How do you grow your weeds indoors?

[Kirkie]

Ive started piling up the old soil from the tortoise tables round the garden and chucking handfuls of seeds in with it. I hoping it'll grow as I have the same problem as Jane in the enclosures with everything getting eaten before it can mature.

[Alan1]

The seeds I planted indoors in December are only just producing leaves now. I would say it's best to plants winter weeds seeds now to give them a start, their roots might get established at least

[Alan1]

I have also discovered that topsoil is hopeless for growing the seeds, it dries out too quick. My seeds have taken 6 months to produce proper leaves. I would say plant them in compost

[loperwood]

My best results were seeds sown in compost, not so good results were in loam/soil.
In the winter I use a heated greenhouse 15degC in the spring started them off in the g/h then out side on the patio.
I water the compost first then sprinkle the seeds on, keep the compost damp not too wet. Some I use as "cut and come again" some I plant out in the torts run.
The seeds that I got from SW were - Quick growing winter mix, clover mix and Tropical mix.

[Star]

Hi, this isnt so much a planting tip, but I hope it helps.

I found that when I planted my new plants into the enclosure with the tortoises, they often trampled them to death and they never lasted long, so I came up with a device to help.
If you buy a small hanging basket, plant this into the ground, over the new plant, then the tortoises can not trample the roots and will only be able to eat the leaves that grow through. I really found this helped, as the plant managed to still grow as the metal design of the basket allowed sun and rain in, but didnt allow access to the centre of the plant. This is a great method for the not so rooted plants, that tend to get trampled. After the plant has developed and is well rooted and unlikely to die from hungry tortoises, then you can remove the baskets, or alternatively, leave the baskets and let the leaves and flowers grow through.

Hope this helps

P.S Make sure the basket has no sharp edges.

[spiderbaitwebs]

I have long herb trays on my window ledges, also find putting them on a table in the night so they dont get cold from the window helps.

[NATURALIS]

ive had good results using 6 feet by 4 feet heat mats that i had made for the job, these are in 6 by 4 sheds that are used for the tortoises and then in the winter when there sleeping i use them for growing weeds, the sheds were custom built and each have slooping sides facing south with acrilic windows covering the whole south side so to let a lot of light in and extra heat, i ajust the thermostats to around 12 c, metal halide lamps work bril to encourage grouth.

[dugy]

i got seeds from SW shop.. neva grew a spindly one yet.. i have four smal trays on me window sill that get drenched in water every three days.. i let them dry right out.. after al thats what weeds do..... once they start to get up they get replanted in big pots on the garden and get harvested every three weeks or so... torts love them... i sprinkle nutroboll on them too... i dunno if it does but i recon teh plants may absorb it n make them rich in vitimins....

i neva eva thought i could grow weeds!!

[noneedforspeed]

i bought the seeds as well but not much has happened planteed them twice now . but on the otherside of things i have loads of weeds growing that have already been well established ( you know the ones before you have a tort that you keep pullin up ) so george can have them when he goes down the garden .... should have made the run around those weeds he would have prefered it ,,,, just my luck . im not movin the railway sleepers on my own again ........

[Fredtortoise]

Hi all,

I used to work in a garden centre, so thought I would share my growing tips.

Most people when growing indoors make 3 common mistakes:

1. Sow too many seeds at once
2. Do not use a deep enough container
3. Do not keep the seeds covered until they start to germinate.

Here is a pic of the container I use:



If you sow too many seeds, they compete for space and therefore have no choice but to grow upwards, hence the spindly growth. This makes it harder to separate seedlings as the roots intertwine and break when you need to thin them out.

If the container is too shallow, the roots cannot get a good hold and will be weak and feeble with the tendency to fall over. This is why the people who chuck seeds around in the garden have more success - they have more room to grow.

Finally, I use clingfilm (Saran wrap for our overseas visitors) over my seeds when freshly sown - you don't need an expensive propagator. When you start to notice little green heads appearing and condensation on the clingfilm, prick some holes in it to allow the baby shoots to breathe.

When the shoots are about to touch the clingfilm, you can remove it completely.

After a couple of weeks, you will need to thin out the seedlings to allow for proper growth. Only lift the seedlings using a leaf. Do not touch the stem, it will bruise and is too fragile.

I use topsoil personally, as I find compost too rich. When using topsoil, it can appear to dry out quickly, but that's probably because you're watering the soil and not the saucer underneath. The best tip for watering, is to water into the saucer and keep going until the top of the soil is damp. This ensures enough water is given and stops you watering seeds or young plants away.

I hope that this is of some help and good luck growing weeds!

Tara