All sown up

None of us, not one gardener – not me, not you… not even our esteemed editor Steve – gets it right every time. Sometimes things just don’t go our way. Sowing seeds and nurturing the delicate seedlings that follow is an area where many of us trip up.

Whether it is seeds failing to germinate, compost turning mouldy or seedlings growing drawn and yellowed, the early days of our crops can be perilous. Falling at the first hurdle is a frustrating experience, but on the flip side better this happens at the start than a few days before harvest! And after all, there’s almost always time to re-sow and enjoy a second chance.

Nevertheless, it’s worth meeting the usual suspects behind seed and seedling failures, so we can minimise