[savbo]

I might also try starting off my tomatoes on top of the TV where they will get plenty of heat and care, worth a shot

Are you just trying to avoid having to talk to them? 

[DD.]

At least the reply to "is there anything on the telly tonight?" would be different.

[Kristen]

Thanks for the advice DD, would they become leggy even with my east and west facing skylights, my room is flloded with light even in winter?

Yes, IMHO. The sun is very low in the sky and thus "weak", doesn't shine for very many hours each day, and is overcast on many of them.

If you want to grow early my advice is to get a grow light - some Canna seed I sowed in October are now 4' tall and in flower!  The lamp and controller etc cost me £100 - not exactly cheap, but it is giving me something to do in the Winter and it doesn't half make my office bright when it is on

Lots of sites on the internet about growing Cannabis - those guys have it down to a fine art, and have done all the experimenting, you can just take advantage of their advice and grow a lower value crop!

[rowlandwells]

this is a really good topic as i started growing onions from seed this year with some good results they wasn't that big but they are keeping well

it sounds as though you need quite a bit of heat to start the seed  off i made a wooded propagator about 6ft/4ft with heated cable under a gravel bed and poly sheet over the top is there enough heat there for the onion seed to germinate i also made a smaller type about 2ft/2ft the propagator box sides are about 17ins deep with a wooden top incorporating a light bulb and heated cable on the base of the box it would probably hold about 4 trays i was also advised to put kitchen foil around the edges to keep in the heat

the only downside i suppose is the very cold nights in the greenhouse whats you opinions on both propagators do you think its worth a try  i started my onion seed off this year around the end of February

[JayG]

In our latitudes the mid-winter sun has only 2/3rds of the power it has in mid-summer, some of which is filtered out by the glass anyway (particularly double-glazing, although that does help to keep the temperatures up.)

Onions maybe, tomatoes I don't think so (they should grow like you-know-what off a stick anyway if sown indoors in early spring.) 

[Kristen]

In our latitudes the mid-winter sun has only 2/3rds of the power it has in mid-summer

I reckon its worse than that Jay (but I don't know how well plants can make use of what is available, maybe they do better than just simple measurement would suggest?)

Insolation at London's Latitude is about 0.49 kWh/m²/day in December, and 4.86 in June (which corresponds to what Solar Panel people have quoted me that I would get 10x as much output in mid-Summer as mid-Winter)

In Aberdeen its 0.30 kWh/m²/day in December, and 5.36 in June

(Data source: http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/gb-country.html )

[JayG]

In our latitudes the mid-winter sun has only 2/3rds of the power it has in mid-summer

I reckon its worse than that Jay (but I don't know how well plants can make use of what is available, maybe they do better than just simple measurement would suggest?)

Insolation at London's Latitude is about 0.49 kWh/m²/day in December, and 4.86 in June (which corresponds to what Solar Panel people have quoted me that I would get 10x as much output in mid-Summer as mid-Winter)

In Aberdeen its 0.30 kWh/m²/day in December, and 5.36 in June

(Data source: http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/gb-country.html )

OK but don't forget those figures are per day; summer days are much longer than winter days and the angle of the sun also affects the efficiency of solar panels.

P.S.  Did you know that the sun is actually nearer to the earth in winter than in summer due to the elliptical orbit of the earth? I didn't! Weird! 

[Jamie Butterworth]

Thanks for the advice everyone, my onions seeds arrived today (how good timing is that), I wil be sowing the onions tomorow as it says to on the back of the pack, i will wait a week or 2 for the toms, but the packet does say from early january

[mumofstig]

The early jan sowing will be for those with a heated greenhouse Jamie.............a luxury few of us can afford anymore

[DD.]

I sow indoors about mid-Feb,  window sill & aluminum foil job.

The heat goes on in the greenhouse mid-April & in they go.

[peapod]

I sow indoors about mid-Feb,  window sill & aluminum foil job.

And theres the amswer  :happy:

[DD.]

Other than the fact that I can't spell "aluminium".

Some times I wish it really was tin foil.

[peapod]

Other than the fact that I can't spell "aluminium".

Some times I wish it really was tin foil.

S'ok I cant spell answer 

[DD.]

I noticed, but at least I didn't highlight it!

[peapod]

I noticed, but at least I didn't highlight it!

Sorry, I didnt see it myself!
(Shall we book into some kind of spelling course this year  )