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