Kitchen Garden Forum

I poked my butternut squash seeds, both the old lot and the new, and now three out of four of those that've been in pots for weeks have germinated! Also, I poked two out of the six new ones and they too have started to sprout! I'd given up on them to be honest, so I'm stunned , and thrilled to bits too.

Read this thread and wondered what was going wrong.
Originally I had low germination rates, but I started to use a heated propagator for squash, it goes in the garage, (which is warmish anyway as it has the freezers & washing machine + bedroom above), and once clear of the compost the seedlings go into a lighter environment. Sown in trays, given one good watering, allowed to drain and in the propagator with the lid on.

Anyway I sowed Crown Prince (6 seeds) and Butternut Waltham Sprinter (11 seeds) last week, forgot about them till about midnight last night , so checked them when letting the dog out for her bedtime widdle .

Crown Prince, six seedlings.

Butternut Sprinter, eleven seedlings.

Thought I'd try this 'poking' idea with my slow cougettes and melons a few days ago; it seems to have worked with the melons, but the courgettes are still sulking.....

I checked on my packet of Unwins Butternut, 15-18 C. which is sort of room temperature, it raises the question as to whether the airing cupboard could have been a bit too warm, also maybe at that temperature the compost could be on the dry side.I doubt the physical poking theory, also any suggestion that the orientation of the seed would actually retard the start of germination unless insufficiently covered in moist compost.
Allan

I did the 'pre-germinating trick' on my Butternuts and Courgettes this year.
i.e. damp kitchen paper, seeds on top, warm environment, wait and see who germinates and when.

I now really like this method - it gives a great indication of which seed has 'the most poke', and which can't even be 'arsed' to germinate, even at the right temperature.....

6 out of 7 Butternuts (plus a Runt, who's actually doing pretty fab now with a bit of extra TLC.... so that'll be 7 out of 7 now then........!)
All started 12th March and still recieving complete TLC and potting-on's until I think they're 'big enough and ugly enough' to stand the big outdoors !

Can't recommend this method highly enough.
Kindest regards,
Wellie

Thanks Wellie, I'll try and remember this for next year.

In that: If at first you don't succeed......

Hi Chantal,

No, that's another thing I learned from JB last year.
I tried sowing Courgesttes and miserably failed, so he pre-germinated some for me and sent them via snail-mail as an experiment, and it worked fabliously...
'Eenie, Meenie, Miney and Mojo' went on to produce some pretty handsome courgettes, so THIS year, I followed his example, and pre-germed the Butternuts and Courgettes for myself.
That's what I like about growing... you never know it all, and you can always learn something .
Lots of Luck
Wellie

My friend in New Zealand grows squashes for a living and this is his advice.....

My advice for growing cucurbit seed is firstly not to give them too much water, they should be just damp and not wet. Secondly and most importantly is temperature. They will do nothing below about 15C. Between 15 and 20C they will slowly germinate. Best between 20 and 30C ideal about 25C. My advice would be to sow in some compost in a pot or tray, then lightly water, then wrap in a plastic bag and put in your hot water cupboard (check temperature with a thermometer if possible), check each day but something will probably happen in about 3 days.

I put both cucumber and marrow seeds into my heated propagator on Friday, both are coming through today! The propagator is not thermostatically controlled...but at this time of year it gets hot 25+ degrees C.

I daren't start them off earlier in the year as I don't have enough windowsills or a heated greenhouse.

With the larger Cucubit seeds the outer casing (Testa) is exceedingly difficult for moisture to permeate. I find that germination is benefited by being nicking the casing and steeping in water for an hour. This ingress of water is sufficient to initiate germination. By nicking I mean cutting exceedingly carefully through the casing to expose the interior without damaging the cotyledons that are immediately under this skin. The nick should be carried out the opposite end to the scar.
I place the seed under my left index finger with a fragment protruding then holding the seed firm with the finger run a sharp knife down my finger nail and cut a sliver off the seed. If you have not pierced the skin repeat the process by taking another very very small sliver and keep repeating until you have exposed the inside. It really only needs to be a minute hole. Sounds fiddly but the process takes but seconds.
After steeping for an hour there are two methods you can use. Planting the seed in compost or Pre-germination.
I pre-germinate my seeds and get, it would appear, above average germination.
I use the bottom inch off a plastic 2 pint milk container then take a piece of Kitchen Tissue and fold into 3 then into 3 again. This just fits the container. Lay the seeds on two layers of paper and the third makes a convenient flap to lift to check progress. Close the flap and run it all under the tap then very slightly squeezed the paper and empty out the excess water. Keep at normal kitchen temperature and it normally takes about 4 to 6 days and there is sign of the radicle beginning to emerge right next to the scar. At no time should the paper be allowed to dry out but it really only to be well moist not saturated at any time.
I then plant into a 9cm pots two full depths of the seed and I plant scar down. The Radicle will very quickly grow down and branch to give a good firm plant.
If you plant too shallowly then you will get a plant with a stem between soil and base
of the plant. These will loll about and not make good firm plants.
At no time when Cucubits are young should they be over watered just enough and no more. I do not think that it is necessary to use a heated propagator unless you are carrying out the process in a cold greenhouse.
I do hope you find this helpful.

Looks like I did do it right, hitting on Vivvie's friends method by trial and error.