It’s still only January but we’ve started some seeds already. Last year everything seemed to go wrong with the seed sowing as they germinated and then just stalled for a good few weeks and then died. We have no idea what it was, was it to do with the cheap compost we got at a supermarket? Was it those damn aphids who feasted on the basil plants on the kitchen windowsill later in the season? Was it some sort of delayed damping off?
Who knows but we weren’t best pleased as the batch contained some rare chilli and some choice tomato varieties. We ended up buying some chilli plants and a nice bushy tomato plant from B&Q in the end which all done well but it’s not the same.
We’ve now wiped the slate clean and put the memory of last year’s failings out of the way and started afresh with some proper seed and cutting compost in pots in a heated propagator we received as a present a few year ago (cheers Maz and Marc!)
Seeds sown this week: mint, dill, basil, chives, parsley, san marzano tomato, cerise tomato, chilli habanero, chilli Jalapino (the last 3 out of packs that say sow by 12.2023) and some seeds we dried off our chilli apache plant last year. We also sowed some catmint even though we were warned years ago that “you’ll have every cat in the neighbourhood in your back garden”.
In a few weeks every windowsill will be full with pots on saucers, jam jars and plastic freezer bags on top of plant pots as cheap alternative to greenhouses.
Anyone know any good tips for stopping those aphids? Someone the other week mentioned neem oil and we’ve just looked online and may try it. Anyone ever used it? Any tips to one deck pete at Gee mail dot com please.
Weeds up to me knees 
I had problems growing seedlings last year. I put it down to using peat-free compost which doesn’t hold moisture like old compost did. I’ve started mixing it with my garden compost and this seems better. I only have a small garden but can make enough compost for this. Already got some onions coming.
Cheers Alan that’s a great tip!
I was well disappointed with the potting compost last year putting it down to a inferior variety. I’ll start mixing this new bag with some garden compost.
Took us a couple of years getting into making compost and comfrey liquid but they are both well worth making. Thanks again for the tip. Pete
That’s great to get a head start! Have you thought about when to start your Cosmos?
Hi Debby, not as yet. Haven’t much space on the windowsills. Have you started them off yet or is it too early? Pete
I will start mine in early March I think
Brilliant, same here as I didn’t want to start them off too early. I’ll update how the present batch of seeds get on on the blog soon.
Also, Alan and you are both right about this peat-free compost not holding moisture. I tried to grow a dahlia last year using it. It would get to a certain height then die. New spouts appeared three times and died each time. I had grown exactly the same variety of dahlia the year, before using older compost, and had no problems. I am convinced that last year’s problems were because of the new compost. The plant wasn’t getting enough water, and yet there was water in the basin under the pot. It then got over-watered and the tuber rotted.
That is terrible. That has to be the compost. Yes I lost a good few of the seedlings last year, they just germinated and stood still and died. I reckon it was that compost too. I’ve spent a little more on some better compost this year and just seeing how that works. When will you start off the Cosmo seeds? Pete