Garden seeds

[Surprised]

I know next to nothing about gardening and most attempts I have made at growing plants/flowers ends in death (for the plants/flowers). The ones that live can barely be called plants and can be better described as sticks.
I have a largish west facing terrace so it gets plenty of sun on those rare days the sun shines and today put some seeds into pots (the packets said "full sun")

1 How long until I see signs of life?
2 The packets said place seeds 30-50cm apart. Can that be right? 1 tiny seed every 2 feet? I put a few in as I'm sure a few seeds will just give up the fight.

[Richt]

What are you growing Phil? If you are growing potato plants* then I would say that's the reason to plant the seeds so far apart.


*for example purposes only. I know that you don't grow potatoes from seeds.

[Surprised]

What are you growing Phil? If you are growing potato plants* then I would say that's the reason to plant the seeds so far apart.


*for example purposes only. I know that you don't grow potatoes from seeds.

Marigolds, forget-me-nots, black eyed susan, African Violets and some others but I can't remember what they were.

[blahblah]

Flowers

Grow something you can eat

[Surprised]

Hard to grow food in plantpots

[Richt]

What about Strawberries?

[blahblah]

Tomatoes grow in a bag-thing, and Garlic will grow almost anywhere. What about some fruit trees? They come in minature-pot varieties; also blueberries can be pot grown.

Yep, and them

[Spinynorman]

Make sure that what you have planted is hardy as any frost will delay, stunt or kill the seedlings.

[Surprised]

Strawberries are an idea. I have a grapevine from last year but it looks dead.
Garlic I love and hadn't thought of growing that.

I'm hoping frosts are over for this winter but i don't know if the seeds are hardy or anything.

[stuboy]

I'm hoping frosts are over for this winter but i don't know if the seeds are hardy or anything.

You'll be delighted to know that Amsterdam is expecting a low of -1 tonight

[Surprised]

I'm hoping frosts are over for this winter but i don't know if the seeds are hardy or anything.

You'll be delighted to know that Amsterdam is expecting a low of -1 tonight

I saw that
That's probably Schiphol though and in the city itself it will stay around +2 (I hope)

[SUZYKINS]

To be honest it's a bit early to plant out in April .
I still have my seedlings in doors & will be potting them on in the next week or do.
Did you use seedling compost? Standard compost is too course & too strong for seedlings but seeding compost hasn't enough good stuff to sustain plants after potting on.I will be putting my greenhouse up next weekend & stick my potted on seedlings in to bring them on.

[Surprised]

They are not seedlings but actual seeds. The packet says plant outside in months 4 and 5. I've done what the packet says before and hey just don't live. It may be because I'm just not a plant person. I've used the compost that comes in the bags. Same stuff my neighbour uses and every plant she grows is vibrant and full of life and colour and she has seedlings outdoors now.

[blahblah]

Don't you have a cat? If it is pissing on the seeds it won't help them.

(And cats are like Dracula when it comes to garlic, which is why I used to plant it )

[jimmy ching]

I was always told frosts can last up to May 16th. It always stuck in my head. Why that date I've no idea. It must have been in a rhyme.

[Raisin]

They are not seedlings but actual seeds. The packet says plant outside in months 4 and 5. I've done what the packet says before and hey just don't live. It may be because I'm just not a plant person. I've used the compost that comes in the bags. Same stuff my neighbour uses and every plant she grows is vibrant and full of life and colour and she has seedlings outdoors now.

Has anyone mentioned watering them?

[jimmy ching]

I've found my vegetables and plants grow better with Perrier.

[blahblah]

My Yorks Pudding rise better with fizzy water

[murf]

I've never had much luck planting seeds direct into the ground so I generally plant in trays or pots then plant out when sturdy enough.

I currently garden on heavy clay, not the best thing for tiny seedlings.

[Jonathan]

Those you mention are hardy annuals best sown in the ground rather than pots and from next month onwards in the UK. You can oversow them in the ground and then thin them out.

[SUZYKINS]

Father in law uses vermiculite to give extra water retention and insulation. It's the warmth that gets things moving , could try a cheap cloch ?

[blahblah]

I currently garden on heavy clay, not the best thing for tiny seedlings.

If you can get hold of a lot of soot it should make it less bad - and someone said that emptying the vac cleaner onto it works, but I am a tad sceptical about that one.

A worm farm thing might help you aereate the soil.

[murf]

I currently garden on heavy clay, not the best thing for tiny seedlings.

If you can get hold of a lot of soot it should make it less bad - and someone said that emptying the vac cleaner onto it works, but I am a tad sceptical about that one.

A worm farm thing might help you aereate the soil.

I've got a big garden....

When I plant stuff I do dig in some compost and grit depending on what the plant needs. If plants don't like clay (contains good stuff but can be waterlogged in winter, baked in summer) then I have learnt to just give up on them and plant something more suitable. A good excuse to get something new.

[Surprised]

A small green shoot has appeared in one of the pots that had seeds planted Wednesday.

[SUZYKINS]

A small green shoot has appeared in one of the pots that had seeds planted Wednesday.

that will be a rogue dandelion seed
To be honest I am right by a large field & the dandelion seeds are a pig when they blow into my greenhouse & fall on my seedlings

[Surprised]

I used to tell the time with a dandelion as a kid but haven't seen a dandelion for ages.
We believed all sorts of rubbish back then

[Knulpuk]

There are loads of veggies you can grow in pots:

salad leaf, rocket, tomatoes, peppers, chillis, aubergines, plus herbs and the last 5 all look nice too

The only things I grow direct in the soil are broard beans, evrything else like mentioned above I start in pots for a number of reasons:

- avoids birds / slugs / nasties when plants are at their most vunerable / tasty
- reduces chance of being hit by frost
- it works

[Surprised]

hmmm...chillis. I hadn't considered those. Any hot ones you would recommend? I used to be able to get Madam Jeanette chillis at the supermarket but now they only sell mild ones which are useless.

[Knulpuk]

Kizkiz is your man for these if you hoik out his kiz does veg thread you will lots of chilli things.

[blahblah]

I currently garden on heavy clay, not the best thing for tiny seedlings.

If you can get hold of a lot of soot it should make it less bad - and someone said that emptying the vac cleaner onto it works, but I am a tad sceptical about that one.

A worm farm thing might help you aereate the soil.

I've got a big garden....

When I plant stuff I do dig in some compost and grit depending on what the plant needs. If plants don't like clay (contains good stuff but can be waterlogged in winter, baked in summer) then I have learnt to just give up on them and plant something more suitable. A good excuse to get something new.

Yep, bog (ho ho) knows how the farmers do it, on the clay - horrible stuff. Would the wife let you have a worm farm? Jim had one in Neighbours