Gardening Genius

You can already start off many of your seedlings indoors and plant them out once the weather has warmed up, giving them the maximum amount of time to grow. The GN team and expert Harriet Rycroft share their best tips on sowing plants indoors successfully. I always mix in some fine Vermiculite intoi my seed compost to help retain moisture and warmth and also aid drainage. I often cover larger seeds with a sprinkling of Vermiculite too, rather than compost. I always use lukewarm water to irrigate the seeds, rather than give them a chill from water straight from the tap, using a bottle top waterer. Ian Hodgson, editor-at-large I put the seeds somewhere warm to start off with, and once the seedlings peak out after a couple of days or weeks, I put them on my windowsill where they get plenty of sunlight – 12 hours a day is best. Tonia Friedrich, garden writer Hygiene is absolutely key to good growing in the greenhouse. Damping off (when seedlings are engulfed in a wet, white mould) can be a problem with early sowing and to avoid it, don’t overwater your seedlings, don’t use filthy pots and trays – always wash them and all other tools and surfaces well – and keep the air flow going by ventilating. Karen Murphy, features editor Egg cartons or yoghurt pots, thoroughly cleaned and with holes inserted in the bottom, do a very adequate job in our house. I’ve yet to use biodegradable card which can be transplanted straight into the soil, though I like Terry Walton’s tip of using the insides of toilet rolls! Simon Caney, editor