| Growing your own vegetables from seed is very | | | | These are planted out as they are into your soil mix |
| easy. It is great fun to watch the tiny seedlings emerge | | | | and the roots grow through the cardboard. The toilet |
| from the soil mix and of course is a great deal | | | | roll eventually degrades into the soil. |
| cheaper than buying ready grown plants. It is not as | | | | Let's start off by assuming we are sowing into trays. |
| quick though. The reason why it is cheaper is that you | | | | Fill the tray with whatever compost you are using and |
| are doing all the work yourself. | | | | gently firm this down until you have a fairly level |
| So what do you grow them in? Well it all depends on | | | | surface. At this stage you need to water this so that |
| what type of plant you are growing. Before we | | | | the seed will be surrounded by moisture. You then |
| discuss what type of container you need, you also | | | | need to sow the seed. Very small seeds should be |
| need to think about what type of soil mix you are | | | | gently sprinkled, not too thickly, on to the surface of the |
| going to grow them in. | | | | compost. Larger seeds such as tomatoes can be |
| My father used to just take some garden soil, put it in | | | | placed individually on the surface of the compost. A tip |
| an old dirty plant pot and grow his seeds. It used to | | | | here, to help you get them in the correct place, is that |
| work but it was only his experience which allowed him | | | | you can move them with a small artists paint brush. |
| to be able to identify which was the seedling he was | | | | Cover the seed to the correct depth with sieved |
| after and which was a weed seedling. Why, well the | | | | compost or fine grade vermiculite. The back of the |
| soil he used was full of weed seeds. He also did not | | | | seed pack will let you know what depth to cover with. |
| clean his pots which is never a good thing. | | | | This is important as too much compost will make life |
| There is no reason why you cannot reuse pots year | | | | difficult for your seedling. Gently water the surface of |
| after year, and in today's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle | | | | this compost. |
| world we live in it is a good idea. I use some pots year | | | | That's it. Just keep the tray somewhere at the best |
| after year, not because I am too cheap to buy new | | | | temperature for the seed. I usually find that my kitchen |
| ones but simply because there is nothing wrong with | | | | window is fine. I often cover the seed trays with |
| the old pots that have been cleaned and sterilized. I | | | | plastic sheeting until the seedlings start to emerge then |
| simply soak them in a tub of water to loosen any old | | | | take this off. |
| dirt, wash them in warm soapy water using a stiff | | | | If you need to water the seed tray, I usually do this by |
| bristled brush, rinse in clean water and finally soak in a | | | | standing it in a small try of water and letting the |
| disinfectant solution. I have used diluted bleach, diluted | | | | compost act like a sponge and soak that water up. I |
| medical disinfectant, gardening disinfectant and | | | | find this does not disturb things as much as using a |
| specialist organic gardening disinfectant. They all work, | | | | watering can does. Let this water drain away though |
| but remember to wear waterproof gloves for this last | | | | as the compost needs to be moist but not wet |
| stage as many of these chemicals are strong and | | | | Finally, when the seedling is large enough to handle and |
| could do some damage your skin. I also buy new | | | | has developed some true leaves not just seed leaves, |
| cheap disposable pots each year as I can more or | | | | I transfer it to its own pot of compost and let it grow |
| less assume these are sterile so there can be no | | | | larger. When you do this you need to be gentle and |
| danger of transferring diseases from old dirty pots to | | | | only hold the seedling by a leaf. Holding by the stem |
| new seedlings. | | | | can crush it as the stem is very fragile and this |
| There are not just pots though, I also use trays or flats | | | | crushing will kill the seedling. |
| as they are known in some countries, little plug trays | | | | A final point, remember that many seeds can be sown |
| where the seedling can grow in its own cell and old | | | | direct into the ground where they are to grow. Make |
| plastic coffee cups which have been washed out. You | | | | sure the soil is warm enough before you do this and |
| will need drainage hols though. I have even started | | | | protect your seeds with some form of cloche if it is |
| larger seeds off in the discarded middles of toilet rolls. | | | | early in the season. |