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Growing veg: when is it too late to start sowing seeds for an allotment?

#1 · 20th February 2022, 3:29 pm

Hi ?

Myself and my husband have just got an allotment ? we are so excited to start sowing but we are away on holiday (booked before we got the allotment lol) returning the last weekend in March. Will we be too late to sow seeds in April. Thanks Michael & Roger

#2 · 21st February 2022, 5:35 am

Quote from Lee Garden Ninja on 21st February 2022, 5:35 am
Hi Michael & Roger,
Welcome to the Garden Ninja Gardening Forum. It's great to hear that you two have just got your first allotment! Excellent news and very exciting.
The first thing to say is that there's always a big rush from seasoned allotment holders and grow your owners online to get seeds sown ASAP. However, I wouldn't panic too much. Whilst certain plants benefit from this like sweet peas, most plants will happily catch up if sown a bit later. So I really wouldn't panic about sowing seeds in April.
You can sow seeds pretty much at any time depending on the plant and sometimes it's better to spread our certain seedlings, especially annual herbs or quick crops like lettuce. This helps provide a continuous supply of vegetables and also prevent you from having a glut.
I also think it would be helpful to give you some advice as new allotment holders and then some seed sowing guidance.
Biggest New Allotment Owner Mistakes:
Rushing to sow hundreds of seeds to only find you don't have the space for them
Not preparing ie weeding the soil first - this really is worthwhile in year 1
Not considering no-dig gardening (you can read more here and why prepping the soil is vital for an easier allotment life)
Underestimating the time you have free to spend there - I would always start smaller in terms of volume of plants to see if you can manage the upkeep
Not utilising a water butt
Trying to grow exotic varieties or tricky plants in year 1 - keep it simple and build your confidence
Sowing Seed Guidance:
Seed sowing is probably one of the most fun and somewhat magical aspects of gardening. As a beginner gardener, it can really help encourage you to keep growing once you see plants emerge from tiny seeds!
My biggest tip is not to sow the entire packet in one go. For most seeds, you can end up with hundreds of tiny plants that all require pricking out. Check out my guide below. So I would only ever sow as many seeds as you can reasonably accommodate. Also if anything goes wrong, suck as they get an illness or frazzled as you forget to water them, you have some spare seeds for a second go!
https://youtu.be/DICGT44SMSs
I'd also recommend you try and use plastic-free containers wherever possible or at least refuse until they fall apart. More on that here.
Anyway, I hope that's given you some encouragement and food for thought. Good luck on your fantastic new allotment journey and keep us posted!
Lee

Hi Michael & Roger,

Welcome to the Garden Ninja Gardening Forum. It's great to hear that you two have just got your first allotment! Excellent news and very exciting.

The first thing to say is that there's always a big rush from seasoned allotment holders and grow your owners online to get seeds sown ASAP. However, I wouldn't panic too much. Whilst certain plants benefit from this like sweet peas, most plants will happily catch up if sown a bit later. So I really wouldn't panic about sowing seeds in April.

You can sow seeds pretty much at any time depending on the plant and sometimes it's better to spread our certain seedlings, especially annual herbs or quick crops like lettuce. This helps provide a continuous supply of vegetables and also prevent you from having a glut.

I also think it would be helpful to give you some advice as new allotment holders and then some seed sowing guidance.

Biggest New Allotment Owner Mistakes:

Rushing to sow hundreds of seeds to only find you don't have the space for them
Not preparing ie weeding the soil first - this really is worthwhile in year 1
Not considering no-dig gardening (you can read more here and why prepping the soil is vital for an easier allotment life)
Underestimating the time you have free to spend there - I would always start smaller in terms of volume of plants to see if you can manage the upkeep
Not utilising a water butt
Trying to grow exotic varieties or tricky plants in year 1 - keep it simple and build your confidence

Sowing Seed Guidance:

Seed sowing is probably one of the most fun and somewhat magical aspects of gardening. As a beginner gardener, it can really help encourage you to keep growing once you see plants emerge from tiny seeds!

My biggest tip is not to sow the entire packet in one go. For most seeds, you can end up with hundreds of tiny plants that all require pricking out. Check out my guide below. So I would only ever sow as many seeds as you can reasonably accommodate. Also if anything goes wrong, suck as they get an illness or frazzled as you forget to water them, you have some spare seeds for a second go!