Most people see winter as a season of rest, a time when nature presses pause. The trees stand stark and leafless, the flowerbeds lack their usual bursts of colour, and the crisp air seems to declare the end of growth. To the untrained eye, the garden looks lifeless, as if it’s slipped into slumber, waiting for spring’s gentle call to stir it awake.
But gardeners see a different story. Beneath the surface, life quietly persists, and it’s the perfect time to start seed sowing.
In the UK December is a great time to sow a variety of vegetable and flower seeds to get ahead of the season. Some can be sown directly into the ground outdoors, while others require the warmth of a heated propagator indoors.
Sowing early means a better succession of harvest and that your beds are not empty for so long.
Seeds to Start in December without any special equipment:
Boxing Day is the traditional day to sow ONION SEEDS, particularly for show growers ( Try GLOBO!) . It gives a long growing season needed for growing those enormous prize winning bulbs! Start seeds in pots indoors under cover to give them protection and aid germination. The young seedlings can then be planted out into final cropping positions in springtime.
Certain salad leaf cultivars, such as MIZUNA and ROCKET are perfect from growing in cooler conditions. They can be sowed in an unheated greenhouse or a cold frame and picked when young for tender leaves.
Sow BROAD BEANS for a crop as early as May! They can be sowed directly outdoors which is a huge bonus and you don’t need any of the above equipment. They will germinate in a few weeks and then seem to slow right down. Don’t worry, beneath the soil surface they will be growing good string roots ready to sustain fast spring growth. If it’s particularly cold or you live in the north of England they may benefit from some pre warmed soil – so covering with fleece or cloches. They can also e sowed into pots and popped into the greenhouse for extra protection.
It’s also not too late or early to start SWEET PEAS . They love the cool growing conditions and will be hardier than spring sowed seedlings. Sow into deep pots in the greenhouse or cold frame before planting out in springtime for blooms as early as May.
SNAPDRAGONS are a cool flower which are perfect for early sowing. Sow into trays undercover, a heated propagator can help to speed up the germination process but as soon as they have germinated moved them to a greenhouse or coldframe as otherwise they will grow too leggy. Grow on in cool conditions and plant out in spring with a little protection.
Equipment needed to Start December Seed Sowing:
With shorter days it can be difficult for seedlings to get enough light so it’s a good idea to invest in a GROW LAMP for some seeds which require warmth such as CHILLIS & AUBERGINES . They can very easily be bought online, are relatively cheap and can be used year after year. I bought mine (Shamelessly) from Amazon as they have such a large selectin to chose from. If this is your first time buying one then don’t be overwhelmed they all actually perform the same function with a white light and a timer. You just need to decide if you want something which you can fix to a shelving system or something portable. I use a portable one as it suits my needs right now.
The other piece of equipment you will need is a heated propagator which if you are already a grower you are likely to have anyway. Again I have bought all of mine from Amazon as mats which I can roll out and plug in. If you wanted to go fancy you could build a permanent heated bench with sand but its quite a lot of effort for the home grower when a heated mat will do a good job.
Seeds to Sow With Heat & Light:
CHILLIS require a long growing season so are the ideal candidate for December sowing. Pre soak the seeds for a few hours before sowing into pots. Place on the heated mat with a propagator lid over the top and your grow lamp. They will need 21°C and around 12- 16 hours of light. During the winter the natural light here in the UK is very low so its best to have the light on for the full duration. Prick out into individual pots and grow on in slightly cooler conditions around 18°C and keep protect from frost.
Sow AUBERGINES into pots. Place on the heated mat with a propagator lid over the top and your grow lamp. They will need 20°C and 8hrs of light a day so on a bright day they may only need an extra couple of hours in addition to natural daylight but generally with out overcast days here in the UK it’s better to give then a full 8 hours with the grow lamp on. . Prick out into individual pots and grow on in slightly cooler conditions around 18°C and keep protect from frost.
Once you have your equipment you can sow your early crop of Tomatoes in January to get a head start on thsoe too!
Read about COOL FLOWERS or how to grow LISIANTHUS in the UK using your grow light & propagator.
Get hold ofour new Spring Summer Catalogue . Packed full of ideas and inspiration, hints, tips and of course lots of seeds.
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