Seedlings I've Grown In January | what to grow in January | year-round self sufficiency

[@annlyder8657]

Hi Steve I definitely have to get some grow lights so I can start my seeds earlier as well. You give so much useful information which is so helpful. A great thank you from me.

[@SteveRichards]

They are fun and quite useful, but we still easily managed to be self-sufficient without them, so definitely not needed : All the best - Steve

[@GARDENER42]

Just found your channel & as I'm not too far up the coast (2 miles inland from Whitehaven), shouldn't be far off from the same seasonal temperatures & sunlight, though I'm at 90m compared to 10m. Currently only growing in my small back garden patch (12m x 3.3m) plus an 8x6 greenhouse but I managed more than 150kg of produce in my first full season after I cleared the jungle & dying plum tree in late 2020. Garden is being tended as "no dig". I'll set to & watch more as I get time to do so. Thanks for sharing your experience & knowledge

[@SteveRichards]

Thanks for the feedback and yes, a similar climate I think. I recommend taking a look at my book, it's probably the best way to find videos as it's full of them steverichards.notion.site/Gardening-eBook-info-6f57489ae10a4721b48b421826203814 : All the best - Steve

[@markshaw5835]

Great video. Lots growing all looking healthy I've got 2 pepper plants that are still growing nicely. I now got my heated progatotor which should help me alot. The more we go into the season. Csnt wait to start growing more

[@SteveRichards]

Mid Feb is the best place to start without lights : All the best - Steve

[@markshaw5835]

@@SteveRichards Great I've managed to get a few thing to grow not sure if they get to leggy though

[@dn744]

Made 2 2.5. Low tunnels today. Going to be planting seeds tomorrow

[@SteveRichards]

Seed sowing never seems to end, but I'm not complaining! : All the best - Steve

[@ronaldandsusanshaws-growing]

Things are looking great Steve, Take care.

[@SteveRichards]

No stella results - like yours - here though Ronald, but I'm happy enough with the progress : All the best - Steve

[@janb4720]

Thank you so much for your informative videos, Steve. I've learned a lot. Take care. Jan

[@SteveRichards]

Thanks Jan : all the best - Steve

[@Leonore45]

Me too 😊

[@GrowHarvestEat]

Everything looks great. I love the idea of using a database to keep a log of everything, beats the scrap bit of paper that I use 😂

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

Nice one Steve. I am running out of space already LOL Have a great weekend buddy.

[@SteveRichards]

It's easy to get carried away Steve! I'm full too now, but I will be doing a lot of planting over the next couple of weeks so I should be fine : All the best - Steve

[@annaleigh-deep8925]

@@SteveRichards A few more Chillies for me to sow tomorrow and breathe!

[@SteveRichards]

Lol, January is a quiet month for seed sowing, Feb and March are the busy ones, so not much time to breathe ;-)

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

@@SteveRichards Yes, March is my big month

[@stuartdoran7626]

Perfect timing Steve. I save seeds from both French Breakfast and Cherry Belle from last years crops. Knew which tub was which for months, but like a fool, I hadn''t labelled them. Which is the bigger seed? lol I won't make that mistake again.

[@SteveRichards]

Note sure about the seeds Stuart, but the French breakfast seedlings are about twice the size of the cherry ones : All the best - Steve

[@bernadette6211]

It's great seeing this sowing video, I'm getting great results with my grow light, I'm delighted your videos encouraged me to get one. So far the only seeds I haven't had luck with are my bell peppers. I have the seed tray on a hot plate, so either that or the seed quality is the problem? Do you use crop rotation, is there a section in your e book about it? Never before have I had so many strong lettuce, onion and pea plants this time of year 😊🙏

[@SteveRichards]

Maybe too hot, they germinate ok on a windowsill above a radiator. Re rotations, not really. I grow 4 successions per bed per year, so you can imagine what the rotation schedule would look like. There’s some goo research coming from America looking at how plants adapt soil to their needs and how rotations mess that up. My approach is to focus on healthy plants in healthy soil and cross my fingers : all the best - Steve

[@bernadette6211]

@@SteveRichards Thank you Steve, finally this morning one of my pepper seedlings appeared through the soil, I'll still try less heat for the next batch. That's good to know regarding rotation because I'm hoping to grow a lot more brassicas and I was trying to figure out how to fit them all in.

[@SteveRichards]

On brassicas specifically there's a lot of different ideas, some say provided you don't remove the roots and disturb the soil they can grow in the same spot year after year. The plants adapt the soil to their needs. I have two brassica beds in the front and back garden and I intend to make these permanent beds. I can afford to take the risk : All the best - Steve

[@SecrePeach]

So much great content Steve, thanks. Just shared your video to a friend who is a newbie gardener this yr. Steve, as you know I’ve dug out the beds in the poly and started again. (They were laid initially on mossy lawn). I’ve removed all boulders 😁 and I’ve added a 50l bag of commercial manure, a 30l bag of commercial compost and 4 handfuls of b/f/bone, and 3handfuls of sea kelp granules per 3ftx3ft (12-18” deep). Im going to top dress with a 3” layer of compost once I’m ready to plant. Do you think the beds are now nutrient ready (remember they were seriously lacking when I began) or should I add more on planting? Also will the beds be too rich for some crops?

[@SteveRichards]

Hi Karen, definitely don't need anything else now Karen, too rich for carrots/parsnips/lettuce and spinach, but ok for peppers, tomatoes, squash, courgettes

[@SecrePeach]

Do you think it would be ok for onions and spring greens before the tomatoes go in?

[@SteveRichards]

I'm sure it will Karen

[@tracysmith5948]

I’m impressed! Better get my seeds out!

[@SteveRichards]

Shooting the video for February’s seeds tomorrow

[@TheEssexAllotment]

Peppers look great - already ahead of mine, and mine were sown a day earlier 😬

[@SteveRichards]

You have a lot more than me though Alex, you'll be pleased that they aren't that big soon when you are trying to find somewhere to keep them all warm and sunny! : All the best - Steve

[@TheEnglishladyskitchengarden]

Hi Steve. I have a tall chimney pot that I use as a mini compost bin in my flower border. This year I plan on topping it off with shop bought compost and planting a couple of courgettes and letting them trail down the side. Can I leave two plants or should I thin it to one?

[@SteveRichards]

Just one Cherie, I'm not sure that it will trail though, at least the varieties that I grow don't : All the best - Steve

[@TheEnglishladyskitchengarden]

@@SteveRichards Thanks Steve. I'll keep it for something that will trail in that case. I am eyeballing anything that I can find to use as a planter at the moment.

[@Asa-df8kb]

What are the average day/night temperatures in your location in february in the conservatory versus outside?

[@SteveRichards]

Conservatory is about 12c night 22c day, outside it's about 2c night 6c day, but it's fairly variable, coldest is about -7c. Workshop lights are 5c night and 24c day. : All the best - Steve

[@Asa-df8kb]

@@SteveRichards Thank you!

[@florianaciobanu8371]

Another great video! Thank you. The calabrese sown in oct was under growlights at any point? And when planted out in febr could it go in a low tunnel? Regards, Floriana

[@SteveRichards]

Hi Floriana, October sown brassicas don’t need lights, the heat and light are in balance and they grow well and yes, if hardened off they do well in a low tunnel : all the best - Steve

[@florianaciobanu8371]

@@SteveRichards brill thank you, I shall try that in october. Keeping them in conservatory from oct to febr... Hope they will do fine

[@SteveRichards]

I kept mine in a polytunnel for the first 4 years : all the best - Steve

[@johnking-ht5ez]

Where did you get that shelf unit with grow lights. Does it come flat packed

[@SteveRichards]

Hi John, yes it was a flat pack, it's an Amazon Basics one, but I think Amazon rebrand it from Ikea : All the best - Steve

[@johnking-ht5ez]

@@SteveRichards Thanks for that Steve.

[@Missworld_266]

Hi Steve , can I plant potato seeds now in my shed ?

[@SteveRichards]

Yes, but see this video How to grow VERY early potatoes | kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWOUhXqAnZd8g8k

[@LittlePetieWheat]

Do you keep peppers under lights until May?

[@SteveRichards]

I try to find space for their first 60 days, then they have enough leaf to be happy under natural light : all the best - Steve

[@LittlePetieWheat]

@@SteveRichards In the conservatory? (i.e. still need heat)

[@SteveRichards]

In the conservatory or kitchen window, they need 10c or above at night for best harvests : all the best - Steve

[@johnjude2685]

Location please Zone 6 here in snow county

[@SteveRichards]

All my videos shows the location John, just above the title, Lytham St Annes, North West, England

[@LittlePetieWheat]

No aubergines?

[@SteveRichards]

Not keen on them unfortunately