How to get an early start on summer veggies

Tomatoes, brinjals, peppers, cucumbers and summer squash need warm soil to germinate. But did you know that they can be germinated in seed trays that are heated from bottom up and kept in a warm place? Here’s a step by step guide from Kirchhoffs.

Getting started

• Before sowing, wash and sterilise seed trays and pots. Use water and Jik or vinegar, with a little liquid soap.
• Buy a germination mix from the garden centre or make your own with a 50/50 mix of sifted garden soil and fine compost. The finer the soil texture the better the contact between the seed and the sowing medium. If it is too coarse, air pockets form around the seed which traps water and the seeds rot.
• Make sure the soil mix is damp before sowing and check the seed packet for recommended sowing depth.
• After sowing dampen the soil with a fine spray, using a spritzer bottle.

How to turn up the heat

• Use a hot pad turned down low, or an old electric blanket on setting 1, or a Salton hot tray on its lowest setting. Any of these will heat up the soil for germination.
• Put the planted up seed trays on top of the heat pad or blanket. If using a hot tray, first put down a layer of newspaper and the seedling trays on top of that. .
• Cover seedling trays with a sheet of glass and lay brown paper on top of that. Keep the trays in a warm room with good light but not direct sunlight.
• Take the seedling trays off to water them and return them once they have drained. A hot tray with a lid works even better to keep the environment warm.
• Don’t let the soil dry out while the seeds are geminating. When the little growing tips emerge from the seeds they dry out very quickly unless the soil is moist.

Growing on:

• Once the seeds are up feed with organic Margaret Roberts Supercharger and repeat two weeks later.
• Harden the young seedlings by putting the seed tray outside in the sun during the day but bring it indoors at night.
• Transplant seedlings once they are sturdy and the last frost date has past.
• When transplanting, disturb the roots as little as possible by keeping a clump of soil around the roots and holding the plant by the stem and leaves.

Try these Kirchhoffs heirloom veggies from seed

Cucumber Ashley is crunchy, cool on the tongue and calorie free. It is a traditional cucumber that has trim, slightly tapered fruits with a deep green skin. To save on space grow as a climber by training and tying the plants onto a wooden trellis or home-made frame. https://www.kirchhoffs.co.za/product/cucumber-ashley/

Capsicum Baby Pepper is a sweet and sour pepper the size of a small tomato. Heat levels rise with maturity. It produces its first fruit within 65 days of germination https://www.kirchhoffs.co.za/product/capsicum-baby-pepper/

Eggfruit Long Purple is an old favourite. It has long, dark purple club- shaped fruit. Plant with beans, Tarragon, Thyme and Cornflowers as they enhance each other’s growth. Transplant seedlings when they are about 5-8cm high. Pinch out some tips leaving only three to four fruit to set.
https://www.kirchhoffs.co.za/product/egg-fruit-long-purple/

Baby marrow ‘Bush Caserta’ is an open pollinated heirloom variety and plants can set up to 30 fruits. The flesh is creamy-white and firm, and the skin light green with dark green stripes. This is a quick summer crop as the first fruit is ready for picking within 65 days of sowing. Seed germinates easily and it is a rewarding veggie, especially for beginners.
https://www.kirchhoffs.co.za/product/squash-bush-caserta-baby-marr/

Tomato ‘Oxheart’ is a vine tomato that produces a huge heart-shaped fruit that is “meaty” with a mild, sweet flavour.  It is a heritage variety from the 1920’s and was called the sandwich tomato because just one slice covered a piece of bread. It needs staking. https://www.kirchhoffs.co.za/product/tomato-oxheart/