Growing Vegetables from seed

2 fantastic books to get: Joy Larkcom's comprehensive "Grow your own vegetables" and Chris Beardshaw's "How does your garden grow". The latter is almost philosophy and is beautifully produced. Not currently in print so source it from Amazon and immerse yourself in the science and wonder of plant reproduction plus anecdotes from Chris's grandfather and other soil-encrusted mentors.

....

Updates: end April 2010. Spuds doing well under black plastic. Runner beans planted out and growing. Had to put nets around them both to keep chickens off. Coldframe is now bursting with veg, waiting to go in. Bought a heated propagator in LIDL for 20 euro and have a batch of tomatoes growing. The constant heat from below is the key to starting seedlings, according to numerous books I've read. The toms took only a week to sprout. Good for cuttings too, I've read, as heat from below is the key to success. Also tepid water is better than the shock of cold water.

I discovered that some growers pump CO2 into their commercial greenhouses or burn propane to give off ethylene. Both methods vastly increase growth, despite the official eco-worriers preaching the contrary.

Gardening course going well at the Goresbridge Poly(tunnel). Seriously considering getting a polytunnel from a guy in Clonmel called John Manning. As he is an engineer, they seem to be better built than most. He also uses commercial grade plastic, sourced from the factory in Crete so I'm talking myself into it. (Having seen the tunnels, I'm definitely getting one from him): http://www.gardenpolytunnels.ie/

....

As the raised beds are well prepared, I have converted our small shed into a Potting Shed. I have ALDI propagators full of seedlings and white reflectors behind and above them to make use of what light there is through the one window. It faces North, so no direct sun. Temperatures still a bit cold for germination, so have moved my Prince Charles' Estate "Heritage" carrots (sown in toilet roll inners) to a polytunnel which I have the use of as part of a course I'm doing. Will then re-pot most of the seedlings and put them in the DIY coldframe to get used to the cold reality of Irish weather before sowing in the raised beds. The carrots can go straight in when the soil warms up a bit.

Note to self: Will have to fence the veg beds off from the marauding chickens which are drawn to the bare soil of the beds.

Got some "Home Guard" first early spuds going in a black plastic-covered bed and a metal drum I found. My dad was in the Home Guard so couldn't resist it. Drilled drainage holes in the drum and painted it green with ALDI water-based paint. Put a clear plastic cover over the top to help warm them up. No sign of any shoots though. You are meant to heap up soils as they grow in the drum to stop them turning green and poisonous. Not necessary for the beds under plastic. First earlies are meant to survive any blight as you eat them before blight appears in humid warm weather. We'll see...

Update: July 2010.

Spuds came up luverly! The greenery collapsed but the spuds themselves are fine.

NEW: Photo gallery of Goresbridge Community Garden: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goresbridge_gardening/