The other day I sowed a small container of Baby Leaf Salad seeds, just to test the situation. (Notice the use of a re-purposed large margarine tub as a seed-tray).The seeds germinated OK on a warm windowsill, but without the aid of artificial light they have rapidly gone leggy.
These are from a packet of "Californian Mix" by Suttons. I don't think this batch will ever be strong. Perhaps I'll use them like Mustard and Cress sprouts, or Microgreens... I think my trial has proved that it is still too early to sow, but at least it only cost me a few pennies to find out. Maybe in a couple of weeks time I'll have another go.
On a related note... The other day when I was sorting through my seeds, planning what to grow this year, I found several half-used packets of things I no longer wanted, or whose viability was suspect, so I tipped out the seeds in the place where I normally put out bread for the birds. Obviously the birds didn't eat all the seeds, because lots of them have germinated:
Looks like mostly Brassicas and Spinach. So does that prove that birds won't eat their greens too, just like some unhealthy humans? Now I bet if I had WANTED them to come up, they wouldn't have germinated at all...
Oh how funny. I get random seeds coming up all the time. Right now I have some lettuce coming up in the path. I let my lettuce go to seed last year and obviously didn't collect it all.
ReplyDeleteso I haven't sown my pak choy yet... should i?
ReplyDeleteDom, I certainly wouldn't sow the Pak Choi yet - unless you have a heated greenhouse. Wait for a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteThose greens will be great on a sandwich!
ReplyDeleteIf they've come up it must be warm enough, surely you could be sowing, or so said the evil, impatient voice in your head.....having said that isn't it supposed to be ridiculously cold in England this weekend....
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you showed this as it confirms that our light garden is working - we have had salad leaves all through winter and to say we have only so far used left over lettuce seed has been great.
ReplyDeleteI’m longing to be able to start sowing some seeds and as it is snowing steadily outside today I might just start some Rocket and some peas for peas shoots on the windowsill...I know I really shouldn’t...
ReplyDeleteWell I guess it depends on how many months you have to grow outside. I only have 3 months on a good year so do start my plants inside early. I do have lights and they work just fine. I will be planting my peppers in about a week and a half. My tomatoes that will be grown in pots are just germinating as I type. I guess it definitely depends on how early you want to start harvesting but I hope to have tomatoes by July 4th. In the garden we won't get them until just before frost so have to pick a lot green and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteI think that shows how warm the soil is if seeds are happy to germinate in it, though if your place is anything like here, that will have changed by now. We've got quite thick snow today.
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