Potting on ...root veg

Ok :-)

I'm a real gardening novice in my 2nd year of growing vegetables in a small converted area of my garden.

Over the w.end i spent an hour in the rain potting on some swede seedlings that i'd put in a tray because at the time i had no allocated room in my raised beds, thinking i would be getting a head start. :-/ now i'm wondering have a damaged the root??

Should i risk planting them out and see what happens or start again and put seeds straight into the veg bed ??

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 16, 2011 at 16:24

Personally I would give them a couple of weeks in their new pots then pop them in the garden.

My swedes got munched by the chickens last year (a particular favourite along with the parsnips) so I'm not doing any swedes this year & the parsnips have been moved to the front garden so that they can't get their beaks on them;-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Darren Blick on May 16, 2011 at 17:22

You are ok to pot on root veg

I will be doing the same for my swede a bit later when they have grown more

Beetroot is another common thing to grow and then transplant or pot up

You can transplant Parsnips also, many bring them on in toilet roll holders then transplant the whole thing

Carrots are a bit more tricky and stubborn however, I thinned m carrots out and because they looked so good, I transplanted. They looked poorly to start but then perked up all of a sudden

If you like a good tap root on any of your root beg, sow/plant in a fine compost

Check out my roots at Blicky's Blog

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by kim bowers on May 16, 2011 at 17:55

Phew thanks so much Darren, i have 80 seedlings that i was about to through out :-/ don't know where i'm going to put them all, might have to give hubby a nudge to build me another raised bed or i'll pop up to my local alloments and see if theres anyone that wants them :-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by elaine rickett on May 16, 2011 at 19:02

I am trying raising swede in modules this year for the first time, there is no reason to suspect that this won't work. I would risk planting them out with as much potting compost attached to the roots as possible. Good luck.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Darren Blick on May 16, 2011 at 21:21

My swedes are currently in a seed tray, once they are big enough, I will transplant to 2" pots and then when fully established, will transplant out

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Colin Robinson on May 16, 2011 at 21:44

I've always sown my swedes direct into the soil in June so I might try some in modules just to see what difference it makes. I love sites like this where you can get ideas that you haven't tried before.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by elaine rickett on May 17, 2011 at 8:26

I agree Colin - just when you think you know it all up pops a different way of thinking. Going back to swedes - I would think growing in modules does away with all that thinning and maybe if they are a little more established when you plant them it may avoid attack by flea beetles, what do you think?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephen Byrne on May 17, 2011 at 21:56

Fantastic advice - roots in modules - I'd no idea, although I did start my beetroot off in modules this year so shouldn't be so surprised it's possible with others. I'd just about resigned myself to no parsnips this year with the first sowing failing but hopefully with modules there's a chance yet.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Zoe on May 18, 2011 at 9:10

My beetroot didn't germinate this time, so I think i'll pop some in modules & see what happens.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jenny Pipes on May 18, 2011 at 9:19

I did my parsnips in loo roll inners last year - put a couple of seeds in each one and then thinned one out when ready to plant. Put the whole thing into a hole and they all came up fantastically - I had the best row on the plot!

Am doing the same again this year, but am a bit behind at moment, however I'm sure they'll catch up!