When to sow with holidays coming

anonmoose

Hi All

I live in the Midlands and I have usually have started seed by now and have an allotment sized patch so grow a lot. 

Trouble is I am going on holiday for a week in the school easter holidays mid April and don't know the best way to do it. I have a greenhouse and last frost here I think end April.

Do I sow them now and try to get them in greenhouse before I go or sow them just before with aim of leaving them on those green capillary mats? Or I could just sow them before I go hoping they will be OK when I get back?

I have no one locally available to look after them.

Other alternative is buy plug plants this year. I usually grow courgette, cuc, lots of Tom's, butternut squash etc.

I have left mature stuff in greenhouse for a week before with capillary mat and buckets etc but never tried with seedlings so not sure what to do! Any advice welcome.

LessImpecunious

You don't need to sow courgettes, cucumbers, squash, etc until mid April at earliest, so suggest you wait with those and sow as soon as you get back from hols; tomatoes should probably be sown around now if you haven't already, so you could try leaving them on your mats while away and resort to plugs if they don't survive. (Timings from No-Dig Charles Dowding's sowing timeline, which many find very useful - https://charlesdowding.co.uk/sowing-timeline-for-vegetables/).

anonmoose

Thanks the link is really helpful. I usually sow everything too early so this year will be very different.  

I will sow what I can outside that can take care of itself and I think I will sow a few Tomatoes now and aim to buy some Tomato plants from a local seller as a back up.