It seems I have a lot to learn!

Good blog. No help on the veggie front sorry but love your greenhouse !

Hi Claire I think basically you just transplanted (pricked out) them too soon. In addition the compost looks to be very wet which will not have helped. Personally I wouldn't use vermiculite in seed compost at all but others might. Unless you've got heat in your greenhouse trying to start growing salad leaves at this time of year can be a challenge. It is always much easier to grow plants with the seasons rather than against them.

Yes I agree with Moon grower - it looks like overwatered a bit. You can grow lettuces in the winter - look for a hardy lettuce called Kings winter wonder or specific ones for the winter, but normally I plant up cabbages, brocolli for the spring time and then come spring plant out lettuces etc.

I always use the seed trays that are divided into individual plugs such as 18 or 24 per tray-- depending on how big the plant will be or if I put a few seed in them. Then i don't need to prick out, it may be a bit fiddly planting the seed but i don't move them until the roots are beginning to fill the pot, often in the spring i can plant them straight out and they don't recive a check. Its probably not the right way but it works for me

Well done on putting so much work into growing your seedlings...:o)

Oh heck Clare...I feel for you, I really do :((
Seed sowing, be it flowers or veg, is always a bit "hit and miss" I find...there's so many stages where things can go wrong along the way! Like Pam, I find the modular inserts that fit inside seed trays are a lot easier to use, and avoid all that tedious "pricking out".
I'm no veg grower meself, and the only seeds I sow in the autumn are sweetpeas....which basically look after themselves.

PS. Love your greenhouse by the way....very stylish! :)

Thanks for the advice and the words of encouragement folks.
Hopefully some of these seedlings will survive and I'll do things differently next time!

i think everyone on this site will have made mistakes at some point so you are in good company. i've lost count of how many seedlings i've pricked out too soon. just too impatient thats my trouble.

Claire the only difference between an 'experienced' gardener and a 'novice' gardener is that the 'experienced' gardener has killed off more plants and learnt what not to do! We have a graveyard of plant labels from now deceased plants.
You'll suddenly discover one day that you are giving advice to other folk - and look back on your first fledgling experiences and smile... A lot of us are rather older in the tooth than you I suspect :-)

assuming you still have teeth to grow long :o)

Thanks folks. Yes, I still have most of my teeth although they are lengthening.
:-))

MG what a wonderful description and so very true ! Best of luck Claire :~))

Hi Claire

Keep trying , where youare in the world come spring time you will be able to grow any veggies without trying to hard ,the raised beds look great

Mac

Thanks Sue and Mac.
I can't remember who first came up with the premise but I agree with the sentiment that there is no such thing as failure. I just keep learning more things not to do next time!

Apologies for not welcoming you to Goytown above Claire, but I'm sure that you know by now what a lovely place it is. I've had so many of the 'things not to do the next time' moments that I've forgotten !! lol ;~))

Lovely blog Claire, yes I agree with the above they look overwatered, when plants turn that yellowy colour its usually too much water, same if they blacken at the base of the stem and shrivel off
What a nice place you have and lovely neat beds there too! Don't be disheartened it'll all come right in the end, we've all screwed up from time to time and we still do, Welcome to GOY !!!! ;~)))

You forget ???? Naaahhhh !! How's the grapes ? :~)

Brewin nicely thanks Sue!

So it's posh grapes then.......Christmas 2010 !! (Heard and noted sir !) How's it gooooooin' our kid ? :~)))))

Thanks for the welcome Indy and Sue. I'm beginning to feel I belong here.

Whats taken you so long to feel that way I wonder?, probably that Sue hijacking your thread to talk to her mates eh! ;~)))

Moi ??? lol He's not around very often Claire, so you have to grab him where you can (metaphorically speaking, of course !) ;~)) (Indy .... I found the squiggly nose key !!!)

You go ahead and hijack Sue!

I have a query. Maybe someone (still) following this blog knows the answer - otherwise, I'll put in a question to the wider community:
As you will see from the above, the seedlings in my greenhouse are not doing too well. In fact, so many of them have died that i think I should start again. Should I
a) throw out all the compost and start again with new or
b) Tip the compost into a large container , encourage it to dry out and reuse it? (or would this be the gardeners' equivalent of pegging the used teabags on the line)

I'm only trying to grow some winter salad leaves - nothing too exotic. Or have I left it too late even for that?

I think that if you are very new to the greenhouse and seed growing i'd wait until the spring, its easier then and what you learn will help for sowing next autumn. read the seed packets carefully they will tell you the temperatures needed for each variety some need covering with compost, some like it just on top I have an electric propagator for tomatoes etc. but still don't start them too early as the'll have to come out before the conditions in the greenhouse are suitable where we are you can't guarantee to put bedding plants out until the end of may and manys the time i've had the hassle of putting the trays out in the day and bringing them in at night if we have a late frost
don't let any of this put you off its all good fun and you can spend ages in the winter reading seed catalogues (send for some you get an enormous range in comparison to garden centres) plug plants are good too especially for difficult to germinate types
hope all this helps --i seem to have waffled on-- good luck and a warm spring!.....

Thanks for the advice Pam.