Here's a quick tour of the greenhouse and windowsills at the moment as being as it horrible weather outside. Firstly let me mention germination rates. I sowed eleven Hunter F1 butternut squashes, this was last year's seed; at the same time, in same conditions I sowed ten Turks Turban, new seed, recently bought. Which germinated better?
Well, surprisingly the butternut with the old seed did much better. From eleven butternut, nine germinated while from the Turks Turban, only five. I must say that 50% germination rate of new seed is pretty poor especially in a heated propagator with controlled, warm conditions. I planned on having more Turks Turban plants so I've re-sown in the hope of getting a couple more.
Let's move from the house now to the greenhouse itself for a quick spot check on progress. The main change is that I've planted out my tomatoes after preparing the bed with new compost and fertilizer. They seem to have benefited already as they quickly put on a bit of growth and look much greener. There are two types here, my usual Alicante and some Shirley F1.
The brassicas are storming along nicely. The most impressive are the cauliflower, they are growing at a rate of knots and I'm considering getting them outside to harden off in the next few days if the weather brightens a little. They will have to be planted out in the next fortnight. Next door the Brussels Sprouts are developing at a more stately pace. I was initially concerned about these as they looked very 'leggy' but, having re-potted them further up the stem, (which you can do with brassicas) they have come on really well and look like good, solid plants. (Pic - cauli's on the left, sprouts on the right).
Needless to day that the beans are going mad - both French and runner versions. Unfortunately, a lone snail snaffled a few runner bean plants before it was apprehended but I've enough for eighteen canes, a few more than last season. I've also got eight French bean plants, again enough for my usual wigwam - and I'll plant a few seeds at the foot each cane in the hope of getting another crop a bit later in the season. (Pic - climbing beans with the the leeks doing well after being transplanted into their deep tray).
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A few weeks ago, (see 24th April post), I sowed some sweet corn in root trainers. These have germinated well, a few blank cells, but there are more than enough plants to go around. They started well indoors last season too but really didn't get off to a flyer when planted outside - a bit too cold perhaps? Anyway, I've changed varieties and will try to plant out a little later in a warm spell.
That will do for now, I'm off to the plot to see if the wind today has blown the shed away!
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