February sowing, what, where and when.

I can confirm this. I'd never grown them before but I did a belt and braces approach and grew them at different times of the year, inside and outside. I found outside later on works best.

 

Unfortunately the deed has already been done and they're about an inch tall at the moment, oops :lol:

 

What on earth is wrong with me-I only check with you guys when the jobs done, mine are about 4 or 5 inches high now-BUT I took your advice Kristen and bagged them-one seed per pot 2 per butty bag so they shouldn`t tangle ( hopefully)s nothing left in my seed tin to sow until April direct outside-nasturtiums and stuff like that, so it`s time for the veggies to be unleashed onto the world. A few beetroot and still agonising over whether or not to sow my parsnips-thankfully I need the sifted compost for that job first so I won`t be tempted til then.

 

All I have in my veg patch is onion sets and shallots and a spot of garlic-nothing else-I s`pose with it being my first year I am just overkeen to get started because I have been missing the mud over Christmas lol. But you`re right John as ever-I do have lots and lots of flower babies to tend to.-my Dierama Blackbird seeds have at long last germinated-first time I have ever tried these beauties fingers crossed.

 

I will put my sungold f1 toms in seed tray next week .
Keep warm and covered until showing.

 

"All I have in my veg patch is onion sets and shallots and a spot of garlic"

Me too. Don't panic yet!!

P.S. I've got some dead broad beans sown last autumn too ...

 

Sown last week at work, a few early ones.

Cineraria Silver Dust 2,000
Cineraria Cirrus 1,000
Ostespermum Asti 25 direct in cells
Penstemon Tubular Bells Red 100
Eucalyptus Silver Plate 24 direct in cells
Lobelia Fan Mixed 2,000

 

Those cineraria are gorgeous-saw one on GW last night.

Thanks for reminding me of their name Strongy

 

My blinking Cabbage seeds germinated when I wasn't watching and are leggy already :(

The Toms were sown a week ago and not germinated, I suspect they aren't warm enough. Need to find a better spot. And I probably ought to have a growing light so they don't get leggy if I don't get to them in time.

 

Sown at work today
Antirrhinum Liberty Classic Yellow 500
Verbena Venosa 1000
Salvia Victoria Blue 500
Salvia Summer Skies Mixed 1000

 

So is now the time to sow brasicas?

 

Strongy - you put us all to shame. Can you give us an idea, for the plants you have just sowed, when you expect them to flower. And are they under glass for all that time? and when you would put them outside?

I think your experience would be exceedingly helpful to others like me. We are all happy to grow from seed, but often don't know when they would be ready and how to fit them in with other things. Once planted, would you leave them in until the frosts, or are there any that are on the early shift to be replaced later?

 

Peter, first of all, the reason they have been sown this early is that in 3/4 weeks time 30,000 geranium and Begonia plugs will arrive so I want some plants pricked out and out of the way, such as the Cineraria and Salvias.
As the planting out in the parks can take upto 7 weeks (very short staffed) the plants have to be sown in sequence. Flowering time is dependent on warmth and light Antis usually have buds formed as they go out but the rest will normally flower after planting.

The Cineraria will stay in the glasshouse until it can go outside, usually mid April the others go in the polytunnel until early May depending on the weather.
A large number of seed will be sown during the Geranium and Begonia potting period.

They will all stay in the beds till its time to plant the winter bedding late Oct/mid Nov.

 

Thanks for coming back Strongy. It sounds like they are all under cover till about the end of April. Is there any reason why people like me couldn't sow similar types of seed now and put them in a cold frame once they had been pricked out, say in two or three weeks.

I have overwintered dubiously hardy plants in tempory cold frames, but never used the frames for seedlings. Most of the seeds that you mentioned are not that hardy, although I assume poly tunnels are warmer than cold frames.