What I’m sowing and growing in February

[@tradetime1011]

You've changed my way of thinking Steve, the way you are so organised and deep into the cycle of growing food to enable you to harvest throughout the year is so inspirational. Thank You for the content you create.

[@SteveRichards]

Thanks, it was a process. Because I make content for others, that motivated me to be a bit more organised and organised in a way that's easy to publish on the web. The second motivation is just not buying veg and most fruit, that focused the mind, otherwise we'd go hungry. Finally I ended up growing so much food and saving so much money, that I was freed to invest a little to make growing year round fun and productive : All the best - Steve

[@carolclarke2932]

Thank you Steve, so helpful as always.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

Your doing so well! I can’t wait till the growing season!

[@SteveRichards]

every season is growing season for me, so it never stops, but it's rarely busy either : All the best - Steve

[@R1chiesART]

Hi Steve. What a wealth of data you have gathered and honest feedback of what goes right and wrong. Nature always takes it own course no matter how hard we try to correct or intervene. I've just started out, 11 months now after acquiring an allotment 110x30ft. Your carefully planning, recording and information gathering have given me food for thought before ploughing in!. Sorry about the metaphors. Really interesting. Look forward to keeping up to scratch with you. Cheers.

[@SteveRichards]

Thanks Richard, rough planning and being adaptable to what arises is more important than too much careful planning, because as you say, it’s hard to predict natural systems : all the best - Steve

[@michellevernon2278]

Thank you so much, I've just come across you. .the log is a great help, 😊

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

"Slightly more than I can eat". Better to be looking at them than looking for them!

[@yinqin5432]

I like how you try to work around conventional ways to boost harvest, and so organised as well!

[@SteveRichards]

Boost harvests and increase the diversity in our diet. We try to get at least 30 different fruits and veggies a week, different mix every month : all the best - Steve

[@ibrstellar1080]

Those early peppers look glorious and so green and healthy. The conservatory is a useful grow space for early sowing and perfect for the constant production line you have on the go. Another info packed video Steve 👍.

[@SteveRichards]

Those peppers grew on top of a wardrobe in the spare bedroom : All the best - Steve

[@allotmental.]

Steve, as always a big thank you for advice and showing what to grow. I always expect frosts until the end of March so don't bother sowing too much before that 😀👍🏻😉

[@SteveRichards]

We have frosts until the middle of May here, so I don't let that worry me or I'd not have much time to grow anything. Actually in these videos my focus is on what I'm sowing and why, rather than what others should sow, which I try and cover in my book : All the best - Steve

[@leewozzashomeveggiegarden]

All those look lovely and green , those peppers are very developed already

[@SteveRichards]

Just a few early ones, my main crop are only 1" tall Lee : All the best - Steve

[@MrSBGames]

Wow, how old are those chillies and what kind of condition do you grow them under? Those are massive

[@SteveRichards]

See this chapter of my free ebook for all of the details steverichards.notion.site/How-to-Grow-Peppers-sweet-17d87580264a4e0ca6db4bddd3c1900c

[@markshaw5835]

Hope my pepper get like yours, I've got mine on a window sill. Need to check on my onion progress in the greenhouse when I get chance to go down

[@SteveRichards]

Mine will move to natural light soon too Mark : all the best - Steve

[@markshaw5835]

@@SteveRichards I'm trying to control myself, this time of year u just want to go crazy either seeds

[@sheepseven7588]

Nice am hoping by Gods grace to have a small cold frame / polly tunel

[@SteveRichards]

They really make a difference in autumn and spring, fairly useful in Winter

[@anonet78]

Hi Steve I did put more garlic in and put them deeper and they are now doing great, But that -11.5 we had up here has destroyed all my onion sets so iv got some more but different ones to put in.

[@SteveRichards]

Still plenty of time for onions, sown in Feb, or sets in spring : All the best - Steve

[@WideCuriosity]

You seem to have a lot of best early red cabbage that you grow. 😉

[@SteveRichards]

Experimenting this year with red cabbage, various dates, not tried before

[@sheepseven7588]

Hi can you please make another storage video please thank you

[@SteveRichards]

I've made it, it will be up in about a week : All the best - Steve

[@lynnpurfield9430]

Wow, your January sowings came on so fast Steve. Up until now I found my seed sowing frame still a bit cold even with the heating cable switched on. It is outside the back door though.

[@SteveRichards]

My best growing space by far is on top of the wardrobe in the spare room. It's not heated, so it's about 15c (heated by the rest of the house) and stays fairly constant as we have a blackout bling to keep out the sun. The growlight is from spider farmer. It doesn't overheat, it's stable and bright and best of all it's out of the way : All the best - Steve

[@lynnpurfield9430]

@@SteveRichards yes, it looks a great system. I have a really wide shelf in an alcove. We put up a huge mirror on the wall and the area was just for me to do my hair. It never got used for that though. Now I am converting it a bit for micro green growing (and putting in a heat mat for early seed starting. The grow lights are just the cheapy T2 strips but doing the job at the moment. I will see how leggy the seeding get soon. Our house is a very old Welsh cottage with tiny windows and not many of them so in the house growing definitely needs some help. As we get older we need to plan for getting even older and coming up with quick, simple ways to have healthy home grown foods with less and less work can be pretty challenging but healthful for the grey matter 😁

[@crystalwhite4685]

Which zone are you in? Also where do you get your bottom trays? Mine always have holes in them by the second season!

[@SteveRichards]

See this section of my book for all the "what zone" info steverichards.notion.site/Introduction-3c5dd567dc0a4bd29a70bcf58230c361 the trays are from Wilko or from Amazon, see my amazon store for the details, linked in the description : All the best - Steve

[@susang2734]

Awesome video. Your peppers look great. If I understood properly, you are planting peppers earlier than usual? I always do really 😅 but often it doesn't work out 🙁 it's this crazy weather. It feels like spring is on its way.

[@SteveRichards]

Not earlier than usual, I usually do a batch in December, but I don't do them all that early, this year I'm doing 36 plants, and I did 12 in December, with a few spares for friends : All the best - Steve

[@SteveRichards]

I generally expect a few spring days in winter and a few winter days in spring, I'm rarely disappointed : All the best - Steve

[@susang2734]

@@SteveRichards That is wise!I'll keep that saying in mind from now on. Take care 🤗

[@helenfielding7870]

A very informative video as always Steve, thank you. I'm wondering if you've ever read "The Secret Life of Plants" by Christopher Bird. If not, I highly recommend it. You'd be more likely then to tell that tray of small seedlings how beautiful and special they are, rather than "horrible". Give it a go, they will respond!

[@SteveRichards]

It didn't make it to my reading list for 2023 Helen, but It's in my library and I've tagged it for 2024 based on your recommendation : All the best - Steve

[@helenfielding7870]

@@SteveRichards it's fascinating.. gets a bit sciencey for me in places but the basic premise is life changing in terms of what is consciousness, and how not to underestimate it. Move it up your list! And thanks again for your tireless work here and on your ebook. Happy February and here's to the light returning 😊

[@SteveRichards]

I'm strict with my list, otherwise I find I only ever read books that are new to me and never read the great books I already have! : All the best - Steve

[@lynnpurfield9430]

I wanted to try the Graffiti cauliflowers but didnt manage to get to sprout either. A big disappointment as the seeds are expensive and I think there were only 10. Will try again, it looks lovely.

[@SteveRichards]

Oh that's a shame Lynn, where did you get them from? I had 100% germination from www.growseed.co.uk/vegetables/cauliflower-seeds/graffiti-f1.html they will probably be even better sown in Feb : All the best - Steve

[@lynnpurfield9430]

@@SteveRichards thank you for the link. I will try Growseeds next week.

[@lynnpurfield9430]

@@SteveRichards I will try out the Ringo too since I probably wasted all my Long Marconi....an opportunity to break a habit..lol

[@garryfensome9209]

Hi Which seed compost are you using this year Struggling to get a decent one

[@SteveRichards]

I've not changed I always use Levingtons F2 or F2s seed and modular compost, I just had 4 bags delivered, that will last me all year, £9 a bag, great results 98% of the time : All the best - Steve

[@garryfensome9209]

@@SteveRichards thank you Will give it ago Been using Sinclair for years but quality seems to have deteriorated

[@GARDENER42]

What do you do with the peppers to prepare them for freezing?

[@SteveRichards]

Nothing, we just chop them, lay them on a tray, freeze and bag once frozen : all the best - Steve

[@madeleineforey9792]

I’ve had the same problem with Tatsoi. All my lettuce, rocket, Pak Choi and mizuna are doing well under lights, but I’ve only had six minuscule Tatsoi seedlings appear since early January. Not sure if it’s a problem with the seeds or what I’m doing to them…

[@SteveRichards]

Sounds like the seeds to me : All the best - Steve

[@ronaldandsusanshaws-growing]

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