Heat Loving Crops 22/01/2021

There are enough people across the internet who can tell you how to sow seeds, so we won’t add to the noise (our go-to reference for matters garden-related is almost always the Royal Horticultural Society). There are, however, a few crops that need as much time as possible to grow, develop and ripen (i.e. the longest season possible). They like heat which, let’s face it, is in pretty short supply for most of the year here in the UK, so it’s best to get them going indoors, in the latter part of January, to give them that time to then provide you with great food in abundance later in the year. Tomatoes, chillies, aubergines and sweet peppers are the ones we’ve mentioned here. There are others.

Get these seeds started indoors, on a light, warm window sill, work top or shelf - away from draughts. You’ll be growing them on indoors when they get a bit bigger too - in larger pots (around 8cm is good) - so they’ll be beautifully established, robust and ready for planting out into the garden when the soil has warmed up and the last frost of the year is just a memory.

For all of these heat-lovers, sow them in a little propagator or seed tray, as you would most seeds - in proprietary seed compost. Have some larger pots (or a tray of them) ready to move them into in a few weeks - and away you go.

Isla Haxton on the ‘Walthamstow Gardening Tips’ Facebook group knows her tomatoes, if that’d be helpful for you.

As always, of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll do all we can to help.

The Lancasters Team.