Page 19 - ALG Issue 2 2017

look great and by the end of February they already stand 20cms tall. These will be grown on in the greenhouse until April when they will be gradually hardened off before planting out. These early plants will be of a good size by September for my local village show. For normal eating leeks I sow a few seeds in January under glass and a later sowing in April direct into the plot for transplanting later on.
Peppers and aubergines take a while to mature so these were sown mid-January in a heated propagator set at 22C. These germinated after 14-21 days, but were kept on the heat until the seed leaves really started to develop. I nd peppers are very slow to move and tend to make root growth before the tops start to develop. These were then pricked out into 9cm cell trays and put back on the bottom heat until the plants had produced some true leaves.
Seed potatoes have arrived and been laid out in trays in a cool frost-free place in good light ready to chit and produce short green shoots prior to planting.
As March fast approaches it won’t be long before we all start sowing more and more seeds under glass like Brussels sprouts, summer cabbage and cauli owers, lettuce and a few tomatoes. It
is important to remember when sowing any seeds under glass to always sow into clean pots or trays, lled with seed sowing compost that has been warmed up a few days before use. Make sure you
always buy a new bag of seed sowing compost each year rather than use old compost from the previous year that could have gone off. Never use multipurpose compost as some of these multipurpose composts also contain a small amount of fertiliser which can start to kick in with the warmth and moisture before the seeds need it, which will affect the germination of the seed. Once pots or trays are lled, water them well using tap water; never water seeds or seedlings with water taken from a water butt as this can contain harmful pathogens that can affect the germination and growth of the seeds. Sow the seeds and lightly cover them with vermiculite.
It is also important to remember to only sow seeds outside if the soil and weather conditions are favourable. The soil temperature should be a minimum of 7C for at least seven consecutive days before you start sowing outdoors. If sown too early in cold soil, germination will also be affected. If you follow these sowing guides you are guaranteed success with your Kings Seeds.
Let’s hope the spring is kind to us all, and it is a good growing season, and don’t forget if any NSALG member has a seed problem and needs some advice, the team at Kings Seeds are always at the end of a phone to help.
Happy gardening!
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