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Seeds don't germinate

bobsparkesbobsparkes Posts: 12
in Problem solving
I bought perennial flower seeds (pyrethrum and rudbeckia, amongst others) from a reputable supplier and sowed them in commercial seed compost, covered them with a thin layer of vermiculite and with a glass plate on top of the seed tray, placed them in an incubator at 70 degrees F in the unheated greenhouse in late May and June. I only had a very few seeds in each tray that germinated. What am I doing wrong? A possibility is that the max/min temperature said the temp. rose to 80+ degrees F in the hot weather. Could this be the cause?

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Fried. 
    They don't need that amount of heat, or cossetting, at that time of year.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • gardenninggrannygardenninggranny Posts: 803
    Many seeds won't germinate if it's too hot. some also need exposure to light.  Suggest you just sit them on the bench uncovered in the GH, ensure they are just moist and see what happens.  I've just sown hollyhock and sweet williams that had been in my seed tin for years and they have come up very quickly, uncovered, just on the GH bench.
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    I've boiled most of mine.  Sowed carrots, parsnips, fennel, turnips and other root veggies for winter (in open ground) at the beginning of August - so hot here - even though I kept them well watered - only a few have struggled to surface.  So disheartening.
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • Mike AllenMike Allen Posts: 208
    Agreed.  Very disheartening.  If I may.  Our originator of this thread.  Basically the use of an incubator/heated propagator is generall used to start germination out of season.  To get a bit of a head start.  The prctice of covering the tray or pot with a piece of glass, came about many years ago, when greenhouses and more advanced heated greenhouses were something new.  Basically placing a piece of glass over the pot or tray acted in a similar way to a greenhouse.  Sadly using the glass covering wasn't needed and yes, the temperature was too much.  However.  Don't dispair.  Gardening is a wonderful journey through time and experience.  We perhaps learn more from our mistakes.

    tuikowhai34.  Please don't give up.  Those tiny seed actually contain so much know-how.  Keep an eye on where you sowed the seeds.  Time will tell.


  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    @Mike Allen  I, too, am a keen gardener so my seeds will probably be feeding some baby ants by now.  Still, there are some, but I will sow some more later this afternoon as we are expecting rain and a drop in temperature.
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

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