[steve chip]

hi to all, wat would be the best way off giving my seeds head start? do u need to buy propogation kits or is there a cheaper alternative?

[DD.]

You cannot give a sweeping cover-all answer to that.

Thinking you're giving them a head start often works out not to be that. You end up with weak plants. It's quite often better to be late than early.

Don't forget that if you start early, the outside has to be ready to receive them - often not the case.

Not all seeds are suitable for a propagator - I have never used one in the 40+ years I've been growing, but they can be useful for plants like tomatoes & peppers that will ultimately been grown in a warm enviroment.

The old maxim "what does it say on the packet" is good advice to follow.

[Yorkie]

It partly depends on what you're growing but no, you don't need a propagator as a general rule.

Without more detail from you, think along the following lines:

Brassicas don't like heat to start off.  You'll do them more harm than good with heat.
Don't sow too early if the plant is not frost hardy - you won't be able to plant it outdoors until late May or June (if you edit your profile to show your location it would help) and it will get leggy inside if it is sown too early
Use decent compost
Give it decent light.  Use the search facility for 'aluminium foil' as terms.

[ecky]

 ;)You mods must get fed up of newbies not stating their location when joining this site.

Most people are used to filling forms on line with mandatery information required, usually  highlighted and the enquiry not excepted till fulfilled properly. Can't you do the same?

[DD.]

Looking at the posts, myself & Yorkie are in agreement.

WAIT!

[steve chip]

thanks for the advice, im looking at growing borlotto beans, courgettes, tomatoes, lettuce, strawberrys and potatoes...

im living down the south east near margate the weather starts to get fairly sunny and warm around april time...

any hints and tips would be very gratefull... 

[JayG]

There are many helpful articles in the main part of this website; here is a good guide to sowing times but there are also a lot of articles about growing specific vegetables (especially potatoes and tomatoes.)

If you don't find your answers there try "searching" the forums (have just done a search for "borlotti" and there are 5 pages of results!)

Good luck! 

[Rangerkris]

Steve i think we do tend to get nearer the sowing times on the packets than some of the people up north and we tend to get a long growing period as well as we can be just that 4-5 degrees warmer.

Good luck with your growing and enjoy

[lucywil]

the best advice would be to wait, i will be starting my tomatoes and peppers off in a couple of weeks but they will never be going outside, they will stay in a heated conservatory and some will move later to the greenhouse,

bearing in mind the late frost we had last year i'm not starting anything til mid april