Starting seeds...

Hi all,

I want to start seeds a bit later in the year and was wondering the best way to do this.

I cannot keep seed trays in the house, on window sills etc, as our son is Autistic and would like eat or destroy them!!

I have a shed, without power, and thus no option for heated propagation.

So what, in the shed, is the best way to give seeds the best start? I will most likely get a couple of small plastic greenhouses as they were great for plants once it had warmed up.. but I'd like to get on it earlier this year.

Thanks

Andy

 

Hi sometimes i put my seeds tray on the top of fridge, because there is warm and high, so seeds can germination, then go to somewhere, hope this is a little help

 

What kind of seeds are you thinking of starting Andy?

 

As above Andy , I have used the top of the fridge and the airing cupboard for starting seeds . Note if you have a hot water tank in the cupboard it can get quite hot 30°c + , this could be a bit hot for most seeds. I germinate my chillis in it.

 

Hi all,

I haven't really decided what I will plant yet but we don't have an airing cupboard as they replaced the tank for a boiler!! As i said, nowhere in the house is really an option.

I was in the shed today and it is rather chilly, I am going to get some bubble wrap to insulate it a bit but imagine that it won't help all that much

 

Cant help thinking you would be better waiting until around mid March at the earliest and sow seeds in the small plastic greenhouse you intend getting.

Insulating an unheated shed, in my opinion, is not worth the effort.

 

In your position I might skip the seed part and go straight to plants.

 

Total waste of time as far as seed germination goes I'm afraid.

There are seeds which need cold stratification that could be sown now but nothing that will bloom this year that I can think of.

 

Hi @AndyW72,

If I were you I'd wait until you've got your plastic greenhouse. Then start sowing some seeds in that.
If I may suggest perhaps you could grow some sunflowers? Your son might like to watch those grow!

 

i agree, ive recently moved house so dont really have the space for seed prep, so once ive got the garden in a reasonable condition il just be going straight to plants.

 

Yeah. Go with plants.

 

Yeah. Go with plants.

 

Difficult question to answer given the limited amount of information needed to give you the best answer. Mainly two questions:

1) Roughly, where are you located?
2) Which type of seeds are you hoping to use? Flower/foliage/edible?
But also consider ...
3) Which type of garden would suit you and your family's needs? Maybe a sensory garden?

Of course, in your circumstances, I would be tempted to go the sow direct route and there are a variety of things you could sow directly into the soil. You just need to have it dug over and raked to a reasonably fine, crumbly stage and then ... sow! Some suggestions for you:-

Borage is a wonderful plant: attracts bees; the flowers and leaves are edible and the seeds can be sown directly between April and July.

Nasturtiums are a stalwart and can be either trailing or short varieties. Leave those until May to plant direct. You can continue to sow them through to July. Flowers and leaves are edible

Cosmos can be sown in May and will be flowering in 12 weeks. Lots of different varieties to choose from.

Nigella (Love in a Mist) - again an easy plant from seed and will come back year on year. Sow direct in April.

Sunflowers can be sown direct April/May.

Oriental Poppy can be sown direct.

Bulbs you could plant might include day lilies, gladioli.

Also, shops such as Wilkinsons, B&M, The Range, Poundland, Pound shop often carry a range of plants (such as day lily, hostas, bleeding heart) in a bag with wood shavings. You simply pop them in the soil, water, and ... more often than not ... voila!

As for edibles, you could sow seeds in a container: lettuce, spring onions, radishes, perpetual spinach, carrots.

Have a good think about what you would really *like* to see growing in your garden and we can take it from there

 

Hi and @AndyW72

here's two really good links - hope they prove useful as they have some excellent innovative money saving ideas too

http://www.wintersown.org/How_to_Winter_Sow.html

http://theseedsite.co.uk/wintersowing.html

@"M"