SELECTING SEEDS? IT'S ABOUT FEELINGS TOO!

There are many things to consider when it comes to selecting seeds but don’t forget the emotional value a particular variety may have for you, says Annabelle Padwick

- Annabelle Padwick

It’s that time of year when we are all frantically, or perhaps calmly in your case, selecting which seeds we want to sow this year – wondering how many rows of carrots we can fit into our allotment plot this year or if we have enough space to try a brand-new exciting variety of sweetcorn. I always want to grow my favourites but as you may already know, I also have my tradition that I have to grow something new each year. But I suppose each year I continue to do this I will need a bigger and bigger space! Or I could just not grow some things I have in the past, but I like to be able to grow everything!

Since I gave up my old 20mx7.5m allotment and moved on to our narrowboat in 2019 with a 19 x 1m hedge-lined public space, my desire to grow everything hasn’t changed either. I’ve just had to adapt how I grow and regularly push the boundaries of what ‘should’ grow in a container as that’s all I can grow in here.

I can also positively report that actually most things will grow in a large container, especially if it’s between 30-80cm (12-32in) in diameter! I haven’t tried sweetcorn or pumpkins yet though, what do you reckon? Think they are destined to succeed or fail? Perhaps it’s one for a future trial.

SEEDS NEEDS

When it comes to selecting my seeds for the year, I do have to think about those core conditions they need. Space, sunlight and soil condition are all super important things to consider, but for me there is another – and it’s not actually to do with the physical growing environment.