Hit and Miss Germination rates

General tips / questions on seeding & planting

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Funkberry
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Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2021 1:00 pm

Hi,
I was hoping for some advice on seed sowing/ germination.

I have only just got my new allotment plot beginning of June and playing catch up. I am trying to sow things to get going but so far it's been awful. I have had so many failed trays of seeds :(. Then it's what do you do with the compost ? reuse it as nothing has effectively grown from it.
I suspect I'm either over watering and using very old seeds as I used to have an allotment a few years back and keep all my seeds so subsequently I have a large quanity of old seeds that I am trying to use up before I open my new packets. However this seems counter productive now as every 10 days or so nothing happens or I get sporadic germination. I only had 2 runner beans germinate but that was from new seed and my peas just aren't doing anything again from new packet. I would love to know what the "knack" is to successful seed production. I am sticking to the correct times to sow, I have watched endless you tube videos and they all seem to just know how to do it. Any tips / advice would be most appreciated. I have successfully sown spring onions but other salad crops just aren't appearing. I think I am either over watering or undewatering . I am using one of those plastic McGregor houses with shelves. I keep it open over night and have organic slug pellets at the bottom as I caught a few slugs under some trays. I am so frustrated with having to re sow and wasting valuble time trying to get things going. Help!!! Do I just throw all my old seeds out and only use fresh?
Monika
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Location: Yorkshire Dales

I think old seeds are your main problem, especially if you are relying on them rather than just sowing them as a second lot, just for fun. Throw the old ones away and buy a few new ones, just to get you going this year.
Secondly, sowing in June can be a problem if it is too hot (you don't say where you are, UK south coast or northern tip of Scotland or maybe even somewhere totally different?). You say your salad crops aren't appearing - well, lettuce does not germinate when it's too warm.
If you are planning to grow winter brassicas, now is the time to buy some plug plants rather than catching up with seeds. Next year you can save by sowing them.
You don't mention the state of your new allotment. If I were you, I would concentrate on getting it ready for great things NEXT year and just sow/plant the minimum for 2021. If it's dug and fairly weed free, why not sow some green manure and dig it in in spring? It will boost your soil fertility and keep it covered over winter.
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Primrose
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I think the old seeds are partly to blame althiugh it,s a great temptation not to want to waste them. The onky thing yiu can do is do some test sowing on damp kitxhen paper well before sowing time and see if enough seeds germinate torisk sowing en masse. Keeping old packets es often a false economy, except tomatoes i find whixh often seem to keep for years if stored in a cool place.

The other culprit I often find is non peat seed compost. We supposed to be giving it up by experience with it is not good, as it often contains chipped wood, bark and green material from council green waste disposal where it has either been insufficiently heat treated or contains toxic items like weedkiller and other nasties. I,ve had multiple failures this year from this type of compost and despite it supposed to be being environmentally friendly, will be avoiding it like the plague for as long as possible.

Incidentally lettuce and other green salad seeds won,t germinate in very hot weather as Monika has suggested.so try and resow on a cooler wetter day.
Westi
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Hi Funkberry - Welcome!

Somewhere on here, but probably quicker to just search, there is a list of how long seeds are viable. I would say sow direct not in the plastic frame, they get well hot & the wee seedlings could be getting frizzled the minute they pop up, regardless of the ventilation. At this time of year runners & French beans can defiantly be sown direct along with most other salad crops. Definitely agree with Monika if panning to use the plot over winter quickly order some winter brassica plants.

Make sure you chat to the neighbours as well to try to find out what nasties they have on their plots as likely you might have as well - club root, onion white rot thing etc. And you could get lucky with some spare plants. ;) I strongly advise you to put a general location on your details as this wee island has huge variations in temp so when folk respond from near yours you can focus on their advice.

PS: If you need seeds buy the KG Mag, get loads free on each months mag & loads of advice on sowing for success & fortunately it also publishes one month ahead so you can plan!
Westi
Funkberry
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Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2021 1:00 pm

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm in Lancashire, Northwest. My plot is in pretty good condition, but clay so a bit heavy. apparently it was never cultivated and covered most of the last few years. Its a relatively new site, brand new about 5 years ago so maybe not as many nasties about. I'll sort my seeds and rely on new for now keep them out the greenhouse. Iv bought some brassicas to get a head start. Just need to improve my soil. I rotavated it and covered it over and just working bit by bit. I have bought last 3 issues of the mag so my seed stash is building. Thanks again.
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