Repotting the Crossley Specials and replacing them in the Heated Propagator

As the Crossley Special chillis have made such outstanding progress I have decided to re-pot them out into bigger pots, making space for some other seeds to be started off in the heated propagator.

The three heated propagator trays with Crossley Special chillis in them.

The larger pots ready for compost putting in them.

A larger pot filled with compost prior to creating the hole.

All the pots with compost in them. An issue (ignored due to impatience) is the compost is very cold having been stored outside, and the seedlings are currently in lovely warm compost having been on the heated propagator.

Look closely and you will see that I have dug a depression into this compost ready to accept the new seedling.

Two seedlings ready for re-potting.

Very carefully moving a seedling by pushing my hand right underneath and avoiding disturbing the root system.

One Crossley Special seedling safely transferred and (fingers firmly crossed) happy in it's new home.

Having freed up these three trays I am now going to plant three more different seeds.

First of all a couple of Birdseye chilli seeds nestling in the palm of my hand.

The Birdseye chilis in the compost before they are covered over.

The Kerela seeds in the compost; I have no idea what will happen with these but hey, I may as well give it a go...

Two Globe Artichoke seeds prior to planting.

The Globe Artichoke seeds in the compost.

I have brought these large pots into the front room which is the warmest room in the house and now I have to hope that they take to their new homes. I am writing this about three hours after planting and sadly I can report right now that they are ALL looking very limp and unhappy. I think this could be because I have not warmed the compost prior to repotting.

I will keep you informed about what happens; Seriously hope I haven't killed them!

Keep planting :)

Edit **** Edit **** Edit **** Edit

I am updating this on the Sunday morning. It looks like the seedlings are going to make it!

This is a sad looking seedling struggling with the change in environment, specifically the heat in the soil.

However, I have come down this morning and...

This Crossley Special has recovered to be upright, though you can see evidence of stress in the tips of the leaves as they are still slightly curled up.

This one, on the other hand, looks completely happy and there is no evidence that it ever drooped or suffered any stress at all in the process.

I am carefully watering these in; I went to sleep last night worrying about them hah :) Fingers crossed they continue this path of surviving and are happy in the next pots.

Cheers

Progress and getting seeds from the birdseyes

This is a multi-purpose update for you today.

First of all, some progress:

I have now got two Ghost Chilli seedlings!! How awesome is that! The second one appeared a couple of days ago and has done the usual of bursting upwards and then pausing slightly.

There is still only one Geranium seedling, however this one is growing really really well, with second growth showing now. From my experience last year, now we have second growth this will probably start shooting up again once the second leaves open up.

So, that is the brief update. The other plants are doing well still, just there was nothing specific to update you all on.

Secondly for this update I have been given a couple of dried chillis by a mate and today I got round to harvesting the seeds.

The two Birsdeye chillis that I was given, expertly dried (I shall have to find out how this was done; Jon if you would care to comment on this post with your tips?)

I broke apart the chilli using the sharp tip of the Stanley knife and the seeds literally burst out.

This now nicely segues into the final section of this post; the TicTac tip. This is all the seeds I got from the Birdseye chilis and I am storing them in empty tic tac boxes.

I have also transferred the remaining Crossley Special seeds into a tic tac box.

Finally four seeds which I am very excited about; the Kerela seeds. I eat a LOT of "rice and three" curries and my favourite curry house does a dish called "Keema and Bitter" which is the best of the lot; the Kerela vegetable is that which gives this meal it's amazing bitter kick and I am going to be trying to grow this. I am waiting until I have moved some of the seedlings out of the heated propagator so I can put these in.

Anyway, that's the update. Thanks for reading.

Planting carrots and parsnips in toilet rolls

Over the Christmas holidays my uncle gave me a tip. He said that, if you want to grow straight carrots and parsnips easily then take toilet rolls and fill each with compost and plant one seed per toilet roll.

I have been waiting for the opportunity to try this out and today I finally got the chance.

I have spent the last 4 weeks collecting toilet rolls, both at home and at my business, and also at my place of work. I have collected a lot of toilet rolls!

I also have bought a couple of plastic boxes to use as the trays.

The two trays with toilet rolls assigned, on the left for parsnips, and carrots on the right.

My first attempt to fill a toilet roll with compost. Unfortunately as soon as I picked it up the soil fell out the bottom; this is something that would obviously happen and I was just stupid to not consider that.

The first toilet roll filled with compost. I ended up filling it up individually by hand.

All the toilet rolls filled with compost and ready for planting.

This is a single parsnip seed. I had forgotten just how light and floaty and unusual they were.

The parsnip seed placed carefully in the toilet roll and ready to be pushed a couple of mm under the soil.

Carrot seeds on the palm of my hand; these ones are very tiny.

The carrot seed placed into a toilet roll full of compost and ready to be pushed under the soil.

Once each seed was planted and pushed under the soil I pulled the trays inside and placed them near a radiator (but not too near as that would cause them to get too hot) so they can be warm enough to germinate.

I then covered the bottom of the trays with water, which will be drawn up through the compost as the compost dries out, meaning the seed has a better likelihood of germinating too.

So there you have it. My Uncle's tip for growing carrots and parsnips in toilet rolls.

I have two other things to update you on. First of all, I noticed what looks like bluebells starting to come through in the back garden.

I think these are bluebells? There are three or four clumps and I can't wait til the flowers open!

Secondly, while today I have cooked some rabbit stew which I am about to eat shortly, a new addition to our household has arrived:

This is Sassy. She is a 9 week old rabbit. Very very cute!

Anyway, I have another update for you for tomorrow, showing progress on all the other plants.

Cheers

My Seed Collection

So I figured that, seeing as I've taken delivery of a load more seeds (with more yet to come), it would be a good time to do a review of what seeds I own now, and which I am tempted to plant immediately.

So here is a kinda boring update for you I'm sure, but a really useful one for myself.

I have planting plans for later today which might even happen and, if they do come to pass, I will do another blog tomorrow with more interest in it.

Opened Packets

• Spring Onions - White Lisbon
• Red Onion - F1 Kamal
• Unknown variety of chillis
• Ghost Chilli Peppers (2 seeds only)
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Sage
• Sweetcorn - Jubilee F1
• Broccoli - Calabrese F1 Green Magic
• Lettuce - Regina dei ghiacci

Unopened Packets - food

• Strawberry - F1 Sarian
• Cauliflower - Galleon
• Broccoli - F1 Claret - sprouting
• Red Onion - F1 Kamal
• Artichoke - Violet de Provence
• Artichoke - Green Globe Improved
• Tomato - Gardener's Delight
• Tomato - Moneymaker

Unopened Packets - flowers

• Nasturtium - Jewel of Africa
• Forget-me-not - Bobo mixed
• Teasel - Hardy Biennial
• Geranium - Maverick Mixed
• Foxglove Excelsior
• Globe Thistle - Echinops Ruthenicus

All the seed packets as described above.

My two very precious Ghost Chilli Pepper seeds, given to me in a taped shut plastic CD wallet; classy

So, this is what is currently in my seed box and I am going to have to choose what to plant.

Before I go into that, however, look what arrived for me to help me growing my Ghost Chilli Peppers:

My shiny new heated propagator for growing my Ghost Chilli Peppers in, amongst other things

I am going to plant my two seeds in this right after completing this blog post, and I will be back with a post about that tomorrow.

I have been collecting toilet rolls to use as planters for carrots and parsnips. My seed review has revealed that, where I thought I had some, I really don't so this will now go onto my shopping list.

Toilet rolls being collected for use as planters for carrots and parsnips. The tray they are in will be the water resevoir

Last little updates, while at the shop just now I picked up a growing Chive plant and we wanted an adult Coriander plant so we have one of those also; the thought being we do not know how long it will be until the home-grown coriander will be ready to eat.