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Petunia seed problem
BILLYC
Posts: 70
I normally buy bedding plants but because of the lockdown I thought I'd try growing plants from seed.
I bought petunia seeds on line, filled trays with compost and scattered the seeds then covered them lightly, watered them, covered them with cling film and put them on window ledge. I have watered them regularly using a light water spray. After 6 weeks there is not even a glimmer of germination.
After going online I realize that I have probably picked the worst possible seeds to grow. Evidently petunia seeds are notoriously difficult to germinate.
Any advice, particularly from petunia experts, would be appreciated.
I bought petunia seeds on line, filled trays with compost and scattered the seeds then covered them lightly, watered them, covered them with cling film and put them on window ledge. I have watered them regularly using a light water spray. After 6 weeks there is not even a glimmer of germination.
After going online I realize that I have probably picked the worst possible seeds to grow. Evidently petunia seeds are notoriously difficult to germinate.
Any advice, particularly from petunia experts, would be appreciated.
0
Posts
You need bottom heat to warm the soil and longer hours of light than you get early in the year.
My routine every year when I sow petunia (and Lobelia) seed is as follows.
1. sow seed in tray by having seed in palm of hand and lightly tapping your hand as you move your hand around the tray to try and spread them evenly across the compost.
2. Lightly cover the seed with a fine (sieved) layer of compost.
3. I place this tray in a heated propagator at 20-25 C with grow lights above. They need light to germinate.
4. Once germination has taken place I move them from my garage to the house under T5 grow lights for 16 hours a day, in the house I have an average temperature of 19C. You cant leave them in the greenhouse or garage under lights unless you can keep the temperature above 15c or they will suffer, you need consistent heat until we get to the end of April when the temperature warms up. Of course this is dependant on where you are. I can plant out at the end of April in my area.Obviously you wont be doing that in Scotland.
5. Start all this in February if you want to get them out in the garden early as there slow growing. Do this with Lobelia as well if you grow them as a companion plant.
I stress that this is how I do it every year and it works for me no doubt, others will have their way of doing it and they may chip in with further tips or even better solutions but, in my opinion the one thing you must have is bottom heat to get consistent germination.
One last thing its not unheard of to be sold old seed. I've only had that misfortune once (not petunia) and the seed may not have been viable. I always buy seed from Dobies, Marshalls or Suttons which all seem to have a good reputation.
Good luck with your sowing and I hope I've helped in some small way.
Kili
'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw'