New to veg gardening. What are you sowing now?

Hi, I am a newbie to veg gardening apart from a handful of herbs and a couple of tomato plants - I am very excited to grow my own this year in my back yard.

What veg are you sowing now? I've got aubergine, tomatoes, carrots, artichoke, cabbage cauliflower, courgette, fennel, leek, onion, mangetout, peas, runner beans sweetcorn, beetroot, a shallot set and potato set.

I don't have a greenhouse but do have a conservatory attached to the house though it gets cold at night.

I am super excited to get started and dont want to miss the sowing time as i see loads of people have seedlings already.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

natalia

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Permalink Reply by Colin Robinson on February 18, 2012 at 17:37

My advice would be take it slowly. Many things will suffer if sown too early and they invariably catch up from a later sowing. I have a couple of heated propagators but even so I've only sown things like leeks and onions which are quite hardy and also some AYR lettuce and cauliflowers, again quite hardy. Today I risked some garlic chives and coriander but these will be grown in pots on the kitchen windowsill. If the weather picks up next week I'll have a rummage through the seed box and and see what can go in the containers of compost currently warming up in the greenhouse.

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Permalink Reply by elaine rickett on February 18, 2012 at 17:41

I have just sown a few leeks and herbs, but already have tomato seedlings on the kitchen windowsill. My greenhouse is not heated and it is still too cold in there.

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Permalink Reply by Jade Hwang on February 18, 2012 at 17:49

I sowed broadbeans and peas last week and they are doing fine. I keep them indoor.

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Permalink Reply by Natalia Lopes on February 19, 2012 at 16:17

Thank you all for your advice and words of encouragement!

Its a warm sunny Sunday evening in my kitchen - perfect to do a small batch of sowing. I will sow some cauliflower, leeks and throw in a couple of broadbeans and peas for good measure. Here i go...wish me luck!

Do you update your blogs with what you've sown? That way I can stay afloat with my sowing times. :)

Cheers,

natalia

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Permalink Reply by Fred Hogg on February 20, 2012 at 16:40

Get some seed potatoes chitting and either onion seed or sets....

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Permalink Reply by Natalia Lopes on February 20, 2012 at 18:55

Yes, I got some potatoes chitting. I've also got red onions and shallots - can they go in the ground now?

Fred Hogg said:

Get some seed potatoes chitting and either onion seed or sets....

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Permalink Reply by Fred Hogg on February 20, 2012 at 19:19

Not yet early april down south weather permitting, up 'tut' north a little later, its worth putting a cloche, bubble wrap or fleece over the bed you intend to put them in to allow the ground to warm up..Also when you plant them you can keep a cloche over them for up to a month, to give them a good start..I'm guessing you have onion & shallot sets which you can start of indoors now, half fill a seed tray with compost and place sets just into the surface 2 to 3 cms. apart. This will allow them to start rooting, but be carefull not to over water, alliums do not like wet conditions, Potatoes just bung them in at the start of april chits up, they are pretty easy to grow...

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Permalink Reply by Fred Hogg on February 20, 2012 at 19:45

Have a look at allotment-diary this bloke is into exhibition standard veg. its an absolutely brilliant site, with a seed planting calender and all kinds of info. Especially onions..

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Permalink Reply by Flighty on February 20, 2012 at 19:51

I've got an allotment in Harrow where I plant and sow most things direct in the ground. I'll be planting onion sets and first early seed potatoes in March along with sowing some broad beans. In April I'll be sowing various things including beetroot, carrots, lettuce and spring onions along with planting the rest of the potatoes.

Bear in mind that we more often get ice and snow at Easter than at Christmas, and we can get severe night frosts into May! So my advice is don't be impatient as it's much better to wait for the ground to warm up. Your plants and seeds will reward you all the more if you do wait!

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Permalink Reply by Fred Hogg on February 20, 2012 at 20:15

I put my spuds in last march and they got hit by the late frost we had, it put them back weeks, so i am erring on the side of caution this year.I am only 30 miles north of you, but my plot is on top of a hill (exposed)..