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Basil Germination

bobloesbobloes Posts: 134
in Fruit & veg
Hi All
I have had a real problem getting basil (and, by the by, flat leaf parsley) to germinate and have no idea why.  I think I follow the packet instructions properly but (yes I have had some come up) but with very little success.  I have tried different seed providers and not old seeds either.  Any guaranteed formula?  Any suggestions other than dancing naked in the garden at midnight welcome!
Cheers
Bob

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Posts

  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    Sorry @bobloes never had a problem, collect my own seed each year, store and sow. Maybe its been too hot? Light but not heat, moist but not damp, pot on (as they get quite big) as necessary.  No help to you though, sorry again. 
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Dancing naked in the garden at midnight is your only option I'm afraid Bob - always works for me :)
    But sometimes I take a more traditional route.
    I germinate both parsley and basil in a heated propagator (22c) initially in March.
    I've never had success sowing parsley direct outside, and wouldn't even try with basil.
    I sow more of both late April and let them germinate in my unheated greenhouse - by that time it's usually warm enough, but fewer germinate from the later sowing.
    Some warmth from the bottom seems desirable if possible

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I don’t know what you do or how you sow them but I’ve never had a problem and sow in succession all through the season.

    just sprinkle very thinly on a small pot of damp compost, don’t  drown, I don’t know why yours don’t germinate, do you keep them indoors in the warm.  It’s not the seeds, I buy the cheapest I can get, 99p post free from eBay.

    These is sowed a week ago. They don’t like being pricked out so I just tip this little pot careful into the top of compost into bigger pot when they are about an inch tall, keeping it all intact.

    With parsley I never bother, I buy a pot of rooted from Morrison and split them up, for 99p you will get more than a dozen plants, plant out into the garden they’ll grow like mad.
    Here’s the new sown basil. Just in a yogurt pot. 



    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I do pretty much the same as Lyn [basil only, not parsley ] and they live on the kitchen window ledge. I don't generally sow till about April/May though. I expect I could if I had more heat for them. 
    I haven't yet tried dancing naked in the garden....but maybe next year. Not to get the seeds germinating - just for the hell of it!   :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We have tried naked dancing in the garden, we did the rain dance, it didn’t work😀

    As I said, I sow in succession this will probably be the last pot as I’ve got plenty now dried.  The first pot gets sown in mid March in the kitchen. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    I haven't had any trouble getting basil to germinate I grow mainly lemon basil,I have always been told basil doesn't like to go to bed with its feet wet,also when I start sowing basil I always cover the pot with a plastic bag it keeps the pot damp but not over wet.
  • Sam 37Sam 37 Posts: 1,271
    I'm afraid I, too, had some difficulty with basil this year and I've been growing basil since I was a child.

    For the first time this year, I bought Jekka's seeds, as I wanted to try two different varieties, lemon and a cinnamon one.

    The results have been disappointing.  The lemon ones look miserable and of the cinnamon seeds only one germinated.  The latter developed well, so I was able to take several smallish cuttings, root them in water and plant them on. 
  • bobloesbobloes Posts: 134
    Thanks for all the replies and I shall persevere, trying all the suggestions.  Nice idea re the parsley Lyn - forehead smackingly obvious. 
    To infinity and beyond - all right Thora, no further than the bottom of the garden! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I also split my pots of basil once they're  a reasonable enough size. For instance- the pot Lyn has there - once they get to around an inch or a bit more, I'd split that in two or maybe even three, and repot each bit.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ClaringtonClarington Posts: 4,949
    I have always struggled to get basil growing, but when it does my gosh does it grow like crazy.

    Found out that I was too attentive! Treat it mean seems to work here. I use free draining soil (over watering my biggest mistake) and abandon it on the kitchen windowsill in full sun.
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