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It seems I have a lot to learn!

25 comments


Well GoYers, my L plates are weighing heavy this week.

While I’ve been reasonably keen on gardening for a few years I am a complete newby when it comes to vegetables and in particular, growing from seed.

This spring / summer I decided to make life easy for myself, and try to make success more likely, by buying plug plants from Delfland Nurseries Limited. (I’d recommend them very highly if anyone is interested in going that route.)

Now that I have my lovely greenhouse I thought I’d try growing some winter salad leaves to tickle the taste-buds in the cooler months. Three different mixtures in three seed trays.

I mixed up some general purpose compost with vermiculite for my seed trays and made my first mistake. I put in far too many seeds.

My second mistake was in not realizing how flimsy the seed trays which came ‘free’ with the greenhouse were. A few days after sowing the seeds, one of the trays decided to launch itself into space (ok, I was turning it around so the it would get light from the other direction) and I had the lovely job of cleaning compost and vermiculite off shelves, glass, floor… It went everywhere! I now have the seed trays stacked, three deep to prevent that happening again.

My third Mistake: After 10 days there were plenty of seedlings, looking very fit and healthy and I thought that it was time to transplant them (is this ‘pricking them out’?). I had plenty of old (plastic) pots which I cleaned with Jeys Fluid, following the instructions on the tin, mixed up some more compost / vermiculite according to directions and started, using my little dibber and tiny fork.

I’ve since looked at this video from VideoJug which shows me that I should have waited until the seedlings had produced another set of leaves before I assaulted them!

I was amazed at how many plants there were in just one of the seed trays. I started off putting three or four into a pot, quickly realizing this was not going to be enough – some pots had eight or ten and a couple at the end had between 20 and 30! I thought that we could harvest these first as small leaves and allow the less densely planted to grow on.

Unfortunately I seem to be doing something else wrong, my fourth mistake, as they are not looking at all happy! They seemed fine for about a week, perhaps a couple of weak ones here or there, but now many of the seedlings are looking decidedly sorry for themselves and I don’t know what it is – too cold? not enough ventilation, too much water, too little water …?

Help!

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Comments

 

Good blog. No help on the veggie front sorry but love your greenhouse !

11 Nov, 2009

 

Hi Claire I think basically you just transplanted (pricked out) them too soon. In addition the compost looks to be very wet which will not have helped. Personally I wouldn't use vermiculite in seed compost at all but others might. Unless you've got heat in your greenhouse trying to start growing salad leaves at this time of year can be a challenge. It is always much easier to grow plants with the seasons rather than against them.

11 Nov, 2009

 

Yes I agree with Moon grower - it looks like overwatered a bit. You can grow lettuces in the winter - look for a hardy lettuce called Kings winter wonder or specific ones for the winter, but normally I plant up cabbages, brocolli for the spring time and then come spring plant out lettuces etc.

11 Nov, 2009

 

I always use the seed trays that are divided into individual plugs such as 18 or 24 per tray-- depending on how big the plant will be or if I put a few seed in them. Then i don't need to prick out, it may be a bit fiddly planting the seed but i don't move them until the roots are beginning to fill the pot, often in the spring i can plant them straight out and they don't recive a check. Its probably not the right way but it works for me

11 Nov, 2009

 

Well done on putting so much work into growing your seedlings...:o)

11 Nov, 2009

 

Oh heck Clare...I feel for you, I really do :((
Seed sowing, be it flowers or veg, is always a bit "hit and miss" I find...there's so many stages where things can go wrong along the way! Like Pam, I find the modular inserts that fit inside seed trays are a lot easier to use, and avoid all that tedious "pricking out".
I'm no veg grower meself, and the only seeds I sow in the autumn are sweetpeas....which basically look after themselves.

PS. Love your greenhouse by the way....very stylish! :)

11 Nov, 2009

 

Thanks for the advice and the words of encouragement folks.
Hopefully some of these seedlings will survive and I'll do things differently next time!

11 Nov, 2009

 

i think everyone on this site will have made mistakes at some point so you are in good company. i've lost count of how many seedlings i've pricked out too soon. just too impatient thats my trouble.

11 Nov, 2009

 

Claire the only difference between an 'experienced' gardener and a 'novice' gardener is that the 'experienced' gardener has killed off more plants and learnt what not to do! We have a graveyard of plant labels from now deceased plants.
You'll suddenly discover one day that you are giving advice to other folk - and look back on your first fledgling experiences and smile... A lot of us are rather older in the tooth than you I suspect :-)

11 Nov, 2009

 

assuming you still have teeth to grow long :o)

12 Nov, 2009

 

Thanks folks. Yes, I still have most of my teeth although they are lengthening.
:-))

12 Nov, 2009

 

MG what a wonderful description and so very true ! Best of luck Claire :~))

12 Nov, 2009

 

Hi Claire

Keep trying , where youare in the world come spring time you will be able to grow any veggies without trying to hard ,the raised beds look great

Mac

12 Nov, 2009

 

Thanks Sue and Mac.
I can't remember who first came up with the premise but I agree with the sentiment that there is no such thing as failure. I just keep learning more things not to do next time!

13 Nov, 2009

 

Apologies for not welcoming you to Goytown above Claire, but I'm sure that you know by now what a lovely place it is. I've had so many of the 'things not to do the next time' moments that I've forgotten !! lol ;~))

13 Nov, 2009

 

Lovely blog Claire, yes I agree with the above they look overwatered, when plants turn that yellowy colour its usually too much water, same if they blacken at the base of the stem and shrivel off
What a nice place you have and lovely neat beds there too! Don't be disheartened it'll all come right in the end, we've all screwed up from time to time and we still do, Welcome to GOY !!!! ;~)))

14 Nov, 2009

 

You forget ???? Naaahhhh !! How's the grapes ? :~)

14 Nov, 2009

 

Brewin nicely thanks Sue!

14 Nov, 2009

 

So it's posh grapes then.......Christmas 2010 !! (Heard and noted sir !) How's it gooooooin' our kid ? :~)))))

14 Nov, 2009

 

Thanks for the welcome Indy and Sue. I'm beginning to feel I belong here.

15 Nov, 2009

 

Whats taken you so long to feel that way I wonder?, probably that Sue hijacking your thread to talk to her mates eh! ;~)))

15 Nov, 2009

 

Moi ??? lol He's not around very often Claire, so you have to grab him where you can (metaphorically speaking, of course !) ;~)) (Indy .... I found the squiggly nose key !!!)

15 Nov, 2009

 

You go ahead and hijack Sue!

I have a query. Maybe someone (still) following this blog knows the answer - otherwise, I'll put in a question to the wider community:
As you will see from the above, the seedlings in my greenhouse are not doing too well. In fact, so many of them have died that i think I should start again. Should I
a) throw out all the compost and start again with new or
b) Tip the compost into a large container , encourage it to dry out and reuse it? (or would this be the gardeners' equivalent of pegging the used teabags on the line)

I'm only trying to grow some winter salad leaves - nothing too exotic. Or have I left it too late even for that?

16 Nov, 2009

 

I think that if you are very new to the greenhouse and seed growing i'd wait until the spring, its easier then and what you learn will help for sowing next autumn. read the seed packets carefully they will tell you the temperatures needed for each variety some need covering with compost, some like it just on top I have an electric propagator for tomatoes etc. but still don't start them too early as the'll have to come out before the conditions in the greenhouse are suitable where we are you can't guarantee to put bedding plants out until the end of may and manys the time i've had the hassle of putting the trays out in the day and bringing them in at night if we have a late frost
don't let any of this put you off its all good fun and you can spend ages in the winter reading seed catalogues (send for some you get an enormous range in comparison to garden centres) plug plants are good too especially for difficult to germinate types
hope all this helps --i seem to have waffled on-- good luck and a warm spring!.....

17 Nov, 2009

 

Thanks for the advice Pam.

17 Nov, 2009

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