Start of the new year

Do you plant the Summer Bedding plants as early as January tombar?

I've got one potato, which I am chitting, in the hope that one day next year, having planted it in a pot, we will get one free meals worth of spuds.

We used to grow plants to sell for charity before I retired in 2007.  Our peak was 20,000 bedding plants, perennials and veggies, but the average was about 12.000.

For OH it was virtually a full time "job" from January to June, impossible to go away in that period.

Planting started early January and continued till April, with potting on as required.  Some bedding is very slow growing compared to most.

We used to grow plants to sell for charity before I retired in 2007.  Our peak was 20,000 bedding plants, perennials and veggies, but the average was about 12.000.

For OH it was virtually a full time "job" from January to June, impossible to go away in that period.

Planting started early January and continued till April, with potting on as required.  Some bedding is very slow growing compared to most.

So, did you start the seeds off in a heated greenhouse?

We started them inside in a heated propagator or on heated shelves where appropriate, then they went under a special growing lamp.

When there were too many trays for that, they went out to the greenhouse on  heated benches covered with fleece during the night.

When there were too many trays for the 4 benches, then the greenhouse electric fan heater had to be turned on.

Trays not on heated benches had clear plastic lids in place overnight.

We planted in "cells", usually 50 cells per tray, so no pricking out.   Seedlings stayed in the cells until they were ready to pot on into 3" pots or bedding packs.

It was quite an operation!!

Phew!!...Think I'll visit the garden centre instead!  

Mmmm, incompatible with long trips in the van, so we gave it up (after 15 years) when I retired.

We had 2 greenhouses, one has now gone to a local NTS property, the other we will keep in case DD decides she wants it.

She is keen, has a "postage stamp" garden, so we have got her a wall mounted mini greenhouse meantime.  She is growing tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, strawberries, raspberries, salad stuff and herbs, not all in her greenhouse, with varying degrees of success.

I start my plants off in the conservatory, and yes, the season is usually January to April for starting, and by end of April/beginning of May, everything has been planted out.  But Redface, why one potato, isn't worth the bother, get 2kg of spuds, chit them and then plant them - well worth the effort then

To think that in the old days we relied on an allotment!

Sorry Tombar but 2 kg of chitted spuds won't fit in a plant pot.