Pt 2 Container Gardening Tips for Beginners

2 weeks after sowing, germination and growing with Grow Lights -
Spinach Medania, Little Gem Lettuce and Paris Market Atlas Carrots

TIPS FOR GROWING SEEDLINGS INDOOR
in a rather Cold, Wet and Low Light Climate (my concern is that it can be like this even in summer time!)

**Patience, TLC, Water just to keep the compost moist, Light

**A plastic box to hold your seedlings and make them easier to move around- the same one I used for germination

**Grow Light 300W CFL BLUE (Compact Flourescent Lighting) with 1 Aluminium Reflector Hood and a pair of Yo Yo Hangers (to hang the hood)
from this Seller on Ebay, only £55.90 inc postage....no I am not connected to these people, but after a lot of research found these to be most economical in price :0)

The items work well and my 2 week old seedlings are doing fine, no skinny legginess, so they must be getting enough light to prevent this. As yet, I have not been able to find out how long I need to grow my seedlings under the grow lights for. However, common sense tells me that they can come out of their protective cocoon once they are looking more robust and have a few set of leaves and of course when Spring arrives brining more natural light and hopefully sunshine :0)

Top of Grow Light and Reflector Hood -
placed on top of Plastic Box lined with Foil Blanket

Underside of Grow Light
you can see it's a whopper! well, compared to your regular household bulbs!

**Timer Switch for the Grow Lights - I leave them on for 1 x 5hrs and then 1 x 7hrs...most seedlings need between 12 and 16 hours of light today to grow well. Some people also use a **small clip on fan to ensure a good air circulation to the seedlings, this also helps to reduce the risk of "damping off". I don't use a fan due to positioning of my "grow box" and I always crack open a window to allow fresh air into my home during the day.

**A foil blanket (used to line my plastic box, it helps to maximise light reflection of the grow lights) - these can be found in any shop selling medical/first aid supplies or maybe even camping shops - just google for emergency foil blanket.

**All purpose Organic Liquid Fertiliser and Liquid Tomato Fertiliser (can also be used for other fruiting veg such as Sweet Peppers, Aubergine) - for once the fertilser in the compost runs out, I will use this at 1/3 to 1/2 strength to start and move on to full strength once fully established. Remember to use a suitable fertiliser for your chosen veg/plants.

**For Potting On - a Bag of Multi Purpose Compost with Slow Release Fertiliser - I used one with a high Coir content...Coir is a derviative of the coconut...mmmmm...and is useful for container gardening as it has high moisture retention. When using coir based composts, take care not to overwater your seedlings/young plants as it will be retaining the water beneath the surface level. I also bought this as it comes in compact bales (only weighing 4kgs) making them lighter to carry for femmes. Once you are ready to use, place the compost in your wheelbarrow or in my case large bin, add warm water and the coir will expand, 1kg dry weight is approx 15 litres of compost once wet. Note: the compost I am using is a mix of Coir and other materials, if you use coir alone, it will need mixing with other materials to make it ripe for growth.

**Strulch Mulch - once my babies are outside and on the grow to adulthood, I bought some mulch. This is used for retaining moisture, preventing the growth of weeds and to improve the condition of the soil. Cheapest price I found for this was £6.79 for 100 litres from The Garden Centre, a couple of pounds and pence less than other suppliers.

**Final Containers - again this took a lot of umming and ahhing as to which size containers to buy as the info out there is conflicting....I will update this or do a new blog post once my veg are more established...Basically I got a mix of sizes/diameter and depth and bought most of them from the good old Pound Shop. Pin It