Seed-sowing, fungus-growing and seed-sprouting diary
The sowing times given are those printed on the back of the seed packets. Obviously where you live – north, south, beside the sea, in a town – will make a difference and you will have to add or subtract months to those suggested.
Seed |
Sowing time/place |
Italian plain-leaved parsley |
Any time/indoors |
Seed sprouting and scissor salads |
Any time/indoors |
Greengrocer/supermarket vegetables – root ginger, lemongrass, sweet potatoes |
Any time/indoors |
‘Gardener's Delight’ tomatoes |
January–March/indoors |
Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) |
January–March/indoors |
Garlic chives |
February–April/indoors |
Sweet basil |
February–April/indoors |
Bush basil |
February–April/indoors |
Alpine strawberries |
February/indoors |
Sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) |
February–April/indoors |
Busy Lizzie (Impatiens) |
February–April/indoors |
‘Slim Jim’ aubergine |
March/indoors |
‘Salad Bowl’ and ‘Red Salad Bowl’ |
March–July/outdoors |
lettuce |
|
Perpetual spinach |
March–mid-July/outdoors |
New Zealand spinach |
March–August/outdoors |
‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard |
March–mid-September/outdoors |
Baby parsnips |
March–mid-June/outdoors |
Sweet-scented mignonette |
March–May/outdoors |
Nasturtiums |
March/indoors; April–May/outdoors |
Night-scented stock |
Mid-March–May/outdoors |
Virginia stock |
Mid-March–May/outdoors |
‘Sprite’ dwarf French bean |
April/indoors; mid-May/outdoors |
‘Scarlet Emperor’ runner bean |
April/indoors; May–June/outdoors |
American land cress (Belle Isle, winter, upland cress) |
Early April or August/outdoors |
‘Simpson’s Sweet Success’ and ‘Petita’ F1 cucumbers |
April/indoors |
Annual dill ‘Bouquet’ |
April/indoors; May/outdoors |
Komatsuna (mustard spinach) |
April–September/outdoors |
‘Black Seeded Simpson’ lettuce |
April/outdoors |
Potatoes |
April (plant on Good Friday) |
Rocket (arugula, Italian cress) |
April–mid-July/outdoors |
Oriental saladini |
April–June/outdoors |
Vegetable amaranth |
April–June/outdoors |
Iceland Giant Group poppy |
April–early June/outdoors |
Baby kohl rabi |
April–mid-August/outdoors |
Abyssinian mustard |
May–September/outdoors |
(Texsel greens) |
|
‘Detroit 2-Tardel’ beetroot |
May–July/outdoors |
‘Catalogna’ lettuce |
May–June/outdoors |
Mizuna (Japanese greens, |
May–August outdoors; September– |
potherb mustard) |
April/indoors |
Mitsuba (Japanese parsley) |
May or August/outdoors |
Chicory ‘Sugar Loaf ’ |
June–July/outdoors |
‘Canton Dwarf ’, ‘Joi Choi’ F 1 pak choi |
June–August/outdoors |
‘Cornet de Bordeaux’ scarole |
June–July/outdoors |
Saffron (Crocus sativus) |
June–August/outdoors |
‘Tah Tsai’ Chinese cabbage |
July/outdoors |
Winter purslane (miners’ lettuce, |
July–August/outdoors |
Indian lettuce, claytonia) |
|
Lamb’s lettuce (corn salad mâche) |
Mid-August–October/outdoors |
Radish ‘Red Meat’ |
August–October/outdoors |
‘Dante’ corn salad |
September–April/outdoors |
Champignons and toilet-roll oyster mushrooms |
October–April (as soon as the heating is turned on) indoors |
Garlic |
November (plant cloves) outdoors |
Order seeds |
December |
A. Chase Organics
Riverdene Business Park
Molesey Road
Hersham
Surrey KT12 4RG
Tel: 01932 253666
Fax: 01932 252777
(for organic seeds, wooden wormeries,
seaweed extract,
Organic Gardening Catalogue,
organic seed-sprouting grains)
B. Garden Organic
(formerly Henry Doubleday Research Association)
Ryton Organic Gardens
National Centre for Organic Gardening
Ryton-on-Dunsmore
Coventry CV8 3LG
Tel: 02476 303517
C. Simpsons Seeds
The Walled Garden Nursery
Horningsham
Warminster BA127NQ
Tel: 01985 845004
D. Suffolk Herbs
Monks Farm
Coggeshall Road
Kelvedon
Essex C05 9PG
Tel: 01376 572456
Fax: 01376 571189
(for organic seed-sprouting grains)
E. Recycle Works Ltd
Unit 1, Bee Mill
Ribchester
PR3 3XJ
Tel: 01254 820088
(for Compact Wow Wooden Observation Wormery and Wow Wooden Observation Wormery (both very expensive), worms)
F. Ken Muir
Honeypot Farm
Rectory Road
Weeley Heath
Clacton-on-Sea
Essex C016 9BJ
Tel: 01255 830181
Fax: 01255 831534
(for bare-rooted fruit trees, and bare-rooted raspberries, etc.)
G. Caroline Ridden
Caerestyn Farm
Rhyddyn Hill
Caergwrle
Near Wrexham
Wales LL12 9EF
(for saffron crocus corms, send a sae for factsheet)
H. Suttons Seeds & Plants
Woodview Road
Paignton
Devon TQ4 7NG
Tel: 0844 922 2899
(also for saffron crocus bulbs)
I. Natural Collection
c/o Spark Etail Ltd
Follingsby Avenue
Follingsby Park
Gateshead
NE10 8HQ
J. Thrive (formerly Horticultural Therapy)
The Geoffrey Udall Centre
Beech Hill
Reading
Berkshire RG7 2AT
Tel: 0118 988 5688
Fax: 0118 988 5677
(Battersea Park Thrive centre:
Tel: 020 7720 2212)
K. Wiggly Wrigglers Limited
Lower Blakemere Farm
Herefordshire HR2 9PX
Freephone: 01981 500391
(for polypropylene sacks, Can-0-
Worms wormery, worms,
Blakemere Farm, Bokashi composter)
L. G.M. & E.A Innes
Oldtown
Brownhills
Newmachar
Aberdeenshire AB21 7PR
Tel: 01651 862333
(for a large selection of potatoes)
M. Interplay UK Limited
Unit D, Meter House
Fieldhouse Lane
Marlow
Buckinghamshire SL7 1LW
Tel: 01628 488525
Fax: 01628 476700
(for anteries)
Crowmarsh Battle Barns
114 Preston Crowmarsh
Wallingford, OX10 6SL
Tel: 01229 581137
(for a large selection of basil seeds)
O. Planet Organic
42 Westbourne Grove
London W2 5SH
Tel: 020 7221 1345
P. Amazon.co.uk
(for organic mushroom growing kits)