seed sowing query

RHYSDAD

I've been to Wyevale today and got just shy of £20 worth of seeds and a garlic bulb for £8.25 and on reading the backs of the packets, it says i need to propagate my climbing and runner beans before planting out. I don't want to have to invest in a blooming propagator, i was planning on chucking them in the greenhouse when it got a bit warmer. Can anyone advise me re this please. I just grew my runners in the conservatory last year and they were fine so i assume they'll be fine in a greenhouse? Help!!

Newbird

Yep, they will be fine! No need to get a propogater.

I have planted the seeds straight into where they are going, (when it's warm enough) no problems, but you may get a head start if you start them off indoors.

jollyanna

I often start mine off indoors mostly because I get mice in my greenhouse and they love to dig down in the pots and eat larger seed like runner beans, broad beans and sweetcorn.

foxgloves

No, don't spend money when you don't need to! I start beans & peas off every year in our unheated greenhouse. I use those big (pint sized?) yoghurt pots as they seem to like a good root run. I sow them in April, two to a pot, then start to harden them off by moving the pots outside gradually early May, then they go into the ground end of May. The only thing I personally find needs a bit of additional heat to get going is chillies so I do use a propogator for those, but just a non heated one (basically a small seed tray with a clear plastic lid!) which I bring inside onto a warm windowsill. As soon as they have the first 2 true leaves, they are then back off down the greenhouse with the rest of the stuff.

cootambear

A cardboard egg box on the window sill will do as a propogator. Also if you have planty of seeds, you can just plant them. Plants WANT to grow, so some will pop up. Sometimes gardening gets overcomplicated. sometimes better to save the stress, get em in the ground, see what happens.

RHYSDAD

cootambear wrote: »

A cardboard egg box on the window sill will do as a propogator. Also if you have planty of seeds, you can just plant them. Plants WANT to grow, so some will pop up. Sometimes gardening gets overcomplicated. sometimes better to save the stress, get em in the ground, see what happens.

My sentiments exactly!

angelavdavis

I start mine in a coldframe early so I can give them a chance against the slugs and snails! Toilet rolls filled with soil in a plant tray are good for runner beans as they get a long root run. An old cardboard box with a bit of glass on top would suffice for a coldframe. I certainly don't heat the space!

RHYSDAD

angelavdavis wrote: »

I start mine in a coldframe early so I can give them a chance against the slugs and snails! Toilet rolls filled with soil in a plant tray are good for runner beans as they get a long root run. An old cardboard box with a bit of glass on top would suffice for a coldframe. I certainly don't heat the space!

Do you then plant the whole roll as is or knock the plant out first?

Trishh_2

Yes, plant the whole roll. It'll decompose in the ground. This is how I do it every year and haven't had any problems. You might see the roll going a bit mouldy with watering etc, before you plant out, but this has no ill effect on the growing plants