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Can I sow annuals in modules?

ThankthecatThankthecat Posts: 421
in Tools and techniques
I've got some night stocks and on the packet it says to sow direct. I have too much of a mollusc problem to do that (plus cats that dig in nice raked soil!) so can I sow them in little clumps in modules to plant out when they're bigger?
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  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I sow pretty much everything (flowers and veg) in those window cill propogaters, I find they do much better, and you can see where they are.  I love cats, my last one died 2005, BUT, put the onions in a couple of days ago, covered with chicken wire because of the birds, HUH, this morning, some were turfed out of the soil and a cat had left a "present" not the first one in the last few days!  So then of course, we had o lift up the netting and remove the offending article
  • ThankthecatThankthecat Posts: 421
    Tell me about it Nanny! I've got four and I've told my husband that when they're all gone over the bridge I won't have any more. I love them, but they leave me 'presents' all over the place (raspberry canes were the latest hit) and kill the birds I love to see around the garden :( Sounds like the stocks will be fine in modules then - thank you x
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I think we should have a non-newing cat population. Time to call it a day.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    yes, night scented stocks will be fine in modules. Try to sow them fairly thinly and you can just lift the whole little clump out together and plant them without disturbing them. They'll never know  :)
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    Just nipped out to the greenhouse:

    I grow them in modules every year (same reason: slugs!)  They do tend to get very lanky very quickly so plant them out as soon as you dare.  It's an untidy grower anyway, so mine always get planted behind other things - after all, it's just the fantastic fragrance that we grow it for. ;)
    The only flowers I wouldn't use modules for are the poppy family which hate root disturbance and mine just snuffed it whenever I've tried.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • ThankthecatThankthecat Posts: 421
    edited April 2018
    Wonderful, thank you all for the advice. And @BobTheGardener I saw on another post you mentioned being plagued with purple toadflax - just wanted to say I WISH - I love it but it doesn't love my garden :(  @Fire when the cats (and currently three dogs) are all gone I'm going back to having just one dog - a nice, well-behaved border collie. 
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Thankthecat said:
     a nice, well-behaved border collie. 
    Not sure I've ever met one of those. Perhaps all the ones round here are 'mad merles' but they do all seem to be bonkers.  :open_mouth: I'd stick with a greyhound. Too lazy to dig holes but quite effective as a cat deterrent
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
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  • ThankthecatThankthecat Posts: 421
    edited April 2018
    @raisingirl You should have met my Fly. We lost her in May last year at the age of 14. She was such an obedient, happy little thing. Finally put the agility equipment back in the shed last weekend :( Now we're left with two naughty pugs and a pain-in-the-a*** eight stone monster (quarter Bullmastiff, quarter Rottweiler, one eighth each of American Bulldog, Dogue de Bordeaux, Neopolitan Mastiff and Presa Canario). I love them all, but I'm looking forward to a time when it's just me and one biddable dog :) As for greyhounds, a friend of mine had two of her cats killed by neighbours' rescue greyhounds so yes, they are good deterrents but I'd worry about lack of recall if they see something huntable, lol! Looks like showers today so I'm going to spend some time in the potting shed with seeds...
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Sorry about Fly :disappointed: 14 is a decent age but it's never long enough when you find a good 'un.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
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