The madness has started!

You're mad

Mind you, a kind GC member has sent me Albuca humilis seeds some of which are already sown. Should compliment the first batch of 32 A.shawii seedlings nicely!

 

So you're not coming to help either Joolz?

KristenNoMates :(

 

I'll be down in Essex late June and could nip to yours from there Kristen, but I think it might be a little late in the growing season by then.

 

Bah Humbug ... you just want to see the finished (knackered?!!) result, eh?

 

Outstanding activity such as yours is best appreciated by watching. And I would be happy to do so if I were only closer.

 

That presumably explains the long queue that is forming?

 

It would take me till july to walk to the top of your driveway

 

You've all been busy my the sounds of it. I've only just sown 500 leek seeds and 100 lupin seeds, the first sowning of this year.

Should I start sowing my Carrots now???

 

Personally I leave my Leeks until mid March as I think there is a risk that early sowing may encourage bolting.

If you've got an early variety, like Amsterdam Forcing. Best to go by the recommended dates is on the packet - although they can be wrong, on occasion, and different companies have different suggestions [for the same variety]

 

Sorry i should've mentioned they have been sown indoors.

 

Same difference I think. I start mine off indoors too, just to get them to germinate, then out into unheated greenhouse / coldframe until ready to transplant.

Other issue, for me, is that we don't like eating "Winter Veg" until ... well ... Winter! So I don't want fabulously early Leeks (or really fat ones either, for that matter), Sprouts or Parsnips etc. Others who love those veg are happy to have them as soon as they can get them ready. Apart from not wanting them until Winter has set in, I think they taste better after they have been frosted - Parsnips particularly - which is another reason I don't want to hurry them along - but they are long-season plants anyway of course. Celeriac too.

I had a look in my Joy Larkcom and no mentioning of bolting there, so you may be fine

Joy says "The key to growing large leeks is good soil, long growing season, large transplants, wide spacing." so what do I know?

 

you had me panicking then! I'm not really sure what I'm doing with all this veg growing at the moment.

More than happy to eat Leek all year round, is there other veg thats similar in taste?

 

Best to read the sowing times on the back of the packet

 

Salvia apiana and dolichantha were sown using the paper towel method and started germinating within the week. Also the best way of germinating Kennedia nigricans.

 

Interesting ... I'll try that.

Putting 3 or 4 different seeds in a small container (1/4 sized seed tray) to save germination space is always trouble at pricking out when they germinate at different times :(

What do you do once they germinate on the paper towel? Too small to prick out into pots at that stage? Perhaps tear into small squares one-seed-per-square and then "plant" on a seed tray, or "plant" the whole towel and let them grow through it? (although I have never found that very successful if you then need to prick out)