Sproutlings Update

Finally, after pretty much giving up on the critters, we have some Hungarian Hot Wax sproutings: four of the seeds have germinated, with potentially a few more to follow. They are currently looking quite lonely on the windowsill as all of their tomato and parsley seedling mates - sown at the same time - were pricked, replanted  and relocated down to the greenhouse outside a couple of weeks ago.

Their only company in the house is a plate of sweetcorn kernals sat in damp kitchen in the airing cupboard.

Outside are the tomatoes - a dozen Gardeners Delight (100% germination rate), nine Ferline (75%), and a mere three Harbingers (25%) - and a dozen Giant Italian flat-leaf parsley plants. They are joined by four cucumbers, a load of leeks (the new plantings quickly germinated) and some Summer Purple sprouting (15 plants = 100% germination rate). A tray of Giant Prague celeriac promises seedling action over the coming days.

In an effort to prevent a repeat of the 'greenhouse blown over in the wind' disaster, I have pushed some of the larger pieces of garden furniture up against it for additional support.

Busted

There's not been much allotment activity over the last couple of weeks due to a combination of bitterly cold winter and a Star Wars Jedi Academy birthday party for my now five year old son. Creating a life-sized Jabba the Hutt head and a Pin the Lightsaber on Yoda game took preference over digging and planting. So except for a tray of tomatoes, cucumbers and flat-leaf parsley being seeded & sprouting*, it's been very quiet.

I'd almost given up on the 5 pots of leek seeds that I'd planted on the 17th and 20th of February, but on Tuesday I came home to find a wealth of tiny seedlings pushing their weenie green heads through the compost. Nestled snugly in my four tier plastic greenhouse the little chaps looked in good health and I was felling warm, excited and quite pleased with myself in equal measures. The prospect of 3 or 4 rows of leeks would quicken the heart of any allotmenteer.

So coming home last night to find that a malicious supernatural wind had blown over my greenhouse** - not only crippling a tray of 5" tall sweetpeas, but decimating the whole collection of 60+ leek seedlings - was a cruel and heavy blow.

I tried in vain to save some - I have about 8 left in a pot and they look worse for wear.

So we start again from scratch... I've planted some more up in a few pots and now plan to plant some more in the coldframe up at the allotment in order to give them a headstart and attempt to play catch-up.


* My Hungerian Hotwax chilli peppers have so far failed to germinate :(
** Considering the greenhouse was weighed down at the bottom with some big heavy pots and a bag of compost I can only conclude it was a gust born of supernatural forces!

Busting for a leek

I left the office 20 minutes early last night in order to pot up some leek seeds. By the time I got home though it was pretty much pitch black so my pottering about had to be in the fluorescent glow of the garage light. The plan to pot up both early and later varieties was curtailed, so only the late Blue Solaise variety got seeded. Three good sized pots were impregnated with 10 to 11 seeds each, a couple of cm apart. As my rows are 4.5m long, if all germinate that should just me a decent row with a few extras to dot in here and there over the plot. The pots were popped into the unheated mini greenhouse.

I've almost finished my allotment excel plan, and depending on the final outcome I may well look to add a second row of these leeks, so another batch of seeds might go in over the weekend, together with the early Jolants.

Q: What are long, green, scaly, have lots of teeth and used on stage by actors?

A: Propagators

The seeds we planted a fortnight ago - Witkiem Manita broad beans, Kelvedon Wonder peas, Percy Thrower and Spencer Special Mix sweetpeas, Little Gem, Saladin and Marvel of Four Season lettuces - have been doing great guns in our windowsill propagators. Photo of the peas and Little Gems shows the progress they've made.

Thing is, I don't really know what to do next and when. Is it safe for me to put some of these little chaps outside in my unheated mini greenhouse? Do I leave them in the propagator with or without the lid on? How big do the plants need to get before I get start transferring them elsewhere or putting them in the ground?

This is the problem with being a novice...