[Michael D]

Hi  all      I`ve  decided   to plant  my  seeds  in plugs  next  year,  This  will   be  my  first  atempt  at  plugs.     can  anyone   advice  me  on   which   plant   does well  in  plugs.                Thanks  Michael

[Yorkie]

I would avoid any root crops such as carrots or parsnips as they don't really like root disturbance.

Things like peas can be sown direct.

But you should do OK with most other plants.  Just don't start them off too early or you'll end up with leggy plants before you can put them out after the risk of frost has passed.  Also make sure you don't keep things like brassicas too warm, they don't appreciate kindness!

[chriscross1966]

dunno where you'll be putting the compost though.....


Seriously though, nearly everything can be done in modules... you might have to get specific as to variety though... I doubt Cylindra beetroots would like them much but Boltardy works well, as do the ball-rooted monogerm varieties. Not peas, beans or sweetcorn as they need more space, though you'd get away with the 15-drop  tray ones I guess... onions work well, all sorts really, giants and big mains on thier own in a 40-drop in a propagator in January, cluster mains 4 or 45 seeds in a 40-drop, pickling and spring say 10 seeds per module in a 40-drop.

All the brassicas including swede will work and you avoid some of the shock of transplanting.

Salads, especially lettuce.

Herbs: parsley, oregano, both chives, thyme and basil all work well, along with coriander and fennel.

 Contrary to popular opinion  you can start carrots and parsnips off in modules. Get a 24-drop and populate it with toilet roll tubes for carrots and kitchen-roll tubes for parsnips... tie them up with something to stop them flopping around.. fill with compost and sow 2-3 (maincrop carrots and parsnips) to 7-10 (baby carrots) seeds in the top of each... plant out once they've got going properly... no thinning means less carrot root fly damage hopefully.....same system should work on other long-roots like mooli, hamburg parsley etc

All the standard GH tender veg will work, tomatos, peppers, chillis, aubergine, okra etc, though the cucurbits will need the 15-drop ones. Same goes for the outdoor cucurbits, gherkins, courgettes, squashes and pumpkins.....

I do nearly everything except tubers in modules to start... and there are sevreal good reasons to:

 1 it saves on seed wastage, helpful if its an expensive seed that will last but there's more in the packet than you need

2: They take up less space meaning you can keep them somewhere better protected frrom the elements and pests,

3: It also allows you to get your sowing done when you want rather than needing a nice day.... which means earlier starts for several things that like long growing seasons like celeriac, parsnips and leeks
chrisc

4: quite a lot of them can be planted out through weed-supressants as small plants, saves on the weeding a lot....

chrisc

[barbarella]

Thanks ChrisCross - that's a very useful summary.  I've printed it out (minus the photos ) and stuck it in my gardening diary.