Cathy is more of a cream than a white, but lovely. I grew CCC this year, and that performed well too I also grew Jilly one year, which was nice but not as abundant as some others. Good luck with both your new ones though.
I mainly grow either whites/creams or dark reds/purples. I don't like pastel colours in any plant.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl yes, that’s why I don’t sow tomatoes earlier than that. I have always two batches and repeat everything 4 weeks later in case the first batch fails. Nevertheless, our day here is around 45 minutes longer than yours today.
Light is more important for toms than warmth, although they need both to germinate and grow My kitchen isn't very warm either - too much glass. Too hot in summer, and the opposite in winter, especially as we aren't putting heating on so much. I have one of those monitors for outside [1 degree just now] but it also registers the inside temp of the room it's in. It's currently 15 degrees, but it's been around 12 to 13 most of the day.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I sowed Dianthus carthusianorum, Achillea millefolium and Daucus carota in autumn, all germinated rapidly outdoors, have survived the deep-freezes, and are coming along nicely.
It's been 15C here most of the day and is 9C now at 21:41. We had 8h 39m 52s of daylight and will get an extra 65 seconds tomorrow and a bit more with every new day. I shall hold off sowing seed tho till later this month as they will share the polytunnel with 2 chooks who spend wet and windy days in there, feeding, staying warm and dust bathing.
Not good for seed trays and seedlings when they explore above ground level. Tomatoes and chillies will be started indoors, on heat mats, at the end of the month on the assumption that there will be enough light for them in the PT when they are big enough to pot on - by which time the hens will be banned from the PT.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
We had 8h 39m 52s of daylight and will get an extra 65 seconds tomorrow and a bit more with every new day.
Stop it, @Obelixx I wrote to my friend in Spain some years ago, "it's unfair, your day is 9:05 hours on Winter solstice, whereas our is only 7:49", and my fried wrote back, "I could never life there". We are are now 7:58 hours, and by the end of the year, our day will be 9:06 hours.
Too soon to start much here, but I might sow a few chillies in the windowsill propagator in a few weeks. Might need the grow lights once they've germinated, to supplement the low levels of natural daylight. They need an early start which is why I usually buy plants later in the season.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I’ve learned to discipline myself over the years because I get the gardening buzz bang on the 1st of January. Planting stuff too early becomes a rod for your back because most garden plants become ready to go out before the weather permits. Many times I’ve ended up having to pot plants on, once or twice more than necessary, causing space issues inside and soft leafy, easily killed back growth on the plants themselves. Patience is definitely the key.
There are exceptions to this however, chillis being one of them. I love growing them and have found that I can double my crop by giving them an early start. Last year I built a counter top propagator from spare wood that has a heat mat on a thermostat and removable/height adjustable growlights. With this I can germinate my chillies in January and grow them on in the house till they can go into my green house mid-March. I’ve built a heated table with sand and soil warming cable on a thermostat in the green house big enough to safely grow everything on until final potting.
I only have a small greenhouse so this year I’m growing Hungarian Hot Wax, Scotch Bonnet, Padron and the infamous Carolina Reaper for a bit of fun. That’ll give me enough roasting peppers, chilli jam and sriracha sauce to keep the chilli heads in my extended family happy for a wee while.
if you want to go down the indoor grow light road then it’s well worth visiting your local, ahem, Hydroponics shop. You’ll meet some very ‘chilled’ friendly people who know a great deal about the technical aspects of growing healthy plants indoors.
I always start the tomato and sweet pepper seeds, late January, early February in my north facing kitchen window. I might try a bit later. I have a heated propagator,I don't like. Have tried it a few times, found it difficult to water. It had to Perch in the kitchen window, behind the tap. Realistically, I don't have anywhere to place it, with access to a socket. I don't have anywhere for a light set up. Most of my seeds are either self collected... like the sweet peas (didn't bother with autumn sowing this time) or freebies from another gardening mag. I have bought perennial spinach seeds. I do well with chard,not bothering with peas anymore, they take up a lot of space, for a little yeald, and really don't like the dry weather.
I have a fairly large light set up, but it's going to be used as little as possible this year, the price of electric is just to high. (unless it drops by March).
I don't plant anything before March, unless I want to grow onions from seed, but it's just not economicaly viable this year and I think I might even buy my tomato plants I will have to work out the maths on that.
As for new things to try this year, Nothing I tried purple sprouting broccoli last year and it all just died at -10C so as that's the second attempt and the second 100% failure not going to bother with that again.
6hrs 50 minutes of day here today, by the end of the month we gain 4 minutes per day. it's at 17hrs 54 minutes on the 22nd June.
Posts
I grew CCC this year, and that performed well too
I also grew Jilly one year, which was nice but not as abundant as some others.
Good luck with both your new ones though.
I mainly grow either whites/creams or dark reds/purples. I don't like pastel colours in any plant.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I ♥ my garden.
My kitchen isn't very warm either - too much glass. Too hot in summer, and the opposite in winter, especially as we aren't putting heating on so much.
I have one of those monitors for outside [1 degree just now] but it also registers the inside temp of the room it's in. It's currently 15 degrees, but it's been around 12 to 13 most of the day.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Not good for seed trays and seedlings when they explore above ground level. Tomatoes and chillies will be started indoors, on heat mats, at the end of the month on the assumption that there will be enough light for them in the PT when they are big enough to pot on - by which time the hens will be banned from the PT.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
We are are now 7:58 hours, and by the end of the year, our day will be 9:06 hours.
I ♥ my garden.
There are exceptions to this however, chillis being one of them. I love growing them and have found that I can double my crop by giving them an early start. Last year I built a counter top propagator from spare wood that has a heat mat on a thermostat and removable/height adjustable growlights. With this I can germinate my chillies in January and grow them on in the house till they can go into my green house mid-March. I’ve built a heated table with sand and soil warming cable on a thermostat in the green house big enough to safely grow everything on until final potting.
I only have a small greenhouse so this year I’m growing Hungarian Hot Wax, Scotch Bonnet, Padron and the infamous Carolina Reaper for a bit of fun. That’ll give me enough roasting peppers, chilli jam and sriracha sauce to keep the chilli heads in my extended family happy for a wee while.
if you want to go down the indoor grow light road then it’s well worth visiting your local, ahem, Hydroponics shop. You’ll meet some very ‘chilled’ friendly people who know a great deal about the technical aspects of growing healthy plants indoors.