I mustn't let things slip here too much - I have a backlog of articles again! To keep things ticking over, this is a quick photographic update on my seedlings.
When chillies, aubergines, and tomatoes germinate, they emerge as a little thread like this, straightening out after a few days.
These are chilli seedlings.
I tend to pre-soak large seeds, like sweetcorn, peas, and beans. It's useful for older seeds especially, allowing you to see which are viable and which are dead. These have been neglected though - their main root has withered, but they should recover.
After a couple of days, the peas (in this case, purple-podded) begin to grow towards the light.
The broad beans are treated likewise. This is 'Aquadulce longpod', a robust green-seeded variety.
When chillies, aubergines, and tomatoes germinate, they emerge as a little thread like this, straightening out after a few days.
These are chilli seedlings.
I tend to pre-soak large seeds, like sweetcorn, peas, and beans. It's useful for older seeds especially, allowing you to see which are viable and which are dead. These have been neglected though - their main root has withered, but they should recover.
After a couple of days, the peas (in this case, purple-podded) begin to grow towards the light.
The broad beans are treated likewise. This is 'Aquadulce longpod', a robust green-seeded variety.