I am trying to grow strawberries from seeds for the first time this year. PLanted seeds (not alpine) about 3/4 weeks ago and have little 1-1.5" seedlings with tiny leaves in growing discs. I put a few seeds in each disc and I think I am going to end up with a lot of strawberry plants. I feel like I am better going for more in case some fail, which seems to happen a lot growing strawberries from seed. Two questions 1. When do I transplant them into bigger peat-type pots? 2. What is best container-type planter for strawberries? I am doing both garden and container, based on my success with seedlings. Any help is appreciated Thanks

6 inches! Mine are still only half that (but look sturdy). Delphs are usually bone hardy so you could harden them off over the next week or so, then get them in the ground. But (there's always one of those), the worst thing about planting them out is not weather but exposure to the slug and snail hordes, all of which will crawl over any amount of coffee grounds, eggshells, brambles and dried holly leaves, to feast on gourmet delphinium. When did you sow yours, Clairey? I did an October sowing and a January sowing - the early ones had to be chivvied over the winter and are actually weedier than the ones sown in Jan.

Much depends on the soil prep. that the plants are going into. If you have "Loaded" the soil to the highest safe nutrient levels then adding more could do more harm than good. However if you have gone easy on broadcast fertilizers than placing more fertilizer at the root zone will often give the transplant a boost. I plant at high density in soil in two greenhouses and usually work considerable amounts of fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. I never add additional fertilizer to those plants. In the field I sparingly broadcast and work in fertilizer and then when I plant (with a water- wheel planter) I dissolve a pound of Miracle Gro fertilizer in each 150 gallon tank of transplant water, enough for about 400 plants. Many tomato growers fail to supplement plants later in the growing season when plants need it most. With Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and minor nutrients I try to incorporate in soil prior to planting, especially with P since Phosphorus(P) is not very mobile in the soil. Plants almost always respond to later Nitrogen and Potassium supplementation beginning at about the first harvest.

OK @floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK you asked and I am embarrassed to say it. The area I want to plant the peas is still full of weeds. The last two years I have been eradicating weeds by pulling out one perennial weed at a time over and over as they come up throughout the season. And then mulching heavily. I am not just trying to cover up the weeds but get them out from the roots. For a number of years I have not been able to garden at all and that has taken a toll on my yard. I have only finished, well almost finished, weeding certain sections of the garden and where I want to plant the peas is not one of them. The soil there is lovely though. It gets good water and the weeds and leaves have been composting in situ forever. My rationale is I will hand till a small strip of land with compost, insert the pea plants and then mulch thickly with bark around the plants. Subsequently when the weeds come up they will be easy to distinguish from the larger pea plants and I can remove them (the weeds) as they appear. If the pea seeds had to compete and I have to weed as they germinate it just wont work. On the other hand thank you for telling me I can plant the peas so close together and get that many plants in!!!! I was planning on putting in one or two plants every 6 to 8 inches and trying several different varieties. @moosemac thats a great adage that I did not know. I dont see why you cannot plant pea plants at that time do you? Since peas can withstand a good deal of cold.