The Kent Blue mangetout peas I sowed a few weeks ago are coming through nicely in their loo-roll middles. I know a lot of people say they get problems with mould on these but I don't - I tend to keep them a little on the dry side though. Maybe that helps?
My Broad Beans (Bunyard's exhibition) are also beginning to look a bit more like it. They will go out on the allotment soon with another row sown directly into the soil, to give me a bit of continuity.
A couple of pots of sweet pea seedlings here. They are fairly thickly sown. I used to do these individually but on a couple of occasions when I didn't get them sown in time, I bought some, which were sown like this, in a deepish pot but rather thickly. I just tease them apart and plant them. 
These are my F3 plants from the Purple Podded/Oregon Sugarpod cross. Quite a few are obviously showing purple but some will need to get a bit bigger. Sometimes it only shows in the leaf axils and they are a bit young to tell.
A few of my early-sown tomatoes here. They seem reasonably strong and I do have room to take them to the greenhouse in the day (when it's warmer than today!) and bring them in at night - even when they are potted up a bit.
The first leaves are showing on the Stockbridge Arrow rhubarb - easily my favourite. It has very long, thick red stems but is later than the plants on the allotment. Worth the wait though.
12 comments:
Lovely to see everything coming on, isn't it?
My kent blues are coming through too (ta!) in roottrainers. I dont use loo roll inners any more - I used to get mould, but I think that you avoid it as the inners are separated in the modules - mine were all crammed together.
This time of year is so exciting, seeing everything germinating and putting on growth. You've got much more sown than I have, I think I'm going to get on with more this weekend.
Ooooooooo Kentish Blues.....I used to buy these from the greengrocer when I lived in London - many years ago - never found them here in Berkshire - but we ate them as peas (no one had heard of mangetout in those days), they were lovely!
I think your system of planting the loo rolls into modules allows air to circulate and so avoid the build up of mould. I'm going to copy your practise with my peas as I have both the rolls and the modules.
When (and how!) do you transpalnt your broad beans? And which ones came up the fastest scar up or down?
All looking good!
It is so exciting to see seedlings just breaking through the surface of the compost
Jane
I plant out the broad beans when they are about 4" high - they seem to be sturdier then. To be honest there was no difference in the scar up or scar down Mal!
Maybe it is the air circulation that is preventing mould growth - I never though of that - but I find it easier to make the darned things stand upright if they are in the modules. It does seem a shame to waste all those cardboard roll middles though.
My broad beans are just at the same point as yours, but I haven't planted any peas or tomatoes yet. Now I am back from Madeira and the days are getting longer... I must pull my finger out!
You're further south though Matron - yours will catch up!
I agree with Mal's Allotment about the air circulating around your loo rolls helping to prevent mould. I also heard that microwaving the rolls help to kill off bacteria. Perhaps I'll try both methods this year to see which works best...
I heard about the microwaving Caro, but I had this awful image of the smell of singed cardboard wafting through my kitchen!
Hi VH
I am well impressed with your tomato seedlings. I have to admit to being a little lazt this season, but I now have a few dozen seedling in the polytunnel, and luckily we have had some nice sunny days here in Brittany, so they might catch up with yours.
Steve
Thanks Steve. Praise from you is praise indeed!
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