[gunner]

help, i'm quite confused with growing vegetables from seeds started indoors. So far i've planted celeriac, pak choi, sprouting brocoli, and calabrese. Most i planted into modules thinking this would be best as each plant could grow on in its own cell witch would make it easier when it came to potting on. Most of the seed went in the airing cupboard and germinated very quickly, i've kept them indoors in the warm on cold days but taken them out to my small polytunnel when the weathers been warm, bringing back in at night. Most of the seedlings seem very leggy and spindly. I've read in a couple of books that seedlings should be potted on before they develop true leaves, but this seems to make the sowing of the seeds in indivdual cells pretty pointless, or am I missing the point?, has this caused the seedlings spindly growth or that i've started them at too warm a temperature? any guidance would be much appreciated

[DD.]

Brassicas in particular dislike warmth, you've hit them with a double whammy of heat and lack of light. We're even getting to the time where they can be sown outdoors.

Even a few hours in an aircupboard with lack of light can put seedlings beyond the stage of rescue.

You can try re-potting, but it's often easier (and more beneficial as you'll have weak plants), to start again.

Were there no instructions with the seeds, as I hope the packets would not have told you to do this!

[JayG]

I've read in a couple of books that seedlings should be potted on before they develop true leaves, but this seems to make the sowing of the seeds in indivdual cells pretty pointless, or am I missing the point?

Are you sure you've read this correctly? - I'm getting to the age when I'm more likely to make mistakes  but I still feel quite confident saying that there are very few seedlings which are normally potted on at the seed leaf stage (thinning; possibly, potting-on; different.)

[DD.]

My rule of thumb is to pot on once they've got their first true leaves.

[mattwragg94]

i agree with DD - pot them on when they have developed their true leaves! - that reminds me, my cabbages need to be potted on!

[gunner]

thanks for such quick response, the book i've been using (gardening under plastic) says "seedlings should be pricked out as soon as they are large enough to handle" and shows a diagram of 2 seedlings the first with just 2 ssed leaves and the second with a few roots and the start of true leaves and says seedlings should be pricked out between these two stages. The Unwins seed packets say for indoor planting the seeds should be placed in warmth 10-15 degrees c, I would guess my airing cupboard is warmer than that so I've probably gone wrong there. I will probably be starting to sow seeds outside very soon but the River Cottage book "Veg Patch" made such a good case for starting seeds off early indoors that it seemed a very good idea and worth doing, perhaps not?

[viettaclark]

I used to try and get earlier crops by starting indoors but have learned patience and sow later outside now. The seedlings are strong, I don't need to faff about moving them in and out to harden off and it doesn't take long for the plants to catch up with earlier sown ones.
Early brassicas (sprouts, summer psb), lettuces, leeks were sown outside in seed trays in an open zip-up greenhouse shelving thingy and they're all up. Parsnips (with radish to mark the rows) beetroot, mangetout, sugarsnaps and spring onions were sown out in the beds and I shall be sowing pak choi , perpetual spinach and Swiss chard out tomorrow before the rain (hopefully) comes at the w/e.
I'm even going to try sowing my runners and French beans direct this year instead of using pots.
The only ones I'll start inside next month are the tomatoes and concurbits.
If you look at the instructions on the packets you won't go too wrong!

[TheSpartacat]

My understanding of "pricking out" seedlings is that this is done when all the seeds have been sown in a seed bed, or a seed tray, rather than individual cells.... it saves the bother of sowing individual cells and having some cells empty from not germinating, or way behind the others because that seed took longer to germinate or is a weaker seedling - pricking out means you can choose your strongest healthiest looking seedlings...
You prick out when it has developed it's first true leaves
Here's a Monty Don video about it
http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/basics/how-to-prick-out-seedlings/298.html

Agree with others that the conditions you sowed your brassicas in weren't ideal, but not to worry, its all a learning curve- there's plenty of time to sow now under a cloche or outdoors in a few weeks

[DD.]

I'm even going to try sowing my runners and French beans direct this year instead of using pots.

They are one of the things I won't sow direct. The emerging plants are slug vulnerable and germination is not so good. If I put a reasonable size plants out, I know I'm not going to get gaps and they're not going to get attacked.

I start them in deep trays in the cold greenhouse, (but not yet), and as soon as they've germinated they come outside. They can so go back in at night if a frost threatens.

[BabbyAnn]

I'm even going to try sowing my runners and French beans direct this year instead of using pots.

They are one of the things I won't sow direct. The emerging plants are slug vulnerable and germination is not so good. If I put a reasonable size plants out, I know I'm not going to get gaps and they're not going to get attacked.

In the past I've always sowed these in pots at home and planted out later but last year it all got a bit panicky and stressful (a very warm spring confusing the natural order of things among other things) so I sowed mine direct in the hope it would save me a task later on - well, the "heatwave" disappeared soon after sowing and I'd say about only 60% germinated and survived leaving gaps.  Back to the pots regardless of what the weather is doing .... 

[viettaclark]

Hmmm....maybe I'll do them in pots first then......I always have in the past.
I was just feeling confident after I threw in some Blue Lake climbing French bean really late (about August) last year, not expecting anything. Although the seed was old I got several good plants that grew madly and supplied beans til November/December!!!!

[Yorkie]

I tried a second sowing of beans in the ground, at the time of planting out pot grown ones.  The slugs had them all before they reached 3" tall.

[viettaclark]

I'm touching wood here but my slug situation has dramatically improved with multiple assaults using chickens, scissors at midnight and blue pellets. The only ones around at the moment are the little ones in the earth that don't do that much damage.
HOWEVER.....we're (hopefully) going to get some rain and we'll see what comes sliming out of the cracks, eh?

[DD.]

The only ones around at the moment are the little ones in the earth that don't do that much damage.

Are you sure? They sound like black keeled slugs that can wreak havoc with your spuds.