Kitchen Garden Forum

OK, what am I doing wrong?

Every year I grow tomatoes without any problems at all. I plant out around 120 of them and give the rest away.

This year I sowed seeds over 5 weeks ago and again 3 weeks ago, using fresh seed and around 7 different varieties.

I've tried some in the heated propagator, some in the unheated propagator, others just in pots in the greenhouse.

Not one has come up. Not a single seedling.

Why?

I'm reduced to scrounging plants from friends and relatives, who usually have plants from me!

I wonder if there could possibly be some infection in your potting compost? Was it fresh, or left over from last year. I used some 1 year old seed compost at the bottom of a bag last for my courgettes and none of them germinated so I had to resow them all. . Apart from that I can't think of anything unless it is something to do with where the seed was stored over winter, if it wasn't new seed. Could storage temperatures have something to do with the problem, I wonder.

However, I did sow some 1 year old Gardeners Delight seeds this year, amongst other varieties and only one of those out of 6 seeds has germinated. All my other varieties are just peeking through OK. Frustrating isn't it, because it completely throws out your whole planting timetable.

Yes, I would be very suspicious of the potting compost and possible contamination with either aminopyralid or clopyralid. Try a different potting compost based on peat.

I decided I needed some extra ordinary Tomatoes for outside so I sowed the remains of a 2002 packet of Alicante and they have germinated so I would suspect something other than the seeds, anyway several varieties wouldn't behave the same I don't think.
I want to know why Peas are rotting - want to swap Pea plants for Tomato plants?

Our germination is poor too - I think it has something to do with the cold. Compost is fresh etc.

Hmm, compost fresh and 50% of the seeds were bought this year too. I do have onions and leeks germinating well in the same compost, but I think I'll buy a new bag in any case and try again this weekend.

I may also try and pre-germinate some seeds and see if that helps. I hate to be defeated like this.

I sowed 4 types of Tomatoes this year and all germanated, 3 lots were new packets except Beefy ones which I had saved some seeds from the fruit last year, I had to throw some out as I hadn;t the space to transplant them all.

Peas I started them off by putting some into a plastic bag with a couple of handfuls of compost, when i saw the tiny shoots afrer about a week I planted them in trays spaced out, all germanated, 2 types Early onwards and Hurst green shaft.

Bren

I've got lots if you want to scrounge from me...........

All mine germinated, including some in home-made compost. Bt 2 that didn't were the Moneymaker and Roma freebies from DTBrown. Roma subsequently germinated in different compost, but only about 6 out of 18. Normally I find toms very easy to germinate. Everything else in my home-made compost has germinated well.

Thanks Tigger I do now have a load of small plants from various sources and am trying again with mine, so I think I'll be OK.

I can't believe I've failed so spectacularly with something I usually find so easy!