Life used to be so simple. Packet of seed, a wooden seed try and shake of the hand, job done. Now there are all sorts of trays, inserts, propagators, heaters, grow lights, the list just goes on. Partly, I suspect, this is because we are growing a much wider selection of 'exotic' plants never heard of in my youth when my uncles had plots. My Dad was a record collector and spent all his spare time trawling the record shops of the west end (of London) or locked away in his record room cataloguing his collection. He was not at all interested in growing.
Musty records was not for me. Instead, I spent many a happy day 'helping' my uncles on their various allotments over the years. They never had vast amounts of growing paraphernalia the like of which we seem to have today. They never ate chillies, let alone grow them. It was meat and two veg. in those days of the 1950s and 60s for us living in working-class London.
Now here we are in a totally different world. I wonder what they would have said about 'No-dig'? Actually, I can imagine, but I would not be able to convey it to you here for fear of being reprimanded for using unacceptable language.
This week we have been using the Agralan Plug Plant Trainers. I first was these being used by a guy called Dean on YouTube (Dean's lost the plot) some time ago. I remember thinking at the time that they looked useful, but dismissed them as another newfangled gizmo (that is the trouble with being an old fud). After struggling trying to get the plants out of seed tray cell-inserts last year, I gave in a bought one of the Plug Plant Trainers a few weeks ago. Well I have to say even this old goat was impressed. They really do look as if they will solve lots of problems - they will certainly save space, which is always tight this time of year.
If there is one thing I have learnt over the years, it is that there is no one solution to where to or what to sow seeds in. In today's market there are plenty of ways of skinning that particular cat.
Going back to those early days around my uncles plots, fifty-plus years ago, I am sure that most, if not all of what they grew was sown direct and as far as I can remember they did not use nets or slug defences - or at least I don't remember them if they did.
Just a few observations while I sit here looking out over a snow-covered, frozen garden. Still, the temperature is set to rise this coming week, so after it all turns into a muddy quagmire, we may be able to get on with some real hands on growing, instead of thinking about it.
Ralph.