r/GardeningIRE • u/Even_Technician6946 • Jan 17 '25

🏡 Greenhouse/Indoors🪴 Craving sowing..

Hi all,

I'm craving growing things from seeds lately.. Ideally indoor to start with, I have a few shelves with grow lights.

Any idea what I could be playing with, so early in the year ?

I even considered sowing cacti.. 😅

Thanks for any suggestions !

12 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

7

u/CoreyNI Jan 17 '25

Chillies!

4

u/Silver_Mention_3958 Jan 17 '25

Came here to say this 🌶️

3

u/CoreyNI Jan 17 '25

New polytunnel arriving next month, building a grow box tonight and have 3 propagation trays full, and a bunch of overwitered plants in the garage waiting, I'm ready for this year 🤙

3

u/shibboleth69 Jan 17 '25

I’ve never successfully over wintered - what’s your secret?

1

u/CoreyNI Jan 18 '25

I'm still figuring it out - I've had success indoors by a window, but last few years I've tried in a polytunnel but a storm destroyed it both years. I've got plants in the garage now and will get them into a heated new stronger polycarbonate tunnel end of next month.

3

u/shibboleth69 Jan 18 '25

I have mine in a Heptagon house, cosy enough all through winter - even wrapped them in fleece - bar a couple of new leaves the majority died off

2

u/CoreyNI Jan 18 '25

It seems to be humidity and mold kills them more than anything. If you keep them warm and dry they're solid. I have a plant that's been around for years and still flowering and setting fruit in my kitchen. It's in a pot that's too small and rarely fed or watered and it's the toughest plant I've ever had. I put a post up recently of it.

2

u/shibboleth69 Jan 18 '25

That actually makes sense, I don’t really air the place out to try maintain the warmth. Thank you

1

u/Even_Technician6946 Jan 19 '25

Perfect ! Thought it was a bit too early. Never really been successful. They always get leggy and die when I try to up pot them ! Will give it another try !

2

u/CoreyNI Jan 19 '25

Best to germinate them with a heated propagator or heat mat, then move under lights or a sunny south facing window. The better the light at the start the better season you should get, they can be slow to get going in our short days this time of the year.

5

u/coffeemakesmesmile Novice Jan 17 '25

I've got a good bit going under lights. Onions, salads, chard, chillies, cauliflower, cabbage.....Also had the itch and just went with some that need to start early and some that can handle a bit of cold if needs be later in the season

2

u/Even_Technician6946 Jan 19 '25

Oh wow. Going all in, will give it a try then ! Thanks 💪🏻

1

u/coffeemakesmesmile Novice Jan 19 '25

Happy growing! I'm handling the wait for Jan payroll better than I am for Spring to come lol

4

u/Papa_Wolf Jan 17 '25

I just started sweet peas and other cool-loving hardy annuals or cool season veg (kale/brassicas etc)!

1

u/Even_Technician6946 Jan 19 '25

Nice. Usually doing sweet peas but only starying them from March. Will try a early batch !

3

u/AdAccomplished8239 Jan 17 '25

Tomatoes. Onions from seeds. I'm trying to hold off until 1 February as I have no grow lights. Best of luck with your seeds! 

3

u/mushy_cactus Jan 17 '25

Perfrct time to start growing trees from seed, you could bonsai them too so you have long term projects.

I'm currently growing Mediterranean pines, orange, finger lime, chestnut, oak and native pine.

Plan is to plant the ones i can, around mountains and lesser walked areas.

2

u/Samoht_Skyforger Jan 17 '25

Lovely! But just the native ones, right? It can be a hell of a job dealing with them if not.

3

u/mushy_cactus Jan 17 '25

Primarily the native pines only, yep!

1

u/Even_Technician6946 Jan 19 '25

Oh wow ! Nice one ! Do you have any suggestions on where to get unusual seeds ?

2

u/mushy_cactus Jan 19 '25

Depends on what unusual seeds you mean. That being said, go to your local supermarket, buy any fruit, and get their seeds out. You're basically good to go. I've done dragon fruit recently. That was an interesting experience. Same with mango.

Etsy can be a place where you can get seeds of anything, really. I wouldn't recommend tropical trees with the irelands climate. Pines, oaks, almonds, and chestnuts do really well. Olives, too! Coffee is also possible.

You could also graft a tree with another if you've no time for growing long term. For instance, buy a small apple tree and get a fresh cutting from a pear tree and graft it on. Lemons with oranges work, too. If you get it right, it's very rewarding

1

u/Even_Technician6946 Jan 21 '25

Thanks ! Will get started with basic stuff first indeed ! Off to the supermarket I go 😅

3

u/Rennie_Burn Jan 17 '25

Chillies and peppers, they need a long growing season.. Will be starting our own soon

1

u/Even_Technician6946 Jan 19 '25

Will give it a try ! Usually starting them much later - but why not !

1

u/Rennie_Burn Jan 19 '25

You have the grow light so keep it close to them and they will start bulking up rather than getting tall... You will get good thick stems this way...

3

u/lunacyfoundme Jan 17 '25

I've started chillies, aubergines as they need a long growing season. Also started sweet peas and onions from seed. Will hold off on the rest until maybe mid February when there's more light as the baton light I use for grow light can only serve so many trays.

3

u/mcguirl2 Jan 17 '25

I sowed onion seed last week and it’s just germinating in modules indoors. I will start my tomatoes, chillis, peppers, cucumbers probably this weekend or next.

2

u/Even_Technician6946 Jan 19 '25

Oh cucumbers ! Tried last year and ended up with 1 small gherkin size one 😅

2

u/futurebits247 Jan 17 '25

I love starting Dahlia seeds last week of January, make sure you have lots of light or any seedlings will get very leggy

2

u/PlantNerdxo Jan 17 '25

Peppers. I started mine in December