Kitchen Garden Forum

It's happened again and I am stuck to know what I am doing wrong.

I planted a variety of tomato seeds in a propagator in the house, using John Innes seed sowing compost provided by Verve. However, about a third emerged and all in one corner, the one closest the light. This happened last year, too. Previously, I had used multi-purpose compost and swear I had better germination rates. What's going on?

The newer seeds germinated; the older ones did not. But not all the newer seeds were a success. But I did plant the newer ones nearest the window, but we are talking centimetres!

Bit of a mystery unless perhaps all your the seed packets have been stored at too high a temperature somewhere for a considerable period. Tomatoes are normally easy germinators under normal conditions. I even get them springing up unsolicited in my compost heap.

If the propagator is on a window ledge and we've had some cold frosty nights perhaps the night time temperature has dropped too low. If you try again, perhaps remove the propagator from the window ledge overnight. the difference in daytime and night time temperatures may have been a possible cause ?

I'd go with the too cold to germinate yet theory.

Barry you are not alone in wanting to get toms going, but I do wonder why people try so soon.
Most end up with weaker leggy plants than they would by waiting a little longer

I find the exception to this early sowing are the tumbling and bush type tomatoes which tend to crop earlier outdoors (at least here in the south east) so I will be sowing just a few of these in the next week just to kick start my sowing programme.