Have I made a total mess of this.

deelite

I'm a total beginner at gardening. This is what I've done -

I'm using large pots and put compost into them - then I put in lettuce actual plants (in one) and then actual tomato plants in another - I think that's okay but if I've not done something please tell me.

Anyway I bought some seeds of spring onions, leeks, carrots - and put them directly into pots with compost. Was I meant to do something before I put them in.

I also put 2 sunflower seeds in a pot with compost for the kids - will they grow.

I've left all the plants outside in the garden and have them covered with a green sheet - is this right (I watered them beforehand).

I have a funny feeling I've made a total mess of this. (Be gentle)

looksee

Lettuce and tomato plants - its too early for them to be outdoors. You have to beware of the first phase of tender plants (annuals and things like tomatoes and lettuce) that come into shops, it is too early.

Spring onions will be ok. Leeks will need to be planted out into the garden as you need to give them a reasonable amount of space, especially depth. They are quite easy to grow though and very satisfactory as you can be still harvesting them up to Christmas. They would need to be sheltered to get them started though and I think it is to get cold again. Try wrapping a swathe of the green fabric around the pots to protect them from frost. Bubblewrap would be good too.

Carrots are not the best in pots, depends on how big the pot is but you will have to thin them quite a lot. You should get some but its not a very practical crop for pots. Again protect them from frost.

I would bring the sunflowers, lettuce and tomatoes into the house into a bright spot if you can, and see what happens.

Usually the tender stuff (sunflowers, lettuce, tomatoes) would not go out until May. Gardening and growing veg is very satisfying so don't be put off.

deelite

Thanks very much for answering it's a great help for me. When you say thinning out - what does that mean.

If I get anything out of any of the pots we'll be thrilled - it's given my kids something to do that's outdoors and probably in total has cost under 20 euro and is going to provide hours of entertainment!!!

Aldi are doing strawberry plants this week - can I go ahead with these - I've a hanging basket I was going to use? Any tips would be appreciated.

looksee

Thinning - when plants come up they usually come up in a mass of seedlings. If you are not going to transplant (you don't transplant carrots) you pull out some of the seedlings so that only a few are left and they will have room to grow. You can pull out a few very gently at an early stage (when you can see the proper leaves) then as they get bigger pull out some more so they are not squashed together. As time goes on some of the ones you pull out will be big enough to eat - raw is nice!

When the seeds start to grow they will have just two little round leaves at the end of a stalk, these are not proper leaves, these are the seed leaves. You have to wait for the proper leaves to show before you disturb the seedlings - for transplanting for example.

Once the seed leaves are showing the pots will need lots of light or the seedling will grow straggly.

deelite

I can't believe it the spring onions are growing (I had them on the window sill in my house) and so are the strawberry and cherry tomato plants. I'm absolutely over the moon - especially as I'm not a green fingered at all.

Thanks for the advice - I'm getting himself to do me a raised bed based on the one shown on the RTE show on Monday nights (with the scaffolding planks).

looksee

Strawberries are hardy and will be better outside. If you have been growing them in the house I would suggest you put them outside when you can be sure there willl not be any frost then as they are established you can leave them outside. You just need to avoid putting them straight from a warm environment to frost in one go.

deelite

looksee wrote: »

Strawberries are hardy and will be better outside. If you have been growing them in the house I would suggest you put them outside when you can be sure there willl not be any frost then as they are established you can leave them outside. You just need to avoid putting them straight from a warm environment to frost in one go.

Thanks for that apart from the frost will the wind and rain not be lethal for them?

looksee

Hardy plants are ones that live outside all year round. Strawberries are grown under shelter to get early crops, but they will grow perfectly ok in the open.

The only thing you have to be careful off is to not put any plants suddenly from a warm sheltered environment directly into frost or cold wind.

You could put them out today in a sheltered place where they will not get too blown about and provided the weather stays frost free they will be ok until you want to plant them out. Once they have been outside for a few days they will be fine.

They will be better outside as they are less likely to get diseased or to grow a lot of soft foliage.