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If nothing germinates...

ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a

16 years ago

Check to see if the seeds were thrown to the surface either by freezing or by rain.

That is what happened to my 4 o'clocks, sown back on Feb 14 - My first 2 containers sown- others were greening but not those two.

I finally got around to checking yesterday, and sure enough, the seeds were on top, so I re-planted them, and they probably will germinate.

Of course 4 o'clocks are big seeds, I wouldn't attempt to find seeds that are miniscule.

ellen

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Comments (5)

buck1173
16 years ago
hey, I was curious about seeds floating up to the top.. is that common? and bad if it happens?

within a week of sowing my seeds, just about all of them floated to the surface... not the big big ones like melon, etc, but moderate ones like most of my flowers, basils, eggplants, etc....

when that happens, am I supposed to cover 'em up? I just let them go and some germinated and sent a root down and righted themselves, some did headstands and fried. enough seemed to have made it though...
ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
Original Author
16 years ago
I know that sometimes the earth freezing it contracts and the seeds end up on the surface. I guess of those left on the surface, some will seed anyway, as you found out.

ellen
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Hi Albert, I remember a thread about this from a few weeks ago. Just a few questions. 1. Why are you using coco-peat? Peat in any form will use up most of the available oxygen in an enclosed space, and these seeds need a lot of oxygen when geminating. Peat also gives off carbon dioxide when its breaking down, especially at higher temperatures, and this can suffocate sensitive seeds. You would be much better off with just pure perlite to get them going, as I have great success with this species using that method. 2. What temperatures are the seeds experiencing? They should not be allowed to go below 19Â°C [66Â°F] or much over 30Â°C [86Â°F], as this will affect germination. Are you also allowing some fresh air into the bag each day as I suggested in the older post? 3. Are your seeds still firm, and healthy looking? 4. How wet were they when you put them in a container? If you followed all the instructions from the older thread, and the seeds were fresh, they should all have germinated by now. Is there anything that you have done differently besides growing them in coco-peat that might have affected them? Regards, Neil
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sewobsessed
16 years ago
I never bury any of mine that are smaller than, say, columbine seeds. They get sprinkled across the top of the damp soil and out they go. Have never had a problem with germination or sprouts. Mine never get a chance to float as I'm a bit over-enthusiastic with the drain holes. Those roots know where to go.
:)
tndandelion
16 years ago
I deliberately left some on the surface as I read someone else mentioning that's what they did. I buried all the others. The ones I left on the surface have had just as good germination as the ones buried. Go figure.

It just makes me nervous watching them look all weird until they get leaves. LOL
limequilla
16 years ago
Mine always float, I noticed it last year and about had a cow...the only thing stopping me from posting the question is the fact that they all germinated the next day or two.

I'm not even sure that Four O'Clocks need to be covered. On the ground, when they reseed, the are on top of the ground and do great. The outer coverings actually turn gelatinous right before they germinate. It is very weird looking. Four O' Clocks will probably not germinate until the night time temps are warm.

LIme

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