Potting on

Not much to report this week. I've repotted the Joes Long and Ancho seedlings that had outgrown their cells and burried them deep so the stems are supported. Chillies planted in this way will also throw out roots from their stems underground, further supporting and feeding the plant.

Having moved house recently I couldn't find my plastic plant pots I'd so carefully packed and had to resort to the terracotta pots that had been gathering moss in the garden. I like the patina on these pots, they've got a certain charm to them, unlike the shiny plastic variety. Perhaps when my greenhouse is built I'll switch to terracotta pots all the time for that retro Victorian feel.

The new seedlings have been potted on and are looking happier in the larger pots

I've been moving the overwintered plants into Root pouches, taking the opportunity to shake off the old compost and pot them into fresh new compost. Hopefully this will encourage them to start throwing out new roots.

Some of the overwintered plants are showing new growth.

Whilst others have yet to sprout.

Somewhat surprisingly some grass has started to sprout in the new pots, in supposedly sterile compost. I quickly tracked down the culprit,;a small mouse, hiding out the winter in the warm chilli shed, had eaten holes in a packet of wild bird seed which, in turn, had spilt into the potting tray where I'd been storing the compost. So now I'm busy pulling flourishing grass stems from the pots at every opportunity. I suppose I should be grateful that something is sprouting in those pots.