[pawsnclaws]

is it best to satrt seeds in trays or straight into the ground last year was my first year being an allotment holder and everything grew from seeds appart from some sprouts and broc i brought in plants and every thing grew was it just beginers fluke 

[DD.]

is it best to satrt seeds in trays or straight into the ground

Depends on what you're growing.

[Fisherman]

Some seeds are better grown direct like carrots, parsnips, beetroot, turnips, swede, radish etc. Others can be sown in trays and pots and planted out when they have grown to a decent size and before they become pot bound. If you grow them in pots under glass or on an internal windowsill they need to be hardened off by gradually getting them used to outdoor conditions. This can be done by putting them outside during the day and bringing them back in during the night and keeping them in a relative cool and frost free place. A lot depends on the weather conditions and type of seeds being grown as to whether you get good germination rates by sowing direct in the ground. I prefer to sow as much as possible in pots as I can control the conditions which gives good germination rates (generally). My garden is generally wet until May which makes sowing direct unreliable.

Things to grow in pots: - Broad Beans, French Beans, Runner Beans, Squash, Pumpkin, Sweetcorn, Courgette etc.

Things to grow in trays and then pot on: - Cabbages, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Kale, Lettuce etc.

All of the above can be grown in peat pots without sowing in trays but that can be expensive. If you search the site there is a good way of growing seeds in paper pots made from newspaper which works well and is low cost.

You could do a combination of sowing some seed direct that you have had good success with and planting some in pots / trays that have been problematic.


Hope that helps.