The even newer good, bad and ugly of growing your own in 2021!

Suffolk_lass

greenbee said:

Suffolk_lass said:

I have succumbed to the offer of a basic electric propagator that accommodates four small covered trays for just under £20 from my local seed supplier. All the second packet of sungold tomato seeds have now germinated - still in the kitchen with the rabbit food cosmos seedlings

I was repotting my cosmos seedlings earlier, and wondering how big they need to be  in order to survive the rabbits... 

I can't answer that as they turn into stumps overnight whenever planted in the ground - we have resorted to tubs and pots on tables

-taff

Has anyone grown celtuce?

carinjo

-taff said:

Has anyone grown celtuce?

I had to look it up, thought there was a typo! If you do grow it, let us know how it does.
Got one more spade width to dig for potatoes and then a second dig next week. Onions have started coming up. Started on covering the area for squash with proper weedsuppressing fabric, peg bag was empty! Will finish that tomorrow. 

LessImpecunious

-taff said:

Has anyone grown celtuce?

Was waiting to see if anyone else had, but since not, yes, I have, tho it was several years ago. From what I remember they grow as easily as lettuce, and produce a very thick version of the bolted stem which is not bitter as some bolted lettuce stems can be. If you enjoy eating the crunchy bolted stems of lettuce before they go bitter I would recommend!

Suffolk_lass

LessImpecunious said:

-taff said:

Has anyone grown celtuce?

Was waiting to see if anyone else had, but since not, yes, I have, tho it was several years ago. From what I remember they grow as easily as lettuce, and produce a very thick version of the bolted stem which is not bitter as some bolted lettuce stems can be. If you enjoy eating the crunchy bolted stems of lettuce before they go bitter I would recommend!

Ooh thank you for that. I had to look it up too. In fact someone on another place who is disabled was talking about what they can grow from their wheelchair and I asked them if they had grown it too.

Pennysmakepounds

Why are my seedlings dying??
I have a propagator and loads of seeds grew but they seem to be dying off now .
Anyone else have this issue? 

JasperAlex

Pennysmakepounds said:

Why are my seedlings dying??
I have a propagator and loads of seeds grew but they seem to be dying off now .
Anyone else have this issue? 

Same, all my chilli seedlings have died. Not having too much success with the tomato seeds I planted at the beginning of March; only 1 out of around 12 tomato seeds has germinated. First time buying more expensive f1 seeds and was pretty frugal with them. I've planted an extra 6 just in case, fingers crossed. I've moved them all from the conservatory to the kitchen where it is a little warmer. Hoping the improved weather next week will make a difference.

Fosterdog

I'm not having problems with anything dying but have got my calabrese broccoli going leggy even though the same amount of light is enough for all of my other seedlings. No signs of life at all from my peppers yet, it's been 11 days so I know it's still early for them but I remembered that the same seed packet had a 0% germination rate last year so I'll give them until next week and will buy some new seeds to start late.

Suffolk_lass

JasperAlex said:

Pennysmakepounds said:

Why are my seedlings dying??
I have a propagator and loads of seeds grew but they seem to be dying off now .
Anyone else have this issue? 

Same, all my chilli seedlings have died. Not having too much success with the tomato seeds I planted at the beginning of March; only 1 out of around 12 tomato seeds has germinated. First time buying more expensive f1 seeds and was pretty frugal with them. I've planted an extra 6 just in case, fingers crossed. I've moved them all from the conservatory to the kitchen where it is a little warmer. Hoping the improved weather next week will make a difference.

I pop my tray of seeds on top of the bug zapper on my kitchen window sill. All the tomatoes except one variety germinated. Bought more seeds of the ones that didn't go and they have all germinated now. Only four chillies out of 24 but that is par for the course with me. 

Once they have germinated I look to pot on as soon as a second pair of leaves appears, into potting on compost (JIN02) in individual 9cm pots. There are more nutrients in that compost. I also water the tray, not the top, and bury any leggy stems so that roots form on the spindly stems. Once repotted I keep them in my unheated greenhouse (where something is munching some of them) - about 25% fall to whatever it is. The exception is sweet peas where whatever it is has snapped ll the stalks and left the leaflets on the top. Grr!

JasperAlex

Thanks @Suffolk_lass for the advice. Think I will have to invest in a bug zapper to help with the germination. I've never had any issues in the past with germinating tomato seeds though, maybe it's because it's been a little cooler the past few weeks and usually I start sowing the seeds around late March/April time when it's a bit warmer.