Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Grow your own  permalink

Help needed with germinating seeds...

• Message 1. 

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Thursday, 31st March 2011

  Last year was my first at growing from seed. I purchased a window sill heated propogator and didn't look back.
  
  There were s few hic ups but with advise the germination rate was brill, one problem with damping off but on balance everything happened according to distructions.
  
  Sowed seeds in seed compost in heated propogator. Several days later they greminated, took plastic covers off and put them in back bedroom to develop true leaves. Needed advise sowing sweet corn. Was a bit too keen with some seeds and they got leggy but again on balance was really pleased with results and probably 90% of stuff eventually went out into the garden.
  
  Absolute disaster this year with the heated propogator, although me thinks I'm not doing anything different, poor germination and what has germinated has quickly died before being moved into back room. I've had one or two seeds germinating when a dozen seeds have been sown and then they've keeled over when moved or died before any further seedlings imerge.
  
  Seeds which I've germinated on kitchen roll in the dark with no heat have done really well, three varieties of peas, morning glory, mouli, radish, broad beans, sweetpea are all outside in the GH.
  
  Due to the success rate last year I only purchased a few seeds of the varieities I wanted to grow this year but because everything seems to struggling to germinate I've not yet sow alot of seeds.
  
  I thought it might be the seed compost I'm using. All help would be greatly received. I'm not sure what's going wrong

  Link to this forum: Help needed with germinating seeds...

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by garyhobson (U11055016) on Friday, 1st April 2011

  The speed and success of germination can depend on the variety.
  
  A lot of popular annuals germinate within a few days. But some seeds can take weeks, or even months. The seed catalogue, or packet, should provide a rough estimate, and those estimates are very approximate.
  
  This year I sowed 3 varieties of Cosmos, all in little trays in a propagator, all prepared in exactly the same way. The advertised germination time for all three was 7-14 days. Two sets germinated immediately (within 2 days), but I'm still waiting for any sign of life from the third variety.
  
  And I have a couple of other different seeds which are still showing no sign of germination, after several weeks.
  
  I always remove the seedlings from the propagator immediately after germination, and grow them on 'cool'. What makes the seedlings actually grow leaves is sunlight, because the seedlings make the material in their leaves through photosynthesis. Continuing to supply heat after germination just causes seedlings to become leggy.
  
  You obviously need to make sure the compost doesn't dry out. Seeds which germinate quickly don't normally require re-watering, but if the compost is in the propagator for some weeks, then it may need it. Seeds which don't germinate reasonably quickly don't deserve a propagator, and will have to take their chances without any more heat.
  
  It's always possible that one has duff seeds. It's unlikely, though you can't be certain.
  

  Link to this forum: Help needed with germinating seeds...

  Report message2

Back to top