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Am I too late ??
in Fruit & veg
this year I decided not too start too early with my seed sowing but now it's April and my first showings of broad beans and peas did not germinate and I have only just put in some more. Am I going to now miss the boat and be too late with my veg.?
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No you won't be too late, they will catch up.
I've stopped sowing everything on the earliest date. I find the later sowings soon catch up, and the earliest date leaves me with straggly plants on windowsills and still too cold to put them out! bring on the new greenhouse!
however I too have had a real issue with germination this year. Bought a whole new load of seedo but we'vet had whole trays fail
It may be down to the compost you've used Woodsi - that's often the reason for germination failure if you're not doing any different from the norm.
I think it's the problem with instructions on seed packets. They don't take into account the regional differences with weather and climate etc. Not much room on the packet I suppose! It's a bit vague, and one of the most common issues for people. One of the most common range of questions on here too
Many of the good online specialists send out much better info with seeds, but it's tricky when you get tempted in a GC by the big stands of seed packets, promising a glorious display of flowers and veg
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Interesting- I think we've always just used cheapy cheapy multipurpose ('oooh sacrilege!') although sometimes we do sieve it. Would we be better trying a seed compost then? I've bought from Seed Parade for years and always had good results despite the little to no info sent with them, but having just moved to a new area of the country I can imagine climate could be playing a part too...
I always use a standard MPC for seeds at this time of year. However, a few years ago, I bought what looked like some terrific stuff - really rich and moist. Sowed a big pot of sweet peas (direct) and the whole lot rotted. Compost was far too water retentive. I hadn't done anything different to the norm ( for me) but the compost all had to get mixed into the borders instead, and I had to go and buy more for the seeds .
I buy compost from my 'local' nursery, but I also just buy bog standard stuff from GC or diy outlets. It will depend what you're growing too. Some things will be fussier than others in that regard. I don't grow many fussy plants though!
Seed compost is beneficial for autumn sowings as it has less nutrients, and plants don't shoot up quickly, leaving them more vulnerable over winter.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Here in the NE of England we are starting the seeds now, it is too cold to start any earlier and all you get are weak straggly seedlings, saying that we are often still harvesting when others down the country are finished. We older gardeners were used to sowing seed in peat, that was taken away from us so we had to find another medium. Seeds do not need rich planting soil and J.I.seed medium is a mix of loam washed sand and grit, I have germinated seed successfully in sand. Now I mix my own seed compost, riddle the compost any type, then mix with washed sand and grit a mix of One Third Compost, One Third Washed Sand and One Third Grit works well for me, always water trays from the bottom and never over water, in the green house they get a big cloche put over the tray and some bottom heat. The bottom heat is essential I have a thermostatic sand bed, most seeds will start at 15c though some need up to 22c, as soon as they show I lift them up on shelves above the sand bed. Seeds need Light Warmth and water but never over water, damp is the way to go. Once there are two proper leaves prick out into a mix of Half Loam and half sand and grit mixed, they need more nutrient though not too much at first. My last move is either into the ground or a further pot on into two thirds Loam and one third sand and grit, over many years this has proved to work for me with very little loss, you will always get some loss. Lack of germination was usually down to the incorrect bottom heat the seeds need, too hot is as bad as too cold and they all differ in that need.
Frank.
Many years back there was a brilliant gardening expert called Percy Thrower. His catch phrase was 'The answer lies in the soil!!' So I have to agree, a decent seed and potting compost makes a difference.. Last year I used a cheap one from Poundstretcher.. result a lot of seeds never even germinated. This yeat Jonh Inness No1 not cheap by well respected so far so good..
Good luck this time around..
Thanks everyone.......but don't you find Ji no 1is very heavy? When I use it the compost seems to be like very wet sand ! And my little pots feel like a tonne of bricks ?
You need a soil based compost for anything that's going to stay in a pot long term CLER - like a shrub or a specimen plant. Compost alone isn't sturdy enough. For seedlings which are going to be potted on untill they're planted out in final positions, a MPC is fine, and that includes annuals which are only going to be planted in pots for the season.
Ironically, BLT - that compost I mentioned was considerably dearer than the kind I normally used. I only bought it 'cos it was on offer!
Some are better than others and it's often a lottery. All part of the fun
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Cler, John Inness seed compost is exactly that for seeds. It contains washed sand, heavy, grit for drainage heavy and loam in small quantity for some nutrient. Seedlings are not meant to sit in it for long. Like a Baby you increase the feed as the seedling grows hence the art of pricking out into a number two compost, part compost part sand part grit, then pot on into a richer mix. I cut out the middle man and mix my own.
Not all seeds need that treatment, some you can scatter on an outside seed bed when it is warmer, they wil mostly germinate and grow on. My way with Sweet Peas, start some inside in pots and when they are planted out as thriving plants I push more seeds into the ground under the supports to come later. Other seeds need a lot of bottom heat some just a little, it does pay to read the packet. Hope this helps.
Frank