Sweet potato growing progress – 6 weeks in.
The way in which plants germinate never ceases to amaze me. Tomatoes spring up virtually overnight. The melon seedlings I've got growing on the windowsill launched into life at a staggering pace, then slowed to a crawl the second their first leaves had developed.
Strawberries I'd expected to be another rapid grower, but they surprised me by taking weeks to show first signs of life, and are growing at snail's pace. Runner beans on the other hand are almost scary. I swear the ones I've just started off in the kitchen are growing visibly every time I leave and re-enter the room.
I also find it funny how some big croppers have tiny seedlings. I'd all but given up on the tray of Celeriac I sowed a while back. Supposedly, it likes growing in cool conditions, but it wasn't until I stuck a propagator lid on the tray that the first signs of life started to appear. When it did, it surprised me. Being used to buying Celeriac from the supermarket not far off the size of a football, the micro fine seedlings seemed a bit incongruous.
The title of King of the slow growers really has to go to my sweet potatoes though. After sticking them in pots, one grew roots fairly quickly, but it must have been a month before the first signs of shoots appeared. Several weeks later, they're not exactly setting the world on fire with their growth rate.
It's clear they need more sun, but the weather is far from obliging at the moment. I'd been looking forward to another 4 days off work on the plot over the Easter weekend but, a few hours into the first day, it's brightened up a bit but still cool. I'll probably head off there soon, but it's going to be a cold one unless the sun manages to burn through the cloud.
It is at least a bit less windy though. During the week, we had 40mph winds and I've not been to the plot since Wednesday. That evening, I found half the plastic from a neighbour's greenhouse on my plot and had to stow it back on his plot for him. I just hope the shed and polytunnel are still where I left them!
April 2, 2010
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Tags: sweet potato В· Posted in: Seeds, Vegetables
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