What are you growing from seed?

[OrchidFan]

Hello

I'm new to all this. Got my first garden this year.

I read online that one can start things off from seed indoors NOW onwards for putting outside in spring.

What are you all growing from seed and how/when etc?

Thanks

I have done it this early but apparently tomatoes do well if put in from Xmas time inside . Anywhere you’ve got a sunny window might give them a chance

I haven’t started yet because I had the most horrific growing year, everything failed and I pretty much gave up all hope, despite the previous 4 years being successful in growing a multitude of different produce.

For 2026 harvest I plan on growing carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, apples, cherries, lettuce and cucumber, also likely a selection of herbs.

So far I’ve got all the supplies, I just haven’t had the time and motivation to get started but I’ve started later in the season in previous years and it hasn’t been an issue so I don’t pay much attention to the “You must plant now to have a harvest in time for xyz”

I haven't done it yet but I always sow my sweet peas in October. I keep them in the greenhouse over winter and plant them out in spring - the germinate much better if they get cold during the winter months and you get much earlier flowers.

I'd sow in a greenhouse now if I had one (biennial flowers, beans, peas etc), but nothing indoors on the window sills. Too much hard work to keep that going until April!

However I do sow chilli, tomato, aubergine from late January/mid February. If you want a decent chilli harvest you need to start very early.

If you fancy doing some gardening now, plants some bulbs, my early daffodils and snowdrops flower from January, it's lovely.

With a lot of things, it would be a false economy to plant this year. We have dark winters and late frosts, so would be far too much faff to keep them going. You would need heat, grow lamps and plenty of luck. About the only things I would do this side of January would be peas and garlic or things that need cold stratifying. Wait till spring and things will shoot up happily.

You can do some hardy annuals and keep them outside over winter in something like a cold frame or shed window? Things like sweet peas, ammi, cerinthe. As Harry :) says many things will struggle as houses are warm but not bright enough- seeds will grow weak and leggy.

I agree concentrate on bulbs, and garlic and Claudia broad beans if you want to start some veg. Save most of the seed sowing for spring. I do peas in February and everything else following on from there.

I do this too but this year I'm going to sow another lot in spring- I ended up envying the 'less organised' gardeners as their sweet peas went on after mine were finished!

@napody Me too! I've saved seed from this year to plant in the spring in the hope of getting a long season. I love them.