Seed sowing - I'm off

[Digeroo]

After a brief spell in the freezer I have now put my first batch of broad beans to chit.  Hope to put them into the plot on Monday.  It depends on the weather.  Plastic bottle cloches are waiting for them.   They will then be all mulched up with straw.   Straw from last years bed all six inches of it has now completely disappeared.   This years patch has been covered with leaves, hopefully the worms will have been active.

Also got peas and mangetout on the go.   Come Monday I will also sow Parsley.   I simply sprinkle on the surface.  I think I will wait for the broad leaved type because they seem to be less hardy.  I will also sow my first batch of parsnips.

[Digeroo]

[goodlife]

I'm still holding off...although our land drains fairly well, even after all this rain we've been getting, but I feel it is still bit 'touch and go' here.
Saying that...... last autumn when I 'tidied' up in GH..and after throwing all the broadbean pod 'rubbish' into border...I have missed so many seeds that now there is jungle of few inch tall plants in one pile where the rubbish is.
If I would purposely planted/sown any..I bet the mice would have eaten the lot. I'm going to let them be for now...and later on probably dig the lot up and transplant them...waste not..etc..

[manicscousers]

Parsnips chitting to test for viability, big challenge tom seed sown, plus 6 pots each of basil,parsley and coriander for the plant sale in may, all in the propagator, plus some leeks started 

[gavinjconway]

Gigeroo can I ask why you chit your broadies...?  To me they are one of the easiest thing to get going... Simply sow and in 10-14 days they pop through.. no heated propagator required.. I just use the windowsill or spare bedroom.

[strawberry1]

I just don`t have the urge this year, 10 minutes uphill from the somerset levels. I will only be growing veg that can stand sogginess

[galina]

Have sown my first lettuce seeds in the conservatory.  Peppers, peas and greenhouse tomatoes later in February.  Potatoes are chitting too.

[Jayb]

I've not sown anything yet, besides a few early potatoes. But hoping to get started maybe at the weekend with some tomatoes and chillies 

[BarriedaleNick]

Chilies went on yesterday - 5 varieties - but other than a few spuds everything will wait another few weeks.

[manicscousers]

2 bags of premiere potatoes started off inside today and the long red florence onions need transplanting 

[small]

Tomatoes, peppers, parsley, onions, basillettuce, all in the propagator yesterday - nothing ventured, nothing gained and I'm lucky to have a conservatory and lots of south facing windowsills!

[Digeroo]

I chit and then sow straight outside.   The windowsills become too full with other things and facing south they tend to cook things.  The seeds that go mouldy will be thrown out.

The soil is very very wet at the moment so I do not hold out much hope for the ones I have sown, so I will do another batch into pots.   

All my over winter beans have all died, which is a frustration since it has not been that cold so far.

Certainly plenty of scope for rice paddy fields around here.   

http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/image_galleries/flood6_gallery.shtml?49

The River Thames is the small area on the left of the pic.

[artichoke]

The reason I chit broad beans is to get rid of those that are not viable. It is very little trouble to wrap seeds in a damp cloth in plastic bag for a couple of days, then go and poke them into the ground as usual. The germination rate is surprisingly variable, so I give the rootless ones another few days, and add the good ones to the patch, chucking the rest.

I hate preparing the bed, sowing the seed, then having gaps!

[antipodes]

broad beans

I hate preparing the bed, sowing the seed, then having gaps!

Heard a good tip for that - sow a little patch at the end of the row with several beans - transplant them into any gaps once all are up and growing.
For peas I always sow twice in the same bed; Once the seedlings are about 10cmhigh, I look for the gaps and push a few more peas in. In the end they grow at about the same rate.
I sowed some broadies a week ago and they are chitting in the ground already. It is quite mild here.

[ancellsfarmer]

I just don`t have the urge this year, 10 minutes uphill from the somerset levels. I will only be growing veg that can stand sogginess

Seems that you could be popular if you grow lots of veggy  crops, it seems unlikely that the lower ground will be fit for planting any time soon.  Have you seen anybody building an ark?
Good luck, from soggy Hampshire.

[gray1720]

Where's the jealous smiley gone?

Water levels up here, half-plot two underwater again, doesn't seem a lot of point starting anything yet!

Adrian

[Robert_Brenchley]

I chitted my broadies last year because the ones I'd saved the previous year were really dodgy-looking. Mostly I just put them in and see. I'm going to plant them direct this year, two to a hole.

[sparrow]

Chillies and aubergine seeds are in, broad beans are popping up, potatoes are chitting away and the peashoot planters are very tasty.

Next week I'm sowing my chervil root seeds in a huge pot...and wishing the plot wasn't sodden and flooded in parts.

[Jayb]

I've only sown some tomatoes so far, chillies and aubergine planned for tomorrow 

[Digeroo]

Just put some chitted peas out in the plot, and started some sweet peas. 

Broad beans, peas and parsley in pots are now looking very bonny.

First Parships now out in the plot.  Still a bit soggy so waiting before I sow some more.

[manicscousers]

Chitted parsnips planted out, 2 types of early carrots under fleece with radish between. Sowed 4 types of cabbage, turnips, spring onions, beetroot, pak choi and salads all sown undercover in cell trays. Propagator, 5th type of toms and some celeriac in