These trays are brilliant. Little amount of compost per cell. Reusable, rigid, and my favourite bit, the hole in the bottom is big enough to put my finger in to pop out the seedlings easily. Games changer 😂
Do similar principles apply for flower seeds? Ie can use potting compost for rhem or is the vermiculite recommended (thinking of more delicate flowers for borders)
I did actually sow broad beans in them. As you might expect they were fighting for room with lots of roots poking out the bottom. Ive just planted them out, lets see how they do.
I purchased Charles’s seed module tray last year and can attest that they are the best ones I have ever seen. I would actually say that the large hole in the bottom is the best feature - pushing out small seedlings is much gentler and it is almost impossible to break tender plants. Charles, keep up the good work! We appreciate your attention to quality
@@amandar7719 I've not got a dishwasher we got divorced 😂, I just give mine a splash and stick them in the greenhouse over winter, think this is their 3rd season and showing no signs of needing replacing 😁
Thank you Charles. You make gardening look so simple and these videos really spur me to get out and do something despite how bleak it is outside. Hoping for a prosperous season.
Thank you; a long time ago, I took vocational horticulture classes, we used a mix of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss, a commercial model. Compost keeps things simple, inexpensive, most natural. Your seed-trays and great!
Wow I"ve just discovered I can buy your seed trays in Aotearoa/New Zealand. They ship from Tasmania, but its hugely less shipping than from the U.K. So I've just bought 5 of the 15 cell trays and will fill them with compost and seeds for an Autumn garden as soon as they arrive. Cant wait. I'll get the compost mixed with vermiculite now.
I have been watching your videos for a year now and learning so much, I have some cd 60 cells and I love them especially as I’m clumsy and I’ve stood on one I dropped they are so strong. Much more environmentally friendly which is a great thing. I’m so excited for next week as I have your calendar and can begin sowing 😊 x
I love this method of seed tray and pricking out, I've used it a lot every season for many types of seeds after learning this from you ! Thank you for sharing your years of experience! Great video again Charles!
over the last 7-8 years watching your videos i have never seen vermiculite in your seed starting composts. You always used what seemed to be just straight sieved compost, and it always amazed me how successful that was.
You are right, and I very rarely use it! But I'm mentioning it here, because for the tiniest seeds, and those sown in trays without partitions, it makes a worthwhile difference.
Good morning, Charles, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b USA We have been having cool days and cooler nights in January and the first week in February. But someone flipped the switch and yesterday was mid-70's and today is supposed to hit 80°F!🌞 I hope your days are warming up, too 👍🥕👍
@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920, Hi. Flipped for sure. I'm in central Ct zone 6b, and at 5:59 pm it is 55 degrees, I don't know if my garlic will survive in our backyard garden.
@smas3256 hello neighbors to the north 👍I planted garlic cloves a few months ago in grow bags. I was told in Florida that it's best to plant in the fall and harvest in the spring. Good luck 👍
Hi Charles. Thanking you for your time and words of wisdom. It's 55 here in central Ct zone 6b. Got 1/2 inch snow early January. My garlic was planted in compost and covered with 3 inches of straw plus 2 inches of chopped brown leaves. After rains sprouts keep poking up and I keep covering them in the hope I'll get some garlic. We shall wait and see. Thank you again Charles and crew.
That sounds unusually mild for you, and it might be worth allowing them to stay green (not cover new shoots) and grow, as they are trying to. Garlic stands a lot of frost.
Thanks for the tip on modular tray shaped cells. I will try cutting the holes bigger on then ones I currently have and see how it works. Great video as always! Thank you Charles
Good video thank you for sharing your knowledge and time. I stopped using potting soil after watching a video where you said you just use compost. Thanks again. Cheers.
Hi Charles! Please consider selling your module trays through a Canadian source! For the past three years I have wanted to buy your trays but through your US supplier, the shipping comes to almost as much as the cost of the 3 CD60 trays I was trying to buy. I'm buying some US made ones for this year but would love to add some of yours if they become available in the future.
I'm sorry to hear this Christian and have asked Containerwise about it, I know they have considered it, but one thing is that it needs a good distributor in Canada, which they have not yet found
@@CharlesDowding1nodig I buy most of my gardening tools and supplies from Lee Valley. They have stores in 7 provinces and sell online. The USA-made module trays I am buying this year are sold there. I bought the more inexpensive type last year hoping to add some of yours this year but I guess it will take longer. Hope something works out! I think your module trays would do really well here and I'll be needing more in the years to come. Christian is my faith 😉. Long time subscriber and own most of your books. I just prefer anonymity these days. Thank you for your reply, Charles!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Sigh! My husband just brought me home the best option I could find quality wise. Not much better than last year's. I certainly can't step on them like you do with yours 😅! Anyway, I'll continue hoping you'll find a local supplier to source them through. I'll be your first customer, if that happens.
Just ordered my first batch of your module trays. Excited to try them out. I had learned from you previously that vermiculite is my friend for the lettuce seedlings. I also had good luck last year mixing a bit into the planting holes for my peppers. My soil is fairly heavy clay in my older beds, even after years of adding organic matter, compost, and even sand to lighten it up. By adding some vermiculite my sweet bell peppers actually gave me a good crop - literally the first time in about 20 years of trying (I’m very persistent, just not very smart.).
That is epic! Thanks for sharing, and I'm glad you succeeded. Hear my peppers are variable according to whether or not we have decent warmth in the summer.
I love your seed trays and beside using less seed compost I have experienced that the small plants thrive so well in them. You explained in the video, that the tapering bottom reduces water logging, and perhaps that is the reason. That is brilliant Charles!
Love the seed trays. Because they are a bit pricy I buy a few every year, but they are worth every penny because they will be used until I "fall of the twig."
Charles, will you be able to do a video in the future of what plants you will net throughout a season, with all these new pests around I’m losing track on what needs netting and what can be left. Thanks for your great videos
It's not predictable enough, there is no one formula which fits all gardens. For example, some gardens or plots suffer pigeons, all year long, others do not. It would I think add to the confusion! That is a lot to learn about growing different vegetables. One can't get away from that.
Another useful vid. I kept a record of peat-free composts in 2023, and these are my results: Verve (B&Q): This was very good. I notice they've doubled the price this year, but probably still worth it. Miracle Gro: Ok, but low in nutrients New Horizon: Terrible, symptoms of pyralid contamination. Loads of gravel and coarse texture. I actually binned the rest of the bag, which I've never done before! Goodhome (B&Q): OK, but low in nutrients. I note your comments about sufficient air/ too much water. However, where I've put "low in nutrients", the seedlings improved dramatically when fed.
Thanks Peter, that's helpful. Yes, many compost are sold with too few nutrients. And an issue from year to year is how they vary, so the Verve you had last year might be different to what you buy this year, in terms of what's in the sack - plus the price!
When will the 40-Cell DEEP Seed Propagation Trays be available again? They’ve been sold out for ages now and I’ve been keeping an eye out for them and haven’t found any that’s back in stock.
Hello Charles, I just sowed my tomatoes in potting mix, and I was wondering once they start showing signs that they are hungry, can I simply transplant the plugs in a 3x3 inches container with compost in it? Will be be enough to keep them happy a week or two more? I do not have any organic fertilizer, but I never seen you use these products neither. Ps I do not have a green house, I grow the seedling indoor only. (If that can help you answer).
Hi Charles from Ireland. I have all my seeds bought - changed to organic, heirloom and open pollinated- now just have to get out and start planning but bit laid up with back trouble at moment. Peppers will be first and I'm very apprehensive about trying onion seeds this year, feel like im going to get it wrong!
I use the small medium and large Garland propagators and am worried that if I try some of your modules I won't be able to get the propagator lids back on. If that won't be a problem I'll go ahead and place an order. thanks Charles.
Wish we could get these module trays here in New Zealand I modify standard ones but cutting some of bottom out but not that good and time consuming to do 😊
Thanks, and I have used them and they grow nice plants. However, I find the process of mixing wet soil/Compost mix and the time it takes to do that plus I don't always have perfectly adapted trays, makes the process long and less good than it might be. It takes longer!
First seeds of the new year sown this morning in beautiful sunshine: Aquadulce Claudia Broad Beans as a failsafe to the over-wintered ones; and Alderman peas for shoots. Home Saved Seeds. Outside again tomorrow morning to sow seeds of roots: beetroot, onion, spring onion and radish. 2024 now feels like it is really here!
Hi Charles, I have noticed that you never use raised beds. All your beds are in ground. I am starting a new garden and I want to avoid using raised beds because of the costs. In the UK, there is a lot of rain. How do you ensure that your In ground beds have good drainage and they don't become water logged? Why do you not use raised beds? Thanks
It's very rare that wooden sides are necessary. Herer my soil is heavy, it rains a lot yet because of the excellent drainage through No Dig soil, much better than when soil has been disturbed, there is no need for beds to be excessively high. Plus wooden sides often harbour slugs, woodlice, and aunts, and it saves you so much money not to use them. See this video for more details. ruclips.net/video/zol5pP1ytKk/видео.html
Where can I find hoops like the ones you use for mesh and grow cover ? I’ve used pvc pipes in times past but I like the look of the metal hoop you use . Do you just push the ends into the ground and it stays secure ?
I did have my doubts about the amount of compost you can put in the standard cells but it was unfounded. Just about all smaller seeds thrive. I use a larger size module for very large seeds like coconuts-I mean broad beans but even peas do well in the smaller cells. Jon Innes 1 2 and 3 are a distant but fond memory. Thank you Charles
Another timely video, really love it! Have you experimented with mixing in peat moss? I ask because I used to make soil blocks and that + compost + vermiculite or perilite were the three main ingredients. I dont know that I have heard you mention much about seeding into anything other than pure compost, maybe I have but dont remember, but when you mentioned you do it particularly for lettuce and basil that made sense. No offense to the great teacher from whom I learned a great deal from ME, USA, but I now find soil blocks a waste of time and money. Really cool idea, with really neat justification, but in an age where CD trays are readily available, obsolete, Im afraid.
Thanks, and I plan to mention this in a members video because it's complicated topic, many resources are suitable. My issue with sand is it's heaviness and how it does not hold so much air present as vermiculite.
I wanted to buy the CD trays it they don’t fit in a standard 10x20 which means they don’t fit the grow tent or any bottom watering trays I like the explanation about the compost because we always need more seed starting
Hi Charles, do you cold stratify lettuce seeds before sowing? We have some seed suppliers in South Africa that recommend you put the lettuce seeds in a fridge for about two weeks before sowing.
I received a selection of your trays the other day to get me started this year, looking forward to using them. I was wondering if you ever have a problem with rats? I have a set up similar to Spicey Moustache Alessandro's garden and have seen one around recently. Should I be worried or try to do anything? My concern is them spreading disease to humans via the crops. Do you have any advice on this subject please.
This is my opinion only, but I'm convinced that the issue of rats potentially spreading disease to humans is extremely exaggerated. Maybe it's thought to have happened once and then everybody gets frightened. And with no dig, the compost on top is exposed to light and that degrades Weils disease. I'm sure you are safer eating homegrown vegetables, compared to the alternative of plastic- wrapped and synthetically grown. Whose roots may not even have seen soil and have very little Microbiome.
Are you just giving examples of the different soil in the different trays in this video ? I’m not sure if you also mean certain seeds for certain trays ..thanks 😊
Both see video description For seedling success, do you need special compost created especially for seeds to germinate? Often not! I show how to make your own seed compost, and how it's needed only for small seeds. For little seeds, ensure good drainage by adding up to 50% vermiculite or perlite, to your normal multipurpose/potting compost. For most seeds including onions and brassicas, you can use 100% potting / multipurpose compost. Germination and growth are stronger when you use decent trays. Preferably module trays, for better drainage than non-partitioned seed trays. I designed my CD trays to facilitate drainage and root-air. The small and tapering cells with a large bottom hole do not waterlog. So you can use normal potting compost for germinating most seeds
Good alternative to perlite and vermiculite is a coco husk peat which is confusing for many people but worth saying coco have no nutrients at all!! thats why is popular to use in vivarium and exotic terrariums as it les likely to mould etc
Hi Charles, Have you ever experimented with milled cork inplace of vermiculite and perlite? The nursery where i work has started using it with great success. It's a renewable material and has antimicrobial properties.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig we use fine milled cork to mix into the compost in place of perlite and chunkier 4-5mm for surface dressing. The fine can form a cap if used on the surface and can float away when watering so both sizes are needed
Love the CD60s we purchased last year! What is the name of those white trays you are using to carry the CD60 trays? I'm looking for a convenient way of transporting them all, rather than one by one
Thanks, that's nice to hear, and the white trays are now 40 years old, the company who made them Sommer Allitex do not make them anymore, they are for nursery use and I hope you can find something similar
Hi there Charles, I’m jealous of your Roscoff onion seed. I think you got your seed from a friend. Do you have any idea where I can get good seed from in Uk? Wondering if worth buying the onions and planting them for seed as I’ve had bad experiences every time I’ve bought seed. Should I buy seed from France? Brexit issues maybe though?
I live in Germany and am going to do this onion- planting for seeds experiment this year. Waiting for milder temperatures for not losing them to the frost. Good luck for your search for these seeds!
I've purchased my first batch of seeds and i can't wait to start! I've read your books and watched your videos, but still I'm unsure about the amount of light needed to germinate and then to grow till it's time to plant! I'm afraid the seeds aren't going to have enough light if I put them by the windowsill and that they'll become leggy!
You are right! Propagation by a window is difficult unless you perhaps put a fluorescent light over above the seedlings. Otherwise it might be better to wait and sow outside. For dates, do check for every vegetable's heat requirements because some need a lot of warmth and you have to wait until April or May eg cucumbers
@@CharlesDowding1nodigthank you so much!!! I'm thinking I could buy a very small vertical greenhouse to put in my garden and maybe wait next month to start with the propagation... I'm based in the North of Italy, so we're expecting a warm Spring very soon (unless it's going to be another crazy Spring with frosts in April like last year's was 🤞🏻)!
I don't have a heat matt yet but found sticking my chilli seedlings on the back parcel shelf in my car seems to work so long as there's sunlight. It's warmer than the greenhouse right now.
We are headed into our third year of gardening here. The no dig patch my son put together from your children's book was a huge success with all various types of salads, frankly we didn't want for salad ingredients all summer. Now we're expanding this year with four more beds and my son wants to try his hand at broccoli. I had great results from using marigolds to attract the right kind of insects to keep the aphids off my toms and I'm looking for another kind of flower to add, if anyone has any suggestions, that would be great 😃
Wish I'd seen this a week ago - 32 types of seeds sown, but was wondering yesterday if planting medium around them was looking a little claggy... hey, hey... next time!
Hi Charles, Thanks for all you are doing and your amazing videos! I have been doing all my under cover sowing and the seeds germinated. My seedlings are now under grow lights. I keep them in a room at 70 degree Fahrenheit. They are doing very well and are now growing their first true leaves. I wonder if the cool veggies seedlings still need to be in a 70 degree environment and under a grow light? I am in zone 8b. I don't have a green house but I could put them outside under cover and with natural light. Would they survive in the low 30's temperature? If not what would be the minimum temperature for them to be OK outside until ready to be planted? Thanks for any feedback you may have.
That sounds all good. They can survive those temperatures for sure, just will not grow much, but will be stronger to grow more when it soon warms up. Check there are no slugs/snails hiding nearby
Glad to hear I can leave the seedlings outside as I need room under the grow light for my summer veggies. Will keep an eye on the slugs :-) Thanks. I ordered your book SKILLS two days ago. Very excited about it!
I never seem to have a problem with sowing, it's always potting on that I have the issue with. I know you are going to say you plant out most of your seedlings from the 1" modules directly into the ground and I do as well. However sometimes there is a bit of congestion in the garden and I need the plants to sit in the shed for another week or two but they have fully occupied the cell. I don't really have the space or want to use the compost to put every 1" module into a small (7cm) pot unless it needs it (tomatoes). I tried putting the 1" modules into the 40 cell containerwise trays that I have and then packing compost around the plug but it's very fiddly and I'm not really sure it works. Do you have any problems with plants such as this and what do you do? Thanks.
Cheers Scott, and I don't have any answer if you are so short of space. As you say, it's quite rare that one needs to put on and I use the 7 cm pots mostly
Could you make a video on organically adjusting pH of soil/compost? I've recently tested my soil and have found that it is slightly alkaline, which explains why I have trouble growing some vegetables (as nearly all prefer slightly acidic). I use well rotted manure as compost and have a clay based soil. What is a good organic way to lower pH?
I think you have been given wrong information about pH. I have never checked it and always grow amazing vegetables as you can see. I grow all of them in the same soil with no pH adjustment. And yet many people claim they all need slightly different pH! It's now being discovered that plant roots, especially in biologically active soil, can adjust pH in their vicinity. So what you need to do is the no dig method with organic matter on the surface, such as compost. As your soil improves, so will growth - without any pH worries!
In your video you have started peas in your trays, I have never tried this do you have a lot of success with doing this? Is there any seed you would not start indoors and transplant, this could be helpfull as I live in Canada.
Yes I do this always for peas with success. All vegetables transplant well except parsnip and carrot, because usually their taproot breaks. For other root vegetables this does not matter because we are not eating the taproots.
What do you use to screen your compost to sow seeds in? By the way I just got your Skills for Growing book. The No Dig emblem on the front is missing the D. 😂 I am really enjoying the photos. I just finished going through your No Dig book. Spring can’t come fast enough. Today was 55 degrees Fahrenheit but in 3 days we are getting 5-8” is snow. 🤣
Cheers Wiliam and it's a homemade mesh of 8-10mm. Yes, the D got lost between designing and printing! We got it back in the next printing. Sorry to hear about your snow coming, but it is only February!
are you a fan of soil blocks charles? i’m experimenting for my flower farm. your points about air circulation have me curious if they will prove to be efficient. mine are 3/4”.
That sounds a great size, and for farming operations, it makes more sense. For gardeners there's extra work involved in making a mix each time. I often do a little propagation on many separate days and it would be time-consuming to make a mix every time, I'm not convinced by that aspect of it. Also, I'm not equipped with suitable trays. On the other hand, I have tried soil blocks and they work really well so go you, the aerated edges are excellent.
My soil became molded I hadn’t planted in it yet so I killed it off with peroxide in water I think it was just to wet I have fans on now and lights just seeing if it comes back. Is mold a bad thing to plant in?
It does not look nice, but I'm not aware that it's a problem. It suggests that the soil is too wet and your ventilation sounds good, and I would water less as well
It is interesting that you do not use Vermiculite in the cell tray compost. I like to use a small amount to help keep the compost loose and prevent compacting.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig No, there is no soil in the compost I make. The compost is made in tumblers using pulp from juice bars, coffee grounds from local coffee shops, and pine sawdust for carbon. I will try some this year without the Vermiculite, and see how it performs. Thanks for the suggestion.
I’ve just got some soil blockers today to try instead of module trays or pots have you had any experience with these in the past good or bad, there’s a video from 2018 of Monty Don using them I was just curious if you had any insight on them P.s big fan of your work bringing attention to the no dig 👊
Thank you, and yes, I do have experience of them. It's mostly not brilliant, which is why I do not mention them. They are quite expensive, but since you have them, that's one less issue! You need to mix fresh every time you do some propagating so that can take time and also it can be quite a messy job. You need decent trays to put the blocks on and hopefully you can fill them efficiently right to the edge, in order to use propagation space efficiently. Best of luck!
What I notice is that seedlings (radishes, leeks, scallions)will seemingly “plateau”-reach a certain size of just a few centimeters, then slow their growth considerably. Not clear to me if I should pot them on, transplant them outdoors , or just leave them be.
It's commonly thought, in my view wrongly, that seeds germinate best in low nutrient compost. Probably the so-called 'seed compost' you are using has little food in and that's why your seedlings stop growing. I start everything in the same multipurpose compost. You can see the results. If the weather is warm enough, plant outside
It's not wrong, it depends what you want. But but I would say it's not necessary because compost always holds together nicely (push in firmly) and very little falls out the bottom, plus you get better drainage of any excess water with an open hole
Thank you, but unfortunately this came out a week too late. I spent ages searching for seedling compost (went for seedling compost designed for grass seeds I believe. I will remember next time not to worry about special soil but instead add multi compost and vamicite to it 👍🏼
I've noticed using a little bit of compost (mixed in with perlite and potting soil) last year gave me loads of aphids every time. 😢 I dont know what else it could be.. I have to start my seeds inside due to the cold climate here in Alberta Canada.
Yes, it was such a bummer!! I used a mushroom compost of CIL (this might be a too Canadian brand?) Must say in the garden outside it worked very well but inside..😢 Would you have a suggestion on which type of compost would work better? Apologies for my late reply I've been sick. @@CharlesDowding1nodig
We have real trouble with smaller seed starts. Marginally successful with peppers and tomatoes....but we have real trouble with cabbage, broccoli and the like.
These trays are brilliant. Little amount of compost per cell. Reusable, rigid, and my favourite bit, the hole in the bottom is big enough to put my finger in to pop out the seedlings easily. Games changer 😂
Thanks Jon
Do similar principles apply for flower seeds? Ie can use potting compost for rhem or is the vermiculite recommended (thinking of more delicate flowers for borders)
I agree, I bought some of your module trays last year and they are a real game changer, I can't recommend them enough.
Yes Mike for sure, 100% same
I did actually sow broad beans in them. As you might expect they were fighting for room with lots of roots poking out the bottom. Ive just planted them out, lets see how they do.
I purchased Charles’s seed module tray last year and can attest that they are the best ones I have ever seen. I would actually say that the large hole in the bottom is the best feature - pushing out small seedlings is much gentler and it is almost impossible to break tender plants. Charles, keep up the good work! We appreciate your attention to quality
I am so happy to hear that, thanks
Got to say as well as being the best trays I've ever used by far they also store away brilliantly to 😁
And they’re dishwasher safe although not tried on the longer hot wash. 😄👍🏻
@@amandar7719 I've not got a dishwasher we got divorced 😂, I just give mine a splash and stick them in the greenhouse over winter, think this is their 3rd season and showing no signs of needing replacing 😁
Cheers Rob, lovely to hear
Thank you Charles. You make gardening look so simple and these videos really spur me to get out and do something despite how bleak it is outside. Hoping for a prosperous season.
That's nice, I wish you a joyful experience as well as decent results
Thank you for the clarification Charles. Vermiculite in trays, compost in modules. Simple but valuable timely tips there. Got it!
Very welcome Pat
Thank you; a long time ago, I took vocational horticulture classes, we used a mix of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss, a commercial model. Compost keeps things simple, inexpensive, most natural. Your seed-trays and great!
Thanks for sharing, that sounds a light mix!!
I love the way you cut though all the unnecessary complications and keep the knowledge simple and clear
I am glad 🙂
Wow I"ve just discovered I can buy your seed trays in Aotearoa/New Zealand. They ship from Tasmania, but its hugely less shipping than from the U.K. So I've just bought 5 of the 15 cell trays and will fill them with compost and seeds for an Autumn garden as soon as they arrive. Cant wait. I'll get the compost mixed with vermiculite now.
How exciting Annie, thanks for sharing
I have been watching your videos for a year now and learning so much, I have some cd 60 cells and I love them especially as I’m clumsy and I’ve stood on one I dropped they are so strong. Much more environmentally friendly which is a great thing. I’m so excited for next week as I have your calendar and can begin sowing 😊 x
Lovely to hear Lucy, thanks 💚
I bought a load of these trays on one of your courses last march. They have been an absolute game changer, a pleasure to use!
Great to hear Jack!
That is a very helpful video. Short and accurate pointed out the difference in comparison. Waterlogging understood, thanks😊
You're very welcome!
Great to hear, thank you 🌱
I love this method of seed tray and pricking out, I've used it a lot every season for many types of seeds after learning this from you ! Thank you for sharing your years of experience! Great video again Charles!
Ah cool! 🌱
over the last 7-8 years watching your videos i have never seen vermiculite in your seed starting composts. You always used what seemed to be just straight sieved compost, and it always amazed me how successful that was.
You are right, and I very rarely use it!
But I'm mentioning it here, because for the tiniest seeds, and those sown in trays without partitions, it makes a worthwhile difference.
Good morning, Charles, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b USA
We have been having cool days and cooler nights in January and the first week in February. But someone flipped the switch and yesterday was mid-70's and today is supposed to hit 80°F!🌞
I hope your days are warming up, too 👍🥕👍
Sounds great Peggy, best time for you. We are up to 55F last two days, unusually mild
@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920, Hi. Flipped for sure. I'm in central Ct zone 6b, and at 5:59 pm it is 55 degrees, I don't know if my garlic will survive in our backyard garden.
@smas3256 hello neighbors to the north 👍I planted garlic cloves a few months ago in grow bags. I was told in Florida that it's best to plant in the fall and harvest in the spring. Good luck 👍
Thank you Charles! Most valuable information about gardening as always 💚🌱
You are very welcome
Hi Charles. Thanking you for your time and words of wisdom. It's 55 here in central Ct zone 6b. Got 1/2 inch snow early January. My garlic was planted in compost and covered with 3 inches of straw plus 2 inches of chopped brown leaves. After rains sprouts keep poking up and I keep covering them in the hope I'll get some garlic. We shall wait and see. Thank you again Charles and crew.
That sounds unusually mild for you, and it might be worth allowing them to stay green (not cover new shoots) and grow, as they are trying to. Garlic stands a lot of frost.
I've just brought my trays for the 1st time. Really excited to use them 😀
Great to hear Sharron 🌱
Such a great teacher and master Gardener, thank you for all you do ❤
So nice of you thanks
Thanks for the tip on modular tray shaped cells. I will try cutting the holes bigger on then ones I currently have and see how it works. Great video as always! Thank you Charles
Great idea, thanks
Good video thank you for sharing your knowledge and time. I stopped using potting soil after watching a video where you said you just use compost. Thanks again. Cheers.
Good stuff Rich!
Thanks Charles! Ordered the seed trays, glad they are available in the US now!
Wonderful
Where in the us please?
You can find them here allaboutthegarden.com/collections/long-lasting-seed-trays
Air! And secondary waterlog! Thank you again! Those trays do look amazing too! Kia ora
Thanks Renata!
I use your CD60s and I love them. Highly recommend. Thanks from New Zealand.
Great to hear, thank you
Thanks for this brilliant clarification ❤
Glad it was helpful Meta 🌱
Enlightening! Thanks for doing this video Charles!
You are very welcome
Thank you Mr Charles
You are very welcome 🌱
Need to invest in a few of these, from what folks say they are great, durable and long lasting
Ah good!
Thank you Charles 😊
Welcome!
Happy growing.
Thanks, you too!
Perfect timing, starting seeds today 😊
🙌
Boa tarde Charles obrigado pela explicação adorei ❤
Você é muito bem-vindo Luisa
Perfect timing as we are sowing a bunch of the CD60 trays as we speak 🎉🌻
Great to hear Aydas 🙂
nice video charles
Thank you Steven
Hi Charles! Please consider selling your module trays through a Canadian source! For the past three years I have wanted to buy your trays but through your US supplier, the shipping comes to almost as much as the cost of the 3 CD60 trays I was trying to buy. I'm buying some US made ones for this year but would love to add some of yours if they become available in the future.
I'm sorry to hear this Christian and have asked Containerwise about it, I know they have considered it, but one thing is that it needs a good distributor in Canada, which they have not yet found
@@CharlesDowding1nodig I buy most of my gardening tools and supplies from Lee Valley. They have stores in 7 provinces and sell online. The USA-made module trays I am buying this year are sold there. I bought the more inexpensive type last year hoping to add some of yours this year but I guess it will take longer. Hope something works out! I think your module trays would do really well here and I'll be needing more in the years to come.
Christian is my faith 😉. Long time subscriber and own most of your books. I just prefer anonymity these days.
Thank you for your reply, Charles!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Sigh! My husband just brought me home the best option I could find quality wise. Not much better than last year's. I certainly can't step on them like you do with yours 😅! Anyway, I'll continue hoping you'll find a local supplier to source them through. I'll be your first customer, if that happens.
Just ordered my first batch of your module trays. Excited to try them out. I had learned from you previously that vermiculite is my friend for the lettuce seedlings. I also had good luck last year mixing a bit into the planting holes for my peppers. My soil is fairly heavy clay in my older beds, even after years of adding organic matter, compost, and even sand to lighten it up. By adding some vermiculite my sweet bell peppers actually gave me a good crop - literally the first time in about 20 years of trying (I’m very persistent, just not very smart.).
That is epic! Thanks for sharing, and I'm glad you succeeded. Hear my peppers are variable according to whether or not we have decent warmth in the summer.
I LOVE my Charles Dowding trays! ❤
Great to hear Tricia
Great stuff
I love your seed trays and beside using less seed compost I have experienced that the small plants thrive so well in them. You explained in the video, that the tapering bottom reduces water logging, and perhaps that is the reason. That is brilliant Charles!
🙏 great to hear!
Can vouch for the module trays! Been using them for a couple of years now 👍
Same 👍🏻
Thanks both :)
Love the seed trays. Because they are a bit pricy I buy a few every year, but they are worth every penny because they will be used until I "fall of the twig."
I am glad you like them Lynne 🙂
I just bought a huge sack of Vermiculite as my seedlings weren't doing well due to my heavy compost. Wonderful stuff :)
Great to hear 🙂
Thanks a lot for always sharing your awesome ideas.
Glad you like them!
Great video thank you for sharing
You are very welcome 🌱
today i started my spring/summer garden seeds in your 60 cell trays❤
Go you!
Charles, will you be able to do a video in the future of what plants you will net throughout a season, with all these new pests around I’m losing track on what needs netting and what can be left. Thanks for your great videos
It's not predictable enough, there is no one formula which fits all gardens. For example, some gardens or plots suffer pigeons, all year long, others do not. It would I think add to the confusion! That is a lot to learn about growing different vegetables. One can't get away from that.
Another useful vid. I kept a record of peat-free composts in 2023, and these are my results:
Verve (B&Q): This was very good. I notice they've doubled the price this year, but probably still worth it.
Miracle Gro: Ok, but low in nutrients
New Horizon: Terrible, symptoms of pyralid contamination. Loads of gravel and coarse texture. I actually binned the rest of the bag, which I've never done before!
Goodhome (B&Q): OK, but low in nutrients.
I note your comments about sufficient air/ too much water. However, where I've put "low in nutrients", the seedlings improved dramatically when fed.
Thanks Peter, that's helpful.
Yes, many compost are sold with too few nutrients. And an issue from year to year is how they vary, so the Verve you had last year might be different to what you buy this year, in terms of what's in the sack - plus the price!
Ty Charles!
You are very welcome Angela
Thank you for the information
You are welcome Adi
When will the 40-Cell DEEP Seed Propagation Trays be available again? They’ve been sold out for ages now and I’ve been keeping an eye out for them and haven’t found any that’s back in stock.
I have passed this to Containerwise
Just got some of the 15 and 30 trays from container wise last week good we trays
Cheers Kenny
Hello Charles, I just sowed my tomatoes in potting mix, and I was wondering once they start showing signs that they are hungry, can I simply transplant the plugs in a 3x3 inches container with compost in it? Will be be enough to keep them happy a week or two more? I do not have any organic fertilizer, but I never seen you use these products neither.
Ps I do not have a green house, I grow the seedling indoor only. (If that can help you answer).
Yes exactly that and it is called potting on, to give roots more feed and moisture, plants more light
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Fantastic ! Have a nice day and thank you.
Hi Charles from Ireland. I have all my seeds bought - changed to organic, heirloom and open pollinated- now just have to get out and start planning but bit laid up with back trouble at moment. Peppers will be first and I'm very apprehensive about trying onion seeds this year, feel like im going to get it wrong!
Nice, and ...
Ah no, you are going to grow fine onion seedlings, keep that in mind to help them succeed 😀
I use the small medium and large Garland propagators and am worried that if I try some of your modules I won't be able to get the propagator lids back on. If that won't be a problem I'll go ahead and place an order. thanks Charles.
I don't know Steve I'm afraid, and probably safest not to order them, that would be disappointing
Wish we could get these module trays here in New Zealand I modify standard ones but cutting some of bottom out but not that good and time consuming to do 😊
That would be cool!
Have you tried here sow-your-seeds.myshopify.com/collections/long-life-seeding-trays
Thanks 2 trays ordered and paid for delivery a couple of weeks awesome 😎 thanks
Great to hear 🙂
Charles, Im just wondering about your personal thoughts on soil blocks, if you have used them at all and why you might prefer seed trays.
Thanks, and I have used them and they grow nice plants. However, I find the process of mixing wet soil/Compost mix and the time it takes to do that plus I don't always have perfectly adapted trays, makes the process long and less good than it might be. It takes longer!
First seeds of the new year sown this morning in beautiful sunshine: Aquadulce Claudia Broad Beans as a failsafe to the over-wintered ones; and Alderman peas for shoots. Home Saved Seeds. Outside again tomorrow morning to sow seeds of roots: beetroot, onion, spring onion and radish. 2024 now feels like it is really here!
Great to hear Rhys 🙂
Hi Charles, I have noticed that you never use raised beds. All your beds are in ground. I am starting a new garden and I want to avoid using raised beds because of the costs. In the UK, there is a lot of rain. How do you ensure that your In ground beds have good drainage and they don't become water logged? Why do you not use raised beds? Thanks
It's very rare that wooden sides are necessary. Herer my soil is heavy, it rains a lot yet because of the excellent drainage through No Dig soil, much better than when soil has been disturbed, there is no need for beds to be excessively high.
Plus wooden sides often harbour slugs, woodlice, and aunts, and it saves you so much money not to use them. See this video for more details. ruclips.net/video/zol5pP1ytKk/видео.html
@@CharlesDowding1nodig great, thanks
Hello. If I'm using a store bought seed starter mix like coconut coir - should I mix in some vermiculite as well?
No need in that case, coir has fibre and air and that's it! Enough air for sure
Where can I find hoops like the ones you use for mesh and grow cover ? I’ve used pvc pipes in times past but I like the look of the metal hoop you use . Do you just push the ends into the ground and it stays secure ?
Yes so simple and quick! See sharanya.co.uk and more resource ideas are here www.charlesdowding.co.uk/store/gardening-products
I did have my doubts about the amount of compost you can put in the standard cells but it was unfounded. Just about all smaller seeds thrive. I use a larger size module for very large seeds like coconuts-I mean broad beans but even peas do well in the smaller cells. Jon Innes 1 2 and 3 are a distant but fond memory. Thank you Charles
I am happy to see this! 💚
Another timely video, really love it! Have you experimented with mixing in peat moss? I ask because I used to make soil blocks and that + compost + vermiculite or perilite were the three main ingredients. I dont know that I have heard you mention much about seeding into anything other than pure compost, maybe I have but dont remember, but when you mentioned you do it particularly for lettuce and basil that made sense. No offense to the great teacher from whom I learned a great deal from ME, USA, but I now find soil blocks a waste of time and money. Really cool idea, with really neat justification, but in an age where CD trays are readily available, obsolete, Im afraid.
Cheers Ted, I appreciate that.
In the UK, peat is now outlawed! They want to preserve the bogs.
I've noticed that worm castings hold a lot of moisture in a module tray. Porous minerals or biochar balance this tendency, making the mix lighter.
Yes fine and charged charcoal is a good idea
Hi Charles, I was wondering what are your thoughts on sand vs vermiculite/perlite?
Thanks, and I plan to mention this in a members video because it's complicated topic, many resources are suitable. My issue with sand is it's heaviness and how it does not hold so much air present as vermiculite.
I wanted to buy the CD trays it they don’t fit in a standard 10x20 which means they don’t fit the grow tent or any bottom watering trays
I like the explanation about the compost because we always need more seed starting
Cheers Pascal, sorry about the lack of fit
Hi Charles, do you cold stratify lettuce seeds before sowing? We have some seed suppliers in South Africa that recommend you put the lettuce seeds in a fridge for about two weeks before sowing.
No never Albert and I don't understand that, it grows September from August harvest, all in warmth
K will do , I gave them a little trim and put them back under the lights 🤞
I received a selection of your trays the other day to get me started this year, looking forward to using them. I was wondering if you ever have a problem with rats? I have a set up similar to Spicey Moustache Alessandro's garden and have seen one around recently. Should I be worried or try to do anything? My concern is them spreading disease to humans via the crops. Do you have any advice on this subject please.
This is my opinion only, but I'm convinced that the issue of rats potentially spreading disease to humans is extremely exaggerated. Maybe it's thought to have happened once and then everybody gets frightened.
And with no dig, the compost on top is exposed to light and that degrades Weils disease. I'm sure you are safer eating homegrown vegetables, compared to the alternative of plastic- wrapped and synthetically grown. Whose roots may not even have seen soil and have very little Microbiome.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you so much for that 🙌🏽
Are you just giving examples of the different soil in the different trays in this video ? I’m not sure if you also mean certain seeds for certain trays ..thanks 😊
Both see video description
For seedling success, do you need special compost created especially for seeds to germinate? Often not!
I show how to make your own seed compost, and how it's needed only for small seeds.
For little seeds, ensure good drainage by adding up to 50% vermiculite or perlite, to your normal multipurpose/potting compost.
For most seeds including onions and brassicas, you can use 100% potting / multipurpose compost.
Germination and growth are stronger when you use decent trays. Preferably module trays, for better drainage than non-partitioned seed trays. I designed my CD trays to facilitate drainage and root-air.
The small and tapering cells with a large bottom hole do not waterlog. So you can use normal potting compost for germinating most seeds
Good alternative to perlite and vermiculite is a coco husk peat which is confusing for many people but worth saying coco have no nutrients at all!! thats why is popular to use in vivarium and exotic terrariums as it les likely to mould etc
Thank you for an excellent idea.
Hi Charles,
Have you ever experimented with milled cork inplace of vermiculite and perlite? The nursery where i work has started using it with great success. It's a renewable material and has antimicrobial properties.
Thanks, that's a great idea and I had never heard of it
@@CharlesDowding1nodig we use fine milled cork to mix into the compost in place of perlite and chunkier 4-5mm for surface dressing. The fine can form a cap if used on the surface and can float away when watering so both sizes are needed
Love the CD60s we purchased last year! What is the name of those white trays you are using to carry the CD60 trays? I'm looking for a convenient way of transporting them all, rather than one by one
Thanks, that's nice to hear, and the white trays are now 40 years old, the company who made them Sommer Allitex do not make them anymore, they are for nursery use and I hope you can find something similar
Hi there Charles, I’m jealous of your Roscoff onion seed. I think you got your seed from a friend. Do you have any idea where I can get good seed from in Uk? Wondering if worth buying the onions and planting them for seed as I’ve had bad experiences every time I’ve bought seed. Should I buy seed from France? Brexit issues maybe though?
I live in Germany and am going to do this onion- planting for seeds experiment this year. Waiting for milder temperatures for not losing them to the frost.
Good luck for your search for these seeds!
Yes tricky.
Send your address to admin@charlesdowding.co.uk and we shall send you a few, as long as you are in the UK.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig how nice💎😃
So very kind of you, have done that. I will do you proud and save the seed myself if I am successful with the growing of them this year!
I've purchased my first batch of seeds and i can't wait to start! I've read your books and watched your videos, but still I'm unsure about the amount of light needed to germinate and then to grow till it's time to plant! I'm afraid the seeds aren't going to have enough light if I put them by the windowsill and that they'll become leggy!
You are right! Propagation by a window is difficult unless you perhaps put a fluorescent light over above the seedlings. Otherwise it might be better to wait and sow outside. For dates, do check for every vegetable's heat requirements because some need a lot of warmth and you have to wait until April or May eg cucumbers
@@CharlesDowding1nodigthank you so much!!!
I'm thinking I could buy a very small vertical greenhouse to put in my garden and maybe wait next month to start with the propagation... I'm based in the North of Italy, so we're expecting a warm Spring very soon (unless it's going to be another crazy Spring with frosts in April like last year's was 🤞🏻)!
Ah right N Italy, sounds possible with such a greenhouse, and I hope the weather behaves!
I don't have a heat matt yet but found sticking my chilli seedlings on the back parcel shelf in my car seems to work so long as there's sunlight. It's warmer than the greenhouse right now.
Love it! Thank you for the tip. One I'm definitely going to try.
We are headed into our third year of gardening here. The no dig patch my son put together from your children's book was a huge success with all various types of salads, frankly we didn't want for salad ingredients all summer. Now we're expanding this year with four more beds and my son wants to try his hand at broccoli. I had great results from using marigolds to attract the right kind of insects to keep the aphids off my toms and I'm looking for another kind of flower to add, if anyone has any suggestions, that would be great 😃
I found zinnias to be fun, but I purchased dwarf seeds and they grew to three feet tall! Bright colours though. If you have space, try nasturtium too.
Dill and coriander and borage. And limnanthes. All self seed like Billy-o too. And parsley and leeks and onions in their second year.
@@hp-cs7mx I should probably mention that I live in Ireland, but those Zinnias are really pretty. Do you think they would grow well in wet conditions?
@@gailthornbury291 Dill and Coriander sorted for this year, I think I'm on the right track then. Thank you 😊
Flowering purple Basil is also great, attracts a bunch of insects and is a good companion to tomatoes. Calendula also.
❤❤❤
💚
Wish I'd seen this a week ago - 32 types of seeds sown, but was wondering yesterday if planting medium around them was looking a little claggy... hey, hey... next time!
Maybe water sparingly Alan
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks Charles, yes, I hope they'll get enough air in between waterings...
Hi Charles,
Thanks for all you are doing and your amazing videos! I have been doing all my under cover sowing and the seeds germinated. My seedlings are now under grow lights. I keep them in a room at 70 degree Fahrenheit. They are doing very well and are now growing their first true leaves. I wonder if the cool veggies seedlings still need to be in a 70 degree environment and under a grow light? I am in zone 8b. I don't have a green house but I could put them outside under cover and with natural light. Would they survive in the low 30's temperature? If not what would be the minimum temperature for them to be OK outside until ready to be planted? Thanks for any feedback you may have.
That sounds all good. They can survive those temperatures for sure, just will not grow much, but will be stronger to grow more when it soon warms up. Check there are no slugs/snails hiding nearby
Glad to hear I can leave the seedlings outside as I need room under the grow light for my summer veggies. Will keep an eye on the slugs :-) Thanks.
I ordered your book SKILLS two days ago. Very excited about it!
Great to hear 🌱
I never seem to have a problem with sowing, it's always potting on that I have the issue with. I know you are going to say you plant out most of your seedlings from the 1" modules directly into the ground and I do as well.
However sometimes there is a bit of congestion in the garden and I need the plants to sit in the shed for another week or two but they have fully occupied the cell. I don't really have the space or want to use the compost to put every 1" module into a small (7cm) pot unless it needs it (tomatoes). I tried putting the 1" modules into the 40 cell containerwise trays that I have and then packing compost around the plug but it's very fiddly and I'm not really sure it works.
Do you have any problems with plants such as this and what do you do? Thanks.
Cheers Scott, and I don't have any answer if you are so short of space. As you say, it's quite rare that one needs to put on and I use the 7 cm pots mostly
Could you make a video on organically adjusting pH of soil/compost? I've recently tested my soil and have found that it is slightly alkaline, which explains why I have trouble growing some vegetables (as nearly all prefer slightly acidic). I use well rotted manure as compost and have a clay based soil. What is a good organic way to lower pH?
I think you have been given wrong information about pH. I have never checked it and always grow amazing vegetables as you can see. I grow all of them in the same soil with no pH adjustment. And yet many people claim they all need slightly different pH!
It's now being discovered that plant roots, especially in biologically active soil, can adjust pH in their vicinity. So what you need to do is the no dig method with organic matter on the surface, such as compost. As your soil improves, so will growth - without any pH worries!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you very much for your wise reply, this is very interesting and promising.
You are welcome
Hi Charles, I live in France and can't find vermiculite! As an ex resident of France what did you use here? Cheers.
Gamm Vert near me have it, also perlite. But it's expensive.
Hello , i live in Tunisia i have the same problem, can i use sand??f
I went in the woods and sieved to 5mm or so some terreau, humus slightly woody, a little fibrous
In your video you have started peas in your trays, I have never tried this do you have a lot of success with doing this? Is there any seed you would not start indoors and transplant, this could be helpfull as I live in Canada.
Yes I do this always for peas with success.
All vegetables transplant well except parsnip and carrot, because usually their taproot breaks. For other root vegetables this does not matter because we are not eating the taproots.
Thankyou I will try starting some peas and other vegetables I don't normally start early indoors.@@CharlesDowding1nodig
What do you use to screen your compost to sow seeds in?
By the way I just got your Skills for Growing book. The No Dig emblem on the front is missing the D. 😂 I am really enjoying the photos. I just finished going through your No Dig book. Spring can’t come fast enough. Today was 55 degrees Fahrenheit but in 3 days we are getting 5-8” is snow. 🤣
Cheers Wiliam and it's a homemade mesh of 8-10mm.
Yes, the D got lost between designing and printing! We got it back in the next printing. Sorry to hear about your snow coming, but it is only February!
How many seeds would you put in each cell and do you prick them out and transplant them into the ground in the same group or do you separate them?
For radish I sow five seeds per cell, same as for onions, see this short for results ruclips.net/user/shortsON0xtj5Sd7A?feature=share
are you a fan of soil blocks charles? i’m experimenting for my
flower farm. your points about air circulation have me curious if they will prove to be efficient. mine are 3/4”.
That sounds a great size, and for farming operations, it makes more sense.
For gardeners there's extra work involved in making a mix each time. I often do a little propagation on many separate days and it would be time-consuming to make a mix every time, I'm not convinced by that aspect of it.
Also, I'm not equipped with suitable trays.
On the other hand, I have tried soil blocks and they work really well so go you, the aerated edges are excellent.
I use charcoal instead of vermiculite. Works just as well and is free to make with prunings.
So good, thanks for sharing
Hi Charles, I’m from Tasmania. Do you know the name of the distributor here? Thank you for your tips.
You are welcome and you can find them here sow-your-seeds.myshopify.com/collections/long-life-seeding-trays
Lovely to know your design came to this part of the world now. 🌱👏
😍
My soil became molded I hadn’t planted in it yet so I killed it off with peroxide in water I think it was just to wet I have fans on now and lights just seeing if it comes back. Is mold a bad thing to plant in?
It does not look nice, but I'm not aware that it's a problem. It suggests that the soil is too wet and your ventilation sounds good, and I would water less as well
It is interesting that you do not use Vermiculite in the cell tray compost. I like to use a small amount to help keep the compost loose and prevent compacting.
I wonder if your potting mix may have soil in, which would compact. Helpful to hear this
@@CharlesDowding1nodig No, there is no soil in the compost I make. The compost is made in tumblers using pulp from juice bars, coffee grounds from local coffee shops, and pine sawdust for carbon. I will try some this year without the Vermiculite, and see how it performs. Thanks for the suggestion.
I’ve just got some soil blockers today to try instead of module trays or pots have you had any experience with these in the past good or bad, there’s a video from 2018 of Monty Don using them I was just curious if you had any insight on them P.s big fan of your work bringing attention to the no dig 👊
Thank you, and yes, I do have experience of them. It's mostly not brilliant, which is why I do not mention them. They are quite expensive, but since you have them, that's one less issue!
You need to mix fresh every time you do some propagating so that can take time and also it can be quite a messy job. You need decent trays to put the blocks on and hopefully you can fill them efficiently right to the edge, in order to use propagation space efficiently. Best of luck!
What I notice is that seedlings (radishes, leeks, scallions)will seemingly “plateau”-reach a certain size of just a few centimeters, then slow their growth considerably.
Not clear to me if I should pot them on, transplant them outdoors , or just leave them be.
It's commonly thought, in my view wrongly, that seeds germinate best in low nutrient compost. Probably the so-called 'seed compost' you are using has little food in and that's why your seedlings stop growing. I start everything in the same multipurpose compost. You can see the results.
If the weather is warm enough, plant outside
Where can I buy your trays in Canada?
From Texas is closest, allaboutthegarden.com/products/charles-dowding-modular-trays
I have cd60's sat on a tray on my windowsill (to aid watering) i have noticed the roots stick out the bottom, are you saying this could be a problem?
Fine if it's working for you, just it can mean root damage when pushing the rootball up and out, plus takes more time
Where can you find the partition trays in the US?
allaboutthegarden.com/collections/long-lasting-seed-trays
Hi Charles , help why are my onion seedlings flopping over, they are in seedling soil
Either over-watered or lacking light. Leave off watering for 2-3 days and see
I put tissue at the bottom of the pot. Is this wrong?
It's not wrong, it depends what you want. But but I would say it's not necessary because compost always holds together nicely (push in firmly) and very little falls out the bottom, plus you get better drainage of any excess water with an open hole
I put to germinate near to the boiler.
Thank you, but unfortunately this came out a week too late. I spent ages searching for seedling compost (went for seedling compost designed for grass seeds I believe.
I will remember next time not to worry about special soil but instead add multi compost and vamicite to it 👍🏼
Sorry to hear that. I find if I start talking about propagation too early, it's encouraging people to sow too early! Best of luck with what you have.
I've noticed using a little bit of compost (mixed in with perlite and potting soil) last year gave me loads of aphids every time. 😢
I dont know what else it could be..
I have to start my seeds inside due to the cold climate here in Alberta Canada.
You maybe could sterilize your compost in a pressure canner to avoid the aphids attacking your seedlings in their vulnerable season🤔
Oh dear! Not all composts would cause this :)
Yes, it was such a bummer!! I used a mushroom compost of CIL (this might be a too Canadian brand?) Must say in the garden outside it worked very well but inside..😢
Would you have a suggestion on which type of compost would work better?
Apologies for my late reply I've been sick.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig
@@DaraRichthank you for giving me a tip :)
Apologies for replying so late I've been ill.
@@emmaschipper6339 you’re welcome!
Oh, I wish you well soon!
We have real trouble with smaller seed starts. Marginally successful with peppers and tomatoes....but we have real trouble with cabbage, broccoli and the like.
Sorry to hear that
Are we able to buy the module trays in australia?
I put a link in the video description, but apparently they have sold out! I did not know so I'm chasing up the manufacturers.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks very much!