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Vegetable Seeds You Can Start Sowing Now
Vegetable seeds you can start sowing now
Now that the weather has turned mild our attention has turned to thinking about vegetable
seeds you can start sowing now.
Why bother? Well, because growing your own vegetables from seed is a deeply satisfying
activity for all abilities and ages. In addition, most gardeners cite the superior flavour and
freshness of garden vegetables over ones shipped from afar. Growing your own is better
for the environment, and good for your health and quality of life. Above all, the range of
vegetables you can raise from seed is incredibly diverse, you will never find the same choice
in the vegetable isle of a supermarket.
For young gardeners
If you are looking for an activity to keep your kids amused then children love planting and
growing things, especially if an adult is involved. With a little imagination, you can keep the
little darlings busy for many hours, and at the same time you will be creating a stress-free,
educational activity for the half term holiday. All children deserve the opportunity of
growing their own veggies.
For some cool inspo for kids to recycle waste items into pots and propagators follow
the link below.
Expert tips for you and the family
Choose fast growing vegetables so that young children can see the results of their work
quickly.
Cress seeds can be sown on the surface of a pot placed on the kitchen windowsill; you
should be able to harvest crunchy homegrown cress in 5 to 7 days from planting.
Microgreens can be harvested after around a fortnight from sowing. Salad leaves and
radishes are quick growers too, taking around 21 -25 days from sowing to harvest.
For experienced gardeners
If you are keen gardener then you might be looking for a challenge. Even seasoned
gardeners find certain vegetables more of test to grow than others. Top of the ‘challenge’
list is the ubiquitous cauliflower – which needs a long growing season and prefers cooler
conditions. Raring to grow? Well, now is the ideal time to start sowing, to allow them
time to mature before the higher temperatures of summer.
For the trendy urban gardener
As well as offering the traditional fruit and vegetable seeds you’d expect to find in a good
garden centre we also stock the James Wong Collection. This exciting range of exotic seeds
has been developed by Sutton Seeds in association with the popular TV gardening presenter
and ethnobotanist James Wong.
https://www.instagram.com/botanygeek/
Browsing through the James Wong Collection is like attending a herbology masterclass with
Professor Sprout and is guaranteed to awaken your inner Hufflepuff!
Last year I grew James’s ‘Electric Daises’ from Brazil that put a zing in my salads and cocktails –
just wait till you experience that 9-volt battery shock for yourself! Another favourite of mine was
his ‘Mexican Cucamelon’ that looks exactly like a tiny watermelon fit for ‘The Borrowers’ but is
in fact a refreshing mini-cucumber with a lime-twist taste – cucamelons are very easy to grow,
and fab in a salad or a cheeky G&T.
For the Foodie
If you are a gourmet then you need to peruse our Franchi Collection of Italian seeds. This delicious
selection of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers includes many heirloom varieties that have been
passed down through the generations because of their superb flavour. Franchi seeds come from
every region of Italy and are ideal for cooking many regional specialities. Watching ITV’s ‘Simply
Raymond Blanc’ today, the chef was using ‘Marmande’, ‘San Marzano’, ‘Roma’ and ‘Costoluto
Fiorentino’ tomatoes – all available from our Franchi seed racks.
Gathering your seed sowing essentials
At Capital Gardens we stock all the products you will need to successfully raise vegetables from seed.
You will find clear instructions about sowing and growing each variety of vegetable, just look at the
back of the seed packets.
In addition to our extensive selection of vegetable seeds we stock seed compost, perlite, vermiculite,
plant labels, plastic pots, fibre pots, ‘Vitax grow tubes’ (for raising sweet peas, beans, leeks and
tap-rooted vegetables such as carrots), seed trays, non-electric propagators, saucers, watering cans –
as well as having an experienced team who can assist you if you have any questions.
To help you get cracking I have focused on three areas
Firstly, starting vegetable seeds indoors:
Begin sowing basil and coriander in pots on the windowsill, because there is nothing better than
flavouring your cooking with fresh, aromatic homegrown herbs.
Start sowing indoor grown tomato, sweet and chilli peppers, and aubergine seeds in a propagator
on a warm windowsill. These flavourful vegetables are ideal for growing indoors as they love being
warm.
How to sow and prick out tomatoes, peppers and aubergines
- A single 9cm pot or small seed tray will provide enough plants for most indoor gardeners.
Fill the pots with seed compost, level firm and water. - Sow the seeds on the surface, spacing then out and cover with a thin layer of seed compost
or vermiculite. Label your pots. Keep the seeds warm and moist by placing them on a warm
windowsill in a small propagator or covered with a clear plastic bag with air holes. If the room
is warm, the seedlings should emerge after 5 or so days. - Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they have grown their first pair of true leaves.
Always handle the seedlings by their seed leaves to avoid damaging their fragile stems.
Expert tips
- Bring you potting compost into the same room as the seedlings a day before pricking out – this
allows the compost to warm up to room temperature, reducing the risk of ‘damping off’
(a horticultural term for a disease that kills seedlings, commonly caused by damage to the
delicate stem by handling, and wet and cold conditions). - Always allow the water in your watering-can to reach room temperature before watering seedlings.
- Remember to turn your pots of seedlings around on the windowsill, this will prevent weak growth.
Watch how to prick out seedlings:
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-prick-out-seedlings/
However, if you want to raise seedlings for outdoors planting or growing in an unheated glasshouse then
wait until mid-March to start sowing.
Secondly, in a cold frame or under cloches
If you have a cold frame or cloches, then you can sow a range of vegetables outdoors now. Cloches are ideal
for warming the soil for early seed sowing and planting out.
At Capital Gardens we stock ‘Haxnicks bell cloches’ (starting at £13.99 for a pack of 3 measuring
approximately 30cm x 30cm). We also stock other sizes and makes of cloche.
Seeds suitable for sowing outdoors under cloches now include early beetroot, broad beans, carrots,
summer cabbages, lettuce, radish, peas and spinach.
If you have an unheated greenhouse or cool conservatory then you can try early sowings of peas, brassicas
(summer cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts), spring onions and beetroot for planting out in April.
Other vegetable seeds you can sow early under cover are leeks and celeriac as they both require a long
growing season.
By sowing vegetable crops under cover now it is possible to make up for lost time. For example, if you didn’t
sow any broad beans in autumn, you can make a late planting now. Pop the seeds into individual pots and
put them somewhere cool and under cover and they will quickly begin sprouting (it will only take a few days) –
the seedlings will be ready to plant by mid-March.
If you haven’t got a cold frame or cloches, then its best to wait until late March before starting to sow these
seeds outdoors.
Thirdly, direct sowing/planting outdoors
If you are itching to get out into the garden and plant some seeds, then this is possible too.
Hardy broad beans varieties, like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ can be directly sown into the ground as the soil
is no longer frozen.
Garlic bulbs (like ‘Early Purple Wight’ at £2.99 for a packet of 1bulb) and Shallots (like ‘Longor’ at
£2.99 for a packet of 10) can be planted out now if your soil is light and well drained.
Preparing your vegetable garden for planting
If you want to sow vegetable seeds outdoors, then you will need to do a little preparation first. Luckily now
is the perfect time to do it. While the weather remains dry and mild you can do any major digging, if needed.
It is also the time to cover your prepared seed beds with clear polythene, horticultural fleece, or cloches to
warm the soil.
To create and prepare a seed bed visit
Conclusion
Anyone can grow their own vegetables, from a few pots on a windowsill to a productive kitchen garden –
and now is the time to start your planning and planting. Make the most of your windowsills!
At Capital Gardens we stock everything you will need to successfully grow your own vegetables from seed –
we are your one-stop shop for seed growing.
Capital Garden Centres offer a wide range of vegetable seeds from leading seed companies. Many customers
have told us that they have found ordering seeds online a bit of a lottery, with some seed companies websites
closing because of huge demand and COVID-19-related staff shortages.
So, if you have never grown a vegetable before in your life, and even if you have minimal outdoor space –
then why not try having a few large troughs of crisp salad leaves, tangy herbs and flavoursome tomatoes by
the back door or on the balcony? I promise you it will be one of the most exciting and satisfying things you
will do this year.
Written by Ali Barwani, Capital Gardens.
