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After last years poor rate of germination of various types of squashes & pumpkins, does anyone have any top tips. Does the making a nick in the seed case work? Seems a bit destructive,dont want to ruin the seeds. Last year were germinated on windowsill in pots of compost, with plastic bags over the top to make mini propogators. Help please!
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I've never had any trouble with courgettes or squash germinating - mind you I don't put plastic bags over the tops, and I germinate them in my conservatory, which is south-facing but only marginally heated. Since I don't normally sow them until April, it's usually warm enough for them by then.
Maybe your seeds rotted from a combination of too much heat and moisture? -
I never had any problems with them,I found them easy and quick to germinate and grow if the temperature was right.Are you sure the seeds were ok?Comment
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The only thing I do with them is sow them on their side, not flat.
Something about them not rotting or water sitting on them.BW
James
I like to try, might not get far, but I like to try.Comment
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Its a bit early for these vegetables, wait a couple more weeks before you start :-)Comment
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I think your location should indicate when you should begin sowing - around here we are generally out of the worst of the frost period now so with a bit of care some tender veg can be started inside to go out under cover at first,
Yesterday I put a handful of Parthenon F1 & Cavili F1 courgette seeds on some damp kitchen paper in a butter tub and put it in the airing cupboard.
When they sprout they'll go in 1 litre pots on the windowsill for a couple of days and then out in a frame by day and back in at night.
Hopefully in about 3 weeks they'll go to their permanent position in a coldframe in the ground and I'll expect to be eating courgettes from them by the last week of May, just like last year - as these varieties don't require pollination to set fruit they're ideal for early crops.Jiving on down to the beach to see the blue and the gray, seems to be all and it's rosy-it's a beautiful day!Comment
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Maybe there's some temperature fluctuations on the windowsill that they don't like? Hot in the day, but still getting quite chilly at night. Can you put them somewhere else for alittle while which stays more or less the same temp? Like an airing cupboard? You would have to check them regularly and move them into the light as soon as they sprout though.Comment
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I've never had any probs germinating them either.
Please tell us exactly what you do, and when ....?All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
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Here is a very exacting picture tutorial of how to get pumpkin seeds to germinate. GVGO - Pumpkin Germination Tutorial by Jordan Rivington I'm sure you could probably adapt it to a simpler process for yourself, but it might help you figure out what's going wrong. I actually never have a problem getting them to germinate, I just have trouble keeping them alive once they are in the ground. My slugs seem to love them.Comment
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I used to have problems with seed rotting before germinating. Now I put the seed into moist compost (straight out of the beg) and then wait until the seed germinates before I water. Did it with cucumbers the other day and all 15 germinate within 3/5 days. Also put in 15 courgettes and so far 12 are through in 10/12 days. All I have to do now is keep them alive as I have the same problem as Growem.
IanComment
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Hi
Two out of my three Green Hubbard squash has germinated, still waiting for the third. I sowed then in pots inside a pyrex dich, just near my heater.
I will be sowing some butternut squash seeds saved from a supermarket bought veg.
I do find over-watering negative.
FGComment
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Thanks for all your replies. I was using fresh seed (in date). they were sowed in pots of compost in April, and put on a sunny south facing windowsill. I put plastic bags over the top. the Sweet Dumpling & Table Queen didn't happen at all. I had 1 Butternut plant out of 6 seeds,which produced 1 good size squash,and 1 very small. 2 pumpkins out of 6 germinated,and produced good crops, The courgettes were ok at 2nd attempt. The windowsill is in a room without central heating, so maybe the temp dropped too low at night. Is a constant temp important? How long after planting will germination occur? In the guide to giant pumpkin germination, they suggest filing the edge of the seed, soaking in hydrogen peroxide,and germinating on a paper towel. This seems like a bit of a faff, but just soaking in water & putting on a damp paper towel in the airing cupboard a good idea? Maybe I'm overkeen on the water, the seeds didn't look rotten thoughComment
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I had mine in an unheated propagator. Within a couple of weeks everything else had germinated around them and was removed and I forgot all about the butternuts.
2 weeks later I happened to need the propagator and when i went to get it- 3 little seedlings had poked their heads up. I'd forgotton all about them.
They take quite a while - but theres no stopping them now!Serene she stand amid the flowers,
And only count lifes sunny hours,
For her dull days do not exist,
Evermore the optimistComment
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Constant temp is important, but April in Devon is fairly warm.
I think you possibly drowned them.
A seed doesn't need much water. Certainly not every day. Even my seedlings only get watered once a week if they need it.All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
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Here in bristol I have sown my courgettes they are just showing. I will do another lot in 2 weeks. The first two strong ones will be planted in the tunnel and the rest will wait and go outside.
Being Devon I guess it's a bit warmer than us.Comment
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