[AlaninCarlisle]

Applying patience is driving me mad. In previous years I've fruitlessly sown in April, no show has occurred and I've resown at the end of May or even early June. This year I'm determined to not waste my time again and will have just one sowing towards the end of this month. The patch is ready, tilled and looks accusingly at me every time I pass it

[jaydig]

I sowed mine several times last year and didn't get a single one, but this year I sowed a couple of weeks ago, and there are already signs of seedlings popping up.   Carrots seem to have germinated quite quickly this year too.   Hopefully we'll all have better luck this time.

[AlaninCarlisle]

I'm determined to sit on my thumbs until the end of the month.

[DHM]

I sowed my parnsips (student) and carrots about 5 or 6 weeks ago and only today saw the seedlings coming through... we enjoyed a celebratory coffee.

[Kleftiwallah]

I followed the advice about chitting the seeds, then transfering to long pots.  The only pain in the proboscis is that some rootlets became entangled in the fibres of the kitchen paper.

Would cotton wool be better?  Any other substrate advised?

Cheers,  Tony.

[Potterer]

Kleftiwallah I tear or cut the kitchen towel and put it all in together....

[Pescador]

I sowed on 20th and 21st April.
Nothing showing this morning.

[goose]

ive just done my 3rd sowing

ive warned them its now or never

[JayG]

I sowed on 20th and 21st April.
Nothing showing this morning.

Don't lose hope yet - for the last few years I haven't sown mine until mid May, and they still take 3 weeks to appear!

[Mr Dog]

I sowed on 20th and 21st April.
Nothing showing this morning.

Don't lose hope yet - for the last few years I haven't sown mine until mid May, and they still take 3 weeks to appear!

I sowed a few chitted seeds (checking viability of some old seed, not itchy fingers honest) over 3 weeks ago and they're only just starting to pop up!

[Pescador]

Those that I sowed 20/21st, I would expect to see around 18th May. I put some radish at stations in the rows as indicators, so I know where to look!!

[Aidy]

Mine have just gone into the tubs waiting for the spruts to appear then they will go straight into the ground, dont understand the need for potting on, once they have germinated there really is no need as you know they are away.

[Wiltshire Worms]

I tried 24 cardboard coffee cups, cut the bottoms out, filled with MPC and sowed 3 seeds in each cup.Every one germinated. So I sacrificed the 2 weakest in each pot to to gardening gods, and planted out using a bulb planter which took out a perfect coffee cup shaped plug of soil. They seem to have taken OK,  now wait and see what we get

[Thrutchington]

I have student and gladiator F1 now sowing signs of germination, the ground is now warming up and they get a light watering at about 8pm in the current conditions which seems to keeping things ticking over.

[Flowertot]

It’s hard, isn’t it Alan?! I never sow until mid-late May (and I’m on the edge of London) and I get a good crop. I’ve just checked and last year I sowed parsnips on 15 May so I’ll be sowing mine sometime in the next week. Like you, I’ve found there’s no point sowing them earlier as I get a much better crop sowing them now(ish). Hold your nerve and you’ll be rewarded