Q&A …ON SOWING SEEDS
SOWING UNDERCOVER
Tender crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squashes, French and runner beans are often started in pots or cell trays under cover. Here are some queries relating to indoor sowings.
Q: SHOULD OLD POTS AND SOWING TRAYS BE WASHED BEFORE USING?
A: It is beneficial to have clean pots and trays, especially for sowing, to reduce the risk of diseases affecting the seedlings (see damping off). You can buy a cleaning solution called Citrox which is ideal for pots and also cleaning greenhouses. It is a citrus based cleanser and does not harm plant material. If you use other cleaning products it is best to rinse the pots before using.
Q: WHAT ISTHE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POTS, CELL TRAYS AND SEED TRAYS?
A: Small pots (9cm/3½in) are ideal for starting off large seeded crops such as courgette and squashes, and are also good for potting on a single pepper or tomato seedling.
Cell trays are good for veg. These are trays of individual cells. Tiny cells are great for things like lettuce and leeks. Larger cell trays -say six large cells in a tray -are equivalent to your small 9cm (3½in) pots and
