Seeds to start sowing

Get started early for colour and crops, says Ruth

ALTHOUGH we are several weeks away from the main seed-sowing season, some seeds require long germination and can be started now. These include pelargoniums, dahlias, Iceland poppies, aubergines, petunias, and bedding and tuberous begonias.

Chillies, especially hotter varieties, should also be sown now.

For quick germination use a heated propagator, but if you don’t have one cover your seed tray with a lid or seal individual pots in clear plastic bags.

Grow the seedlings on indoors and prick them out into individual pots when their roots appear through the holes in the bottom of the tray or pots. Pinch out the tops when the seedlings are around 12in (30cm) tall to create bushier plants.

Last year’s chillies have been fruiting all winter indoors, so I picked and threaded them together and will hang them somewhere warm to dry. You can also bake them in the oven, on a low heat, for a few hours.

Thread and hang chillies to dry Keep your chili plants well watered but not saturated – there is a theory that as they mature, the drier their compost is kept the hotter the chillies get! Sown early in the year, chillies are easy to grow indoors