Topic: Germination failure

[PJW_Letchworth]

I'm not getting on very well with germination of beetroot, carrots, parsnip or chard.  Germination is very sporadic and out of a 3' row, I would say only 4" has actually done something.

I sowed them in March which was followed by the warm dry spell.  Could this be the cause?  I am going to re-sow later this week in hopes the rain we had over the weekend will help.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[lin]

Well I was checking the plot today and was very happy with germination so far. I note you are further south than me and I would have thought you would be okay.

But so far, the plants I have grown from seed direct in the plot are the following: have a good long row of carrots which are about 3" tall,
purple sprouting brocolli is well up about 5" and loads of them,
kohl rabi (which I have neither grown before nor tasted!) are really prolific and about 6" high,
salsify, again neither grown nor tasted, loads and growing well,
and lastly leeks about 4" tall and again, loads of them.

Only things a bit sparse are beetroot and parsnip but the ones that are up are sturdy and I am growing more parsnips in toilet rolls in my conservatory and they are just showing now.

Didn't do anything differently this year, although perhaps I spread the gromore more regularly...!

Only things that have totally failed to germinate are calibra peas and sugarsnap peas, so disappointed in those and a bit late to try those again, so will buy a new pack next year and hope they fare better.

Hope you get some stuff coming up, but as it is still fairly early, I would try planting some more, especially as the weather is supposed to be good again this year.. good luck, Lin

[BAK]

Re outdoor sowing, we also sowed root crops in March.

For beetroot and parsnip we covered with fleece (for the first time) and it definitely helped to retain moisture. Good news - beetroot germination was excellent, much better than we have ever had. Bad news - parsnip germination, along with several other people on our site, was sporadic and we did some re-sowing a couple of weeks ago.

For carrots we surround the 4 feet square area with corrugated plastic about a week after sowing to keep the carrot fly at bay. However, this forms a microclimate and germination inside is usually pretty good, as it was this year.

Away from root crops we are struggling with the outdoor germination of Land Cress which we are growing for the first time.

[glosterwomble]

being a newbie to sowing veg I thought it was me! I sowed 2 rows early carrots and 2 rows parsnips at the beginning of April but nothing seems to be appearing apart from weeds! I've resown the carrots but not the parsnips as I know they can take a while to come through.
The only reason I could think for the lack in germination was the lack of moisture, I have to admit that whilst I watered when sowing I didn't again and I think the ground was just too dry. I am surprised that it isn't easier, please someone tell me I'll get some carrots this year! :'( I'm dying to taste my own home grown carrots.  :P Can anyone tell me too when is the latest date that I can sow both parsnips and carrots?

Thanks!  :D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've got the same situation with my parsnips, not for the first time. This rain should bring them up; if it doesn't, I won't worry, since my family aren't big parsnip eaters anyway.

[cornykev]

Some of my carrots aren't up at all so I will re-sow to fill in the gaps but I water every night until they are about half to one inch up, parsnips just take time be patient but keep them watered.  ;D ;D ;D

[cleo]

Poor germination with both salsify and scorzenera and the Good King Henry was a flop-all re-sown.

And Lin-it`s not too late to sow peas and sugar snap again

[coznbob]

Out of 3 small rows of carrots that I had sown only 2 have come up!

Ambassador peas were a non starter and forgot to take parsnip out of packet!

[MrsKP]

i've not bothered with parsnips this year due to lack of space however .... the carrits are all doing just peachy thank you very much.

sowed two very short and sparingly sown rows of Early Nantes in the bath on 24/3, followed by a couple of similar rows of RC Chantenay on 6/4.  Both I would say have had 100% germination.  Since then, I got bored with successionals and sowed the rest of the bath with a mixture of rows (Early Nantes/Sylvan/Chantenay) sometime after the date when I stopped filling in the diary (22/4)!  They have yet to sow.  Must admit to giving them the odd spray with the hose and our torrential rain earlier this week must have helped.

got a bucket of trial Rainbow in a bucket (10/4) which are coming on nicely in the g/h and the Parmex sown on 17/2 look really well, right until they flop over cos i've forgotten they need watering in their pot !  they soon perk up with a drink (just hope they all don't start splitting on me).

really must get round to sowing another couple of buckets worth !

all have been sown in a mixture of multipurpose/JI NO. 2 sieved.  looking forward to eating the different varieties.  Only ever tried Early Nantes and Autumn King which were fine in themselves, but am interested to see how the Parmex and Sylvan do.

[lin]

Thanks Cleo, would have liked to have sugarsnap but can't find any packets round here, have already looked, so given up for this year. I have planted all the rest of my calibra peas though in pots in my garden and am going to nurse them and hope they come up. Lin

[wolflike]

I am still a newbie at growing veg as well.
I have sown shard, shallots, peas, french beans, carrots and potatoes.
I have shows on potatoes (some good growth coming through)
Carrots (sown in ground and also high up in a blue drum)
Peas (just coming through now)
Shallots (coming through nicely, even the ones the cats dug up)
I have not got anything from my french beans, or Shard (think I will have to look at sowing again)
I tried sowing sweetcorn in a cloche but gave up after a month of waiting and have since sown in greenhouse and have some nice 4 inch growth on my plants.

Hopefully this weather will do some good. :)