Inexperienced Planter

Killinaugh

Hi - First time user to boards.ie so please excuse any mistakes
I am an inexperienced planter who wants to put a bit of effort in this yr as I have quite a large garden & have had some success over the last couple of years with little effort .
The first yr I planted various Veggies in a raised bed & that evening the Dog jumped in & tossed all the seeds all over the place - i decided to just leave it be & water it - some things grew but others didnt ( carrotts & lettuce grew) I planted all from seed - I didnt start in a pot
last yr I grew Lettuce / Beetroot / Spinach - in pots & re-planted ( which aparently you are not supposed to do with beetroot)
Anyway this yr I have done the following -
Last night planted in propogators ( 2.99 ones from Aldi ) Rocket ; Tomatoes ; Little Gem Lettuce ; Some herbs ; Some flowers .
I also have ( not sown ) Onions ; Beetroot ; Spinach ; Carrotts ; Spring onions - Question is ( after all that ) should the ones I have not sown yet be put straight into the raised bed or should I start them off in the propogator & when can I start doing this - bear in mind the raised bed is out in the open we have only green fields around us however it is in a spot that will get the most sunlight -
Thanks in advance
Killinaugh

madmaggie

If you cover over the raised bed with some black plastic it will help the soil warm up quicker. I have onions (sets) started in small pots, spring onions can be started in modules, not sure about spinach, but it is recommended not to transplant carrots or parsnips, so they are best sown direct. I have seen sets for making plastic tunnels for covering raised beds in my local garden centre, they were only about €15. Tomatoes will not ripen unless in a glass porch or greenhouse, we just do not get the sun. Also when sowing carrots surround the area with a barrier such as fleece to prevent invasion by the carrot root fly. They only fly up to a height of 24 inches, but the barrier must be well secured at ground level. Good luck in your efforts.

Killinaugh

Thanks Madmaggie - Had taken Monday & Tuesday off this week to plant them .. Thank God I didnt 1.5" of snow . Phew !