Germination frustration

[Alison]

I've decided I'm going to be lazy this year and just buy plugs of the crops I want to grow. The nursery can have the hassle of raising them from seed. It is rather cold still.

I never find that the nursery has the varieties I want or I have to buy a stupid number of things I only want one or two of so it doesn't work for me - plus I'm a tight wad so only ever buy plugs if seeds have failed

[PyreneesPlot]

I feel your pain! I've sown thirty odd chilli seeds this year (some twice) and have a total of six teeny plants. No chance of buying chilli plants here, or even chillies to eat. Gastronomic capital my ****

[Philthy]

I'm usually happy with what's on general sale (I wouldn't know a good cabbage from a not so good one anyway ) And my range of outdoor stuff is fairly limited - beans, spuds and a brassica are about as adventurous as I get. I've done okay with cauliflower in the past, chard too, broccoli not so good. I don't have enough sun for squash, and the slugs obliterate any effort with beetroot and radish so I don't tend to bother with them anymore. Besides, if it all goes pear shaped I can shift at least some of the blame onto someone else! My serious seed shopping is reserved for my greenhouse chilli plants...

[SusieG]

Oh joy of joys!!!!
Just been hanging around GH: took lid off sweet pepper tray (a chocolate variety) sown an eon ago .... Woohoo there are 4 tiny seedlings!!!!

[Small pumpkin]

My serious seed shopping is reserved for my greenhouse chilli plants...

That doesn't surprise me Philthy

[dilettante]

Scarlet my squash and cues etc havent done anything yet. They're just sitting there. My shallots really started going, a few new toms, rocket, and celery (at long last). Some things I resowed at home on the windowsill, accepting I was too optimistic about the power of the coldframe (my jalapenos) and a resowing of my flowers seems to have yielded many seedlings in the blowaway.

[ESBkevin]

I've got a piece of guttering inside the greenhouse which is now on it's second sowing of peas! first sowing was speculative with old seed and only 4 showed. Second sowing in the same place nearly a month later was with new sealed seed, again I'm only getting about 25% germination!!! the compost is commercial with added vermiculite.

Other stuff went well in the house but quickly got leggy and died off.
I'm not having a great start but more sowings are taking place and I will have some successes (which is what always happens). I envey the old retired gardeners that have all day to visit and nurture thier seedlings, coming home in the dark can be a right pain.

[snakeshack]

slug just ate the leaves off half of my chillies overnight.
The surprise is they were on the living room window cill and the compost was a dried compressed one so the slug hasn't come from there. They were all about 4 inches high so may recover , still searching for the ninja slug though

[vixylix]

My sweet peas and sugar snap peas are doing absolutely nothing too.

Either there's a conspiracy or we're all impatient

[bario1]

I've got 4 beetroot growing from 3 rows sown direct a month ago!

[Muddy_Boots]

Just went in my greenhouse this morning and a lot of seedlings have emerged, I'll take a pic tomorrow morning to make you all jealous. lol

[Containergardener]

Sweet peas, runners, cuc, courgette , onions no shows yet.
But kohlrabi, basil, salads, radish, pak choi, cornflowers, zinnia are all on the up

[dilettante]

One of my sweet peas has emerged! Out of ten. One lupin out of ten or so. Two cosmos have finally put out true leaves. Honestly, I'm just going to buy plug plants for my ornamentals. It's such a faff.

Things will catch up. I am finding myself unsure of whether things should be left in the cold frame or brought out to germinate now. I don't want it to get too hot for the things that prefer cooler temps for germination.

My sweetcorn has popped up at quite a pleasing rate. I think 14 out of 16 are just poking up.

Salads don't seem to be up to much though, neither in the cold frame nor in the ground.

Getting there slowly.

[Containergardener]

Well done on sweetcorn. Things will catch up.

[dilettante]

My courgettes have emerged! Huzzah