"tina" wrote in message
...
On 25 Feb 2006 07:55:00 -0800, "La Puce" wrote:


tina wrote:
the packet of sunflower seeds says. "store in a warm place, an airing
cupboard is ideal"

This is to store the seed packets - I find in a tin on the shelves at
home is fine.

It does say if your planting them outdoors do it in march - june

Beginning of April is when I saw my sunflowers outside in the garden or
allotment. Mid april if the weather is bad before that. In pots I start
them end of March. I use John Innes seeds and cutting compost and mix a
bit of perlite in them (or vermiculite). It helps with drainage. I like
using biodegredable pots, little brown pots of cardboard which
disappear in the soil. Like this I don't have to move the little
plants. I just lower the pot in a hole in the ground.

I did see a little device in a gardening mag. "make your own seedling
pots" out of newspaper. But it was £13.00 + £5 p&p. Nice idea as your
recycling your spare newspaper, but £18.00 seems a bit expensive.
Why are all these good recycling ideas / devices so expensive. (water
saving, compost bins etc)

Take a plastic pot, make up some paste using flour and water, wrap a piece
of paper round the pot, add more paper covered with paste, wait until dry
pull of paper pot, fill with compost, and plant your seeds, the whole thing
will in time become very floppy, but you can plant the whole thing in the
ground as it will rot fairly quickly.

Or you could do as I do, and use the inside of toilet paper rolls!

These, again, will also rot down after you have planted them.

Alan