[Springlands]

Nothing as yet - far too cold and damp as yet. For beginners (and as a reminder to the rest of us) the 'Month by Month' tab at the top of the page gives a good guide to what should be sown and when but it is important to take into account where you live and your own growing conditions.

[mumofstig]

That's blooming early!

Parsnips & carrots not till April - swede May/June.

I like to give the parsnips an early start in mid-March. I sow in root-trainers and plant out.
It's a bit of 'faffing' around for a couple of weeks early start, but gets them going, gives me something positive to do  and I have no thinning to do after they are planted out. The trick is to get them into the ground before the tap root reaches the bottom of the container. It's worked well for me and delivered good parsnips in the past.

That's fair enough, many do that   DD was asking SG6 why he was going to sow them soon  :blink: it just seems much to early to some of us 

[Jamrock]

With Christmas and the shortest day out of the way and a new year just started it's all too easy to get carried away and start things off way too early - just remember that for tender crops most parts of the UK can only count on about 4 frost-free months outdoors in summer.

I feel quite lucky that down here there are only 4 months of the year when there is a possibility of frost. And 2.5 of those months have already passed

Broad beans will be my next sowing in modules in around a months time, followed by tomatoes indoors

[Christine]

There are broad beans in trays at home. Winter onion sets and garlic just beginning to show dpwn the bog garden - erm, sorry - allotment.

[GingerSi]

Nothing at all. The only thought I've had is taking the seeds I've been bought for Christmas into the outhouse.  I did have a good clear out of weeds last weekend though.

[Mum2six]

I planted some sprouted garlic on Monday. 

At home, I have a Vegtrug.  It has salad leaves that have been fine all winter, so I'm going to sow a few more and just hope.  On Tuesday I'm going to sow spinach.  I did well with it from Feb-May last year, so hope that it will germinate under cover this early.

[lazza]

I'm thinking of planting some chilli and pepper seeds in an unheated propagator in our conservatory, as I have realised my later sowings have not given the peppers/chillis long enough to ripen.

But I would welcome some advice on whether this will work...

At this time of year, does the propagator need to be heated to make this successful? If the heating is on or it is sunny, I think the temperature will be OK for germination, but if the heating is off (through the main part of the day and overnight) and it's not sunny (most of the time!), will that reduce the chances of germination and/or kill off anything that does germinate?

[Willow_Warren]

I was thinking of starting some chillies off early (maybe only this immediate cold snap is over), thinking that I had bought some seeds in the 50p sale, but then realised I hasn't bought any!

I was really surprised that B&Q had plug plants, small 3cm pots of things like geranium, fushias and variagated trailers that I forget the name of!  It must be too early for bedding plants, even smallish ones!?!?!?

Hannah

[DD.]

I'm thinking of planting some chilli and pepper seeds in an unheated propagator in our conservatory, as I have realised my later sowings have not given the peppers/chillis long enough to ripen.

But I would welcome some advice on whether this will work...

At this time of year, does the propagator need to be heated to make this successful? If the heating is on or it is sunny, I think the temperature will be OK for germination, but if the heating is off (through the main part of the day and overnight) and it's not sunny (most of the time!), will that reduce the chances of germination and/or kill off anything that does germinate?

The overnight temperatures will be way too low for germination.

I use a heated propagator for mine.

It's called a plastic bag in a centrally heated bedroom!

[mumofstig]

I'm thinking of planting some chilli and pepper seeds in an unheated propagator in our conservatory, as I have realised my later sowings have not given the peppers/chillis long enough to ripen.

But I would welcome some advice on whether this will work...

At this time of year, does the propagator need to be heated to make this successful? If the heating is on or it is sunny, I think the temperature will be OK for germination, but if the heating is off (through the main part of the day and overnight) and it's not sunny (most of the time!), will that reduce the chances of germination and/or kill off anything that does germinate?

Seeds prefer a constant temperature to germinate. Periods of getting hot and then cold really aren't a good idea at all, any that do germinate will struggle to survive in those conditions  

sort of snap 

[Optimistic Gardener]

I planted my chilli and pepper seeds in my heated propagator yesteday - yippee.    I felt that given the grotty summer we had I just didn't have enough time in the season to get as many peppers and chillies ripe as I would have liked.

I also bunged in a few sweet pea seeds in pots and stood those on the propagator as well.  I sowed some Winter Gem lettuce seeds and Holland Blood Red spring / bulbing onions in cells and then put them in a foil backed box with a clear plastic lid on in my southfacing window cill.

I've not tried Holland Blood Red onions before - they seemed a good idea because I could take a few as spring onions and then leave some to bulb up.  Has anyone else tried them?

[mumofstig]

For some reason mine didn't do very well, so I changed to Long Red Florence - which I treat in the same way, it is just more reliable for me here.

Good luck with yours though 

[Jamrock]

I'm thinking of planting some chilli and pepper seeds in an unheated propagator in our conservatory, as I have realised my later sowings have not given the peppers/chillis long enough to ripen.

But I would welcome some advice on whether this will work...

At this time of year, does the propagator need to be heated to make this successful? If the heating is on or it is sunny, I think the temperature will be OK for germination, but if the heating is off (through the main part of the day and overnight) and it's not sunny (most of the time!), will that reduce the chances of germination and/or kill off anything that does germinate?

Chilli seeds have a high germination temperatures anyway so will be most successful and quicker if you have a heated propagator. An airing cupboard or similarly warm place is ideal if you don't have a heated propagator - just remember to check frequently and take them out as soon as they've germinated to a spot at room temperature

edited to correct a spelling for search purposes

[hightide]

Sweet peas now in root trainers in the conservatory.

Onion Ailsa Craig, Red Baron and Takmark in propagator.

Couldn't wait