last year too.

I do beetroot, beet spinach and chard in modules.. parsnips in toilet rolls (althoughdirect was ok too)
I do sorrel in long thin trays and just slide the lot out.. brocoli, calabrese, caulis cabbage sprouts tomatoes courgettes pumpkins squash runner beans, french beans, borlotti beans, sweetcorn all in pots or modules

I tried growing peas direct this year as i want to do so many.. but its a failure. the pigeons usually get them.. so we netted. seems the mice had them - so back to modules.

we hav such a problem with slugs here. its a wet an warm place so slug heaven. the module way is more labour intesive.. but this way we do get a crop.

[Millymollymandy]

Thurston Gardens, what on earth is a grey rhone? As I don't know what I am supposed to be looking at I can't spot them in the photo!

Rhone is the proper name for what most people call a gutter.

I'll confess. I was looking for some grey chickens.

I didn't read through all your posting, did I?

[Thurston Garden]

I'll confess. I was looking for some grey chickens.

[MrsD'ville]

I've started most things on the windowsill (except garlic, onions, potatoes and autumn-sown peas) as our conservatory gets so warm (ie ridiculously hot) and the PT is open at both ends (how we inherited it and we haven't sorted that out yet) so a bit chilly and vulnerable.

Am just starting to plant out now, but that's into the PT. Am waiting to plant out pumpkins til DH has rotorvated the veg plot, by which time fingers xxed frost will be a thing of the past. Too much to do to tuck the plants up at night!