Yes, the seed sowing season has begun! The new year always starts with sowing seeds for the growing season ahead. Now is the perfect time to set up you seed growing area whether that be in the green house or on a bright windowsill.
We have a great selection of seeds available, many of which can be sown now. Seeds such as Aubergines, Chillis and Sweet peas all benefit from being sown in January.
There are a few things to bear in mind for seed sowing season. Warm rooms and low light levels can result in ‘leggy’ seedlings which can easily rot off. Choose a cool and bright location for your seed trays and propagators to be set up. You will need the following items to be ready for the seed sowing season:
1. Seeds. Choose what seeds you want to grow. We stock Sutton seeds and Franchi seeds. We have found over the years that these brands are very reliable and have a long shelf life. Each packet of seeds will have growing instructions on the back and will also tell you the best time of year to sow them.
- Suttons seeds
- Bedding plants
- seeds
2. Growing containers. You will need to decide what is the best growing container to use depending on the type of seeds you are growing and the quantity you want to grow. Chillis and Aubergines are best grown 2 or 3 seedlings to a pot whereas you can plant multiple sweet peas in either a pot or a tray and latter thin them out. If reusing old pots and trays, ensure that you give them a good clean with diluted bleach to prevent spread of disease or infection.
Basic plastic pots
3. Compost. A good peat free seed compost is best.
4. Labels. Reusable plastic labels are best in our opinion. You can write on them in pencil or marker pen and reuse for many years. Alternatively wooden lollipop sticks work well but you may find that the writing starts to fade after a while.
5. Bottom heat. Some seeds such as chillis benefit from being grown on a heat pad or in a heated propagator. This Speeds up the germination process but is not ideal for seeds like sweet peas which will get too tall to quickly.
For more info on the seed sowing season visit:https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/your-seed-sowing-year/
For more jobs in the garden:https://slohis.com/home/contact-us/about-us/seasonal-advice/winter/
