Vegetable crisis!

Hi everyone.

Like a muppet I hastily sowed some turnip (Purple Top Milan) and radish (Sparkler 3) seeds after buying a heated propegator at the weekend. Problem is, they've now sprouted. In a panic I thought i'd better read the instructions (always useful!) to see what to do next.

The problem is that the instructions say "Sow outdoors".

My first question is ... should I just start from scratch or can I get some pots at the weekend? I don't yet have an outdoor plot (I'll post about that soon) so was going to go down the route of growing on the cheap and using what's available at hand.

My second question is ... i've also sowed beetroot (Solist), lettuce (Little Gem), spring onion (White Spear F1) and carrot (Ulyses F1) seeds in the propegator. All of these have "sow outdoors" written on the packet. Can I move these outside?

Finally ... If I have to ditch the lot and sow outdoors what should I look at using my propegator for.

I know i've gone into this blind but any help would be appreciated. I'll go buy a book tomorrow!

Ant.

PS: On a side note i'm pretty pleased to see that something sprouted. :D

 

Hi Ant. I`d say, your carrots are a dead loss (sorry). You could probably get away with planting your onions outside asap. As for the rest, I don`t know, but I`m sure someone here does. I`d say your propogater is now not of much use, at this time of year. Cheers...freddy.

 

Hi Freddy.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to recover the propegated seeds at the weekend and plant them outside. As for the propegator, i'll put it in the garage with all the other projects that seemed a good idea at the time. (I was certain the square wheel would catch on!)

Ant.

 

Hi Anthony,

Sorry to hear of your worries but all is not lost. (My 3 large heated propergators have the plugs removed)

To start with the Lettuce, onions and Beetroot should be fine if you are carefull and probably the Turnip as well.

But as a general rule all root vegtables do not like to be moved after germination.

You should crow them on with a bit more rough treatment, don't ever coset newly germinated seedlings unless it is the type of plant that needs it, and this is very rarely found in vegtables.

Grow the trays on in a much cooler place with good light and turn them a couple of times a day if you can.

You will need to prepare the plot you are going to transplant to when the time is ready, you will need to water the seedlings and ground well before you move them and try to shade from full sun for a week or 2 untill the seedlings are over the shock of the move, with a bit of luck you should be eating your own lettuce in a month or so.

Good luck
Tony,

Only my mum and the bank call me Anthony.

 

Ant, all root crops are better off being sown straight in the ground, as transplanting them tends to make them run to seed. Everything else can be sown in your propagator, but at the right time. At the moment, with the temperature at 23c you don`t need it. But come next January, when you`ve gained just a little more experiance, you will find it`s a godsend.:thumb:

 

David & Tony.

Thanks for the advise. I decided to start from scratch in the end. I know it's a waste of good seed but leason learnt.

Ant.

PS: My mum calls me Anthony (making good use of the th!) but only when i've done something wrong. :D