[AndyArch]

Getting itchy fingers and want to start planting some seeds but is it too early!!

I only have a south facing windowsill or an unheated polytunnel so is it too early to start tomatoes, chilli's and peppers. They will not go outside until mid/late May.

Any advice appreciated and welcomed

[mjg000]

I've spent the morning cleaning up all the plastic seed trays. Am delaying sowing anything for as long as I can stay away from it - last year ended up with so many straggly, leggy seedlings that I learned my lesson.  Also only have a warm bathroom which though it has lots of natural light means that they all lean one way!

[m1ckz]

same here     seeds all ready lol   gona put a few tattys in pots in the tunnel next week, it will make a show

[JayG]

There's a 'sticky' thread (currently just above this one) which will take you to articles on the main site about what to sow and in which month. 

[Fairy Plotmother]

My fingers are so itchy, I've had to smear them in cream and put on cotton gloves!😆🙌

[ghost61]

I've got to get the propagator out and start.  Now that the potatoes are chitting, I can't resist trying some toms peppers and aubergines. 

[Kristen]

I only have a south facing windowsill or an unheated polytunnel so is it too early to start tomatoes

Yes. They will be huge by the time they are ready to go out, if started now, and the poor light quality, for another month, will mean they will be leggy and weak.

chilli's and peppers

Maybe ...

They will not go outside until mid/late May.

... if they are an outdoor crop, rather than in pots / indoor / greenhouse (you mentioned Polytunnel, maybe that is only to raise the plants?) then better to wait.  Personally I start Peppers now as I aim for long-season growing for them, but I have growing lights to bring them on until the greenhouse is warm enough, and light is strong enough.

[surbie100]

I usually wait to mid-Feb before sowing chillies etc because I'm in the same position as you AndyArch. The windowsill is sunny, but currently it is freezing near the glass and my experimental chillies have stalled. I'm on the top floor of a block of flats and the light coming in is good, but it doesn't last very long.

[BabbyAnn]

Considering AndyArch lives in Northumberland, I'd be very tempted to start sowing those chilli and pepper seeds now rather than later - about the 3rd week in January is recommended by several chilli sites, but yes, you do need serious warmth up to 30oC.  Use an airing cupboard (or a propagator) to start the seeds off - you don't need to sow directly but try chitting them first (between layers of damp paper towel and the tray in a bag to keep humidity high)  Give it a couple of days but thereafter, do keep checking daily to see if there are signs of germination when the root comes through, and then sow into warmed compost immediately.  Some seeds can be stubborn and take up to 3 weeks and hopefully by then, the cold snap will be replaced by warmer sunshine when the seedlings will need good light 

[Kristen]

Good point about any slow germinators.  I only grow a couple of varieties of Chilli, and they are "easy" ones, so they, together with all my varieties of Sweet Pepper, were up in under 10 days.

[Twitch]

Well it's this Sunday for me   

Spuds going in bags, in to my Polly tunnel, Chillies and Toms in my heated prop...
Cabbage, spring onions and lettuce in the polly as well....

Along with my paraffin heaters..

Just couldn't wait any longer,  also brought a few extra seeds just in case these fail...

[Salmo]

You can start some broad beans but there is no hurry for a couple of weeks. Put in a window to start them off. Once they germinate put them in a cold frame. Plant out as soon as the first leaves start to expand. If you let them get bigger they will quickly become leggy.

[DD.]

I might start some of my tomatoes soon, BUT these are destined for the greenhouse that has good thermostatically controlled heating. I can keep these in the house for a while before they go to the greenhouse, but there are limits on what you can do in that respect.

It will be another 6 weeks or so before the tomatoes for the unheated greenhouse see the compost and even these will have to be kept indoors and the fully heated greenhouse for a while.

There will be very little other sowing until March.

I forget how many years we've been through this scenario now!

[barley]

I have tomatoes through 

peppers and aubergines just showing 

I have a large fold up table that goes in front of patio window so plenty of room to keep them in for 6 weeks
after that they go in poly tunnel in my home made safe box

safe box I here you ask ? it's a corner of the poly tunnel cordoned off with poly styrene sheets and racking in
on cold nights the lid goes on and an old quilt thrown over that  and a small thermostatic heater goes in on a frost free setting - works a treat and saves heating a huge area - will post a picture up when I have it assembled in a few weeks time

only start early if you have room to bring them on other wise as the others have said they will be weak and leggy but you get a much earlier crop and prolonged growing season if you can start early 

rotovater coming out this weekend - now the ground has dried off a bit - there's no stopping me now

[surbie100]

I forget how many years we've been through this scenario now!

     Bear with us DD!

My fingers are so itchy, I've had to smear them in cream and put on cotton gloves!😆🙌