Page 36 - Simply Vegetables Summer 2022

Seed trialists – initial progress
FIONA SHENFIELD FNVS, NVS GENERAL SECRETARY
In writing this update in early May I
am encouraged by the initial results
fed back by some of our budding seed trialists. The first lucky group of members received seeds from our partners Marshalls and have been eagerly sowing and noting their methods and results.
Vanessa Jones (Kent) has been growing Cherry Tomatoes “Crokini”. Vanessa reported that germination was slow to begin with, sown on March 16th (slower than her other tomatoes), but she achieved 100% germination and is happy with the quality of plants and at time of writing was about to sow her other trial packet, which was Beetroot “Boston”.
Also growing “Crokini” and the “Boston” Beetroot is Bridget Thomas (Holywell). Bridget sowed her Crokini seeds indoors on a warm windowsill on the 18th March with 4 out of 9 modules having germinated by 24th March! By 27th March all seeds had germinated. Bridget plans to plant her tomatoes outdoors at the end of May once they’ve hardened off in terracotta pots situated on the decking where they will get maximum protection.
Russ Giddings Crokini – back row: peat, front row: peat free
Bridget reported that she
lives in an exposed and
cold area and so had tried
early sowings of the Boston
Beetroot in a raised bed
however had no results for
her two March sowings.
The two April sowings were
successful with the 18th
April sowing subsequently
germinating on the 24th of April and the April 25th sowing had just started to
germinate on May 7th.
Russ Giddings (Swansea) reported mixed
results with his Crokini Tomatoes due to his compost. Russ had
observed a vast difference between Peat free compost and Organic compost which contained peat. You can
see from Russ’s photo, the marked improvement with the plants grown in the Organic “Peat” compost. Russ also observed that those grown in the Peat free
composts also had a poor root structure. Very interesting reading of Russ’s detailed
notes and his findings with various Peat free composts, including having a problem regulating the moisture content resulting in losing some courgettes and squashes which had rotted off.
Chris Barnard (Hants) reported that his Crokini tomato Plants are nice and strong and so far, really pleased with how they are growing. They were sown on March 20th, germinated April 3rd, potted on April 18th and they had just been planted out in their final positions on May 8th.
Wojtek Kuzniar (Derbyshire) reported that he sowed his Crokini seeds in a heated propagator on March 27th and all germinated within 3 days! After potting on,
Russ Giddings reported mixed results with his Crokini Tomatoes
Bridget Thomas’s Tomato plants
Gareth Davies’s Cucumber plants
36 Simply Vegetables