2021 What I sowed today

Today I've sown:-

Dwarf, Scarlet, and Black Kale
Performer and pompeii spring onions
Bright lights and Lucullus chard
Perpetual spinach
landcress
mixed salad leaves
More french Marigolds..

A couple of takeout trays of parsnips to chit.

Sowed some spinach in one of the new raised beds this morning. I've decided to test whether transplanting spinach causes it to bolt, since my own past experience suggests it could be a factor, plus I was reading about it in a certain magazine recently. OTOH Charles Dowding sows pretty much everything except carrots and parsnips in modules, so maybe there are other influences at work? 

Anyway my plan is to direct-sow and module-sow the same variety at the same time, then plant the latter next to the former to get as similar growing conditions as possible. 

First up: three rows of "Matador", about 3ft long, with space beside them for two module-sown rows, and 30g fleece placed over the whole area to warm it and protect the seedlings. I chose Matador because a) it's a variety that did well for me in the past without bolting and b) I happened to have some in my seed stash.

I'm assuming that the direct-sown will be more vulnerable to slugs etc hence sowing more of it. I did mean to sow the modules today as well, but the day got away from me. I think tomorrow will be soon enough, given that this is hardly a rigorous scientific experiment!

Eyren i sow my spinach in newspaper pots planting the whole thing is supposed to prevent root disturbance. Not sure if its works though I just find it a handy way to sow and after planting out I end up with less gaps in my beds.

Just Sunflowers this morning I forgot them yesterday.

Eyren i sow my spinach in newspaper pots planting the whole thing is supposed to  prevent root disturbance.  Not sure if its works though I just find it a handy way to sow and after planting out I end up with less gaps in my beds.

Just Sunflowers this morning I forgot them yesterday.

Thanks, that's interesting! Of course, getting hold of newspaper isn't so easy now - gone are the days when we got two free weekly papers through our letterbox! I have some that I salvaged from plant packaging, but I'm not sure it's enough to make pots out of.

Eyren ask your neighbours for news papers that's what I do. Handy for lighting the fire as well.

Today I sowed All The Things, as the young people say

• broccoli raab, chopsuey greens, 2 varieties of pak choi
  
• pea "Twinkle" for shoots
  
• 2 varieties of leeks; 2 varieties of spring onions
  
• Herbs: 2 varieties of coriander; chervil, chives, sorrel, celery leaf, summer savory
  
• 4 varieties of lettuce (romaine and oak leaf)
  
• rainbow chard, spinach
  

The lettuce, chard and spinach are another of my sowing experiments. I sowed a little row of each in half-trays of two different composts - Dalefoot Seed Compost and my home-made hot bin compost - in order to find out if the latter is going to be any good for raising plants from seed. If it's not, well I have plenty of other uses for it!

I suspect the pak choi will want to bolt in the rapidly lengthening days, but it's just a quick catch crop before the outdoor tomato and squash go in, so I'm hoping I'll at least get some baby leaves out of it.

Some spring onions & some Minutina (erba Stella).

Sowed
DFB - Satellite, Ferrari, Caruso and Adour
Cucumber - Beth Alpha
Courgette - Zucchini, Safari
Tomato - Oregon Spring, Legend, Mountain princess, Maskotka, Togi, Latah

All multisown in modules in heated propagator in the kitchen.

Sowed
2 x courgette Black Beauty and a small pot of DFB Tendergreen as an experiment in heated prop in cold GH. May also try sowing a cuc. Far too early really, as they'll be too big before all the frost has gone but they can go into a large pot and stay in GH for a bit. Don't usually sow tenders until 1st week in April and even then have trouble housing them all until the frosts are over. I need another GH!

Achillea cloth of gold - I can't help it this year if I see a gap in the prop something needs to go in, far too many flowers for my small garden.