Getting the Next Round Growing - January Seed Sowing Continued

Where to Start Growing

Starting seeds this early in most climates needs to be done indoors. Even greenhouses will be cold at this time of year with frost risks still high. Heating a greenhouse can be done but for a few early seeds a sunny window sill indoors is the ideal spot.

Some plants take longer to produce and so we had a number of plants that didn't reach fruition in time before the temperature dropped last year or would have produced more if I had started them sooner.

An early sowing followed by succession planting will ensure an abundance of harvests throughout the season.

Seeds to Start Early

Now is a good time to get Pepper seeds started along with Melons and Cucumbers.

Sweet peppers and chillies often grow well in high tunnels and greenhouses but can be grown outdoorswith too. One way to help is to get the seeds start early, this way they have a better chance of being ready to produce fruit when the warm weather arrives. Seed packets show February as a good time to start in the UK but a few weeks earlier in the warm won't hurt.

Melons really take their time to get going and so giving them a head start may mean ripe fruits earlier.

These are the seeds I have started:

• Bell Peppers

• Snack Peppers

• Sweet Banana Peppers

• Cayenne Peppers

• Jalapeno Peppers

• Melon Melba

• Melon Emir F1

• Green Globe Artichoke

• La Diva Cucumbers

As you can see I have also thrown in some Globe Artichoke which is a plant I've never had before and the La Diva also have a February sowing start date and was a brilliant producer for us last year but if we can get produce from this plant earlier in the season it would be great.

Getting Started on a Budget

Getting Seeds

• Seeds can be bought for a reasonable price from a number of stores. My favourite is Wilko the price is unbeatable in my area. Homebase usually have a sale towards the end of the season where you can grab a bargain. Garden centres have a wide range with unusual varieties which is always fun.
• Seed swaps are events where growers meet to exchange seeds, these often take place in person but can also be arranged online for mail swaps. If you are part of a social media gardening group or have an allotment you can organise on of these with your allotment holders or group friends. This can be a great cheap or free way to get new seeds.
• Online - there are lots of places to buy seeds online. I have used Thompson and Morgan, Seeds to Suit and Sutton's.

What to Grow In?

• There are lots of items around the home that can be used to start seeds. Fruit and vegetable trays, egg cartons, kitchen roll tubes and toilet roll tubes can make great places to grow seeds.
• Look on Facebook or neighbourhood apps for people getting rid of pots or make your own request for anyone wanting to get rid of some. Friends and family may also have items that would be useful to start seeds.
• Garden centres often have old pots either selling cheaply or looking to re-home
• If you want to buy something the best places I have found for reusable seed starting sets are Asda (I've started my peppers in these) and Wilko again. Both of these stores are priced reasonably.

Compost

• Getting this one cheap is tricky when you are first starting out. The best way to get started is by starting your compost heap. Once mine established I will do a post on my set up, in the meantime, my advice is it's never too late to start your compost heap so get this started now along with the seeds.
• Where to buy compost and what to buy. This is easy, buy what you can afford. Shop around the garden centres to get the best price. I don't go in for potting mix, it's more expensive than general compost in average. My seedlings seem to do just fine but the choice is yours.
• To begin with you with need a few bags of compost to get you started with your seeds and when they go in the ground or bigger pots, buying in bulk is often cheaper. Look out for deals and ask around friends and family or on local social media groups.