Topic: non-germinating butternut squash

[peanuts]

What am I doing wrong?  I've sown 12 pots of Waltham  squash seeds (6 from a new bought packet, and 12 from good saved seed,  three different years, from Galina on the list, putting two in each pot). I put all seeds on their side, in the same good quality damp compost, and have them indoors.  Three of the bought seed came up within a week, all the others - nothing! What should I be doing?  Help please! Thanks.

[Stevens706]

I find sowing direct with the larger seeds i.e squash cucumbers etc very hit and miss, so now I chit these types of seeds in damp kitchen roll in the airing cupboard, this way you soon see which seeds willl germinate and you don't have to wait weeks before re-sowing.

[kt.]

What am I doing wrong?  I've sown 12 pots of Waltham  squash seeds

I sowed the same variety from a new packet and all 10 have come through with no problems.  Maybe it was just a one off dodgy pack?

[RobinOfTheHood]

Heat, heat and more heat!

An electric propagator does the trick. Not put mine in yet but expect them to be up within a few days when I do.

[Dandytown]

What am I doing wrong?  I've sown 12 pots of Waltham  squash seeds

I sowed the same variety from a new packet and all 10 have come through with no problems.  Maybe it was just a one off dodgy pack?

Same for me.  I chit first in between sheets of wet cotton wool in the airing cupboard (wrapped in foil or plastic).   I like to know that the seeds in the pots have germinated and dont like the uncertainty of wondering if seeds in soil will germinate

[peanuts]

Thanks everyone.  So I've put the pots with the non-germinated seed (still in there, I've checked) in the propagator, and all the unsown seeds that I've left I've sown direct into our pile of old manure to see what happens.  In the past these have germinated like that very well.  But now we have problems with mole crickets, I think they ate them all (the seeds that is)  before they got a chance to grow properly last year. We'll wait and see!

[PurpleHeather]

I have no idea what you have done wrong.

I use the seeds from the butternut squash I buy from the supermarkets and we always have a great harvest which last longer than potatoes over winter.

Somehow the seeds from those we grow don't work (been doing this for years)

Anyway we got over 100 plants from 2 squash bought and eaten from Aldi over winter for this year and if they are as good as those we got before, we are looking good.

[1066]

just a thought by "on its side" do you mean flat or on it's edge? It should be on it's edge. I'm sure you have it right, but you never know who else will be reading this thread and it may help them  :)

[shirlton]

I have had a few misses with waltham this year and it was fresh seed from real seeds. Now last year it was bon bon but they are all up ok.



To P.H. Do the squash come true to type cos I thought that they crossed with each other.Unless that is they keep all the same variety where they grow them. If they do come true then guess who will not be buying anymore seed.

[Crystalmoon]

for the first time in 4 years Im having trouble with non germinating squash seeds :(
Prvious years I have sown seed from squash bought at the supermarket & had huge crops from only a couple of plants. This year I wanted to try new varieties & bought a selection from Real Seeds. Out of 18 pots only 1 Boston squash has grown & 3 courgettes. All the butternuts & other varieties seem to be doing nothing at all. All put in the same propogators, with same soil, watered the same & on the same window ledge. Puzzling ???

[1066]

as you say Puzzling! I think it would be worth dropping them a line to let them know - it may be that others are having the same problems / they have a dodgy batch. I would also ask for some replacement seeds at the same time.

[Squashman]

I set +/- 500 squash seed and 1250 pumpkin in root trainers and had a very low failure rate, the plants were put out to harden off yesterday and weather permitting will be planted next weekend.
This will be the second year that I have used Hercules, Harrier and Hunter Butternut seed, if last year is anything to go by i look forward to a bumper crop. I have tried Waltham in the past but found it very hit and miss. My heaviest Hurcules last year was 4.95k. the hercules tend to be large whilst the harrier and hunter are family size.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm getting rather irregular germination from (mostly) swap seed. Boothby's Blond, which I'm growing out for the HSL, came up like lightning, while the squashes have been slower. I've found a couple of seeds just beginning to produce roots while others have been up for days, so maybe they're just slow, or maybe I haven't kept them quite warm enough.

[chriscross1966]

The trippod of doom for squash (indeed most tender seed) is warmth, moisture and fungus.... Propagators, preferably powerful ones.... my cucurbits get the twin-tray 40-watt unit running flat out, moisture...cover closely (or with a decent lid), assuming you';re in 24-drop modules to start them then a pint per tray into the tray as you drop the modules in), to beat the fungus I always add a flat teaspoon of cheshunt compound to my first pinto of water and half that to any subsequent watering unti I've decided that there's no more viable seed to come.... I doubt I will have to water the seedlings more than onece though before they get potted on at the first true leaf stage (into 15-drops or 3" pots...real mosters (I'm looking at you Atlantic Giant) will go into 5" pots from their modules...

BTW, to the person who's only got a Boston Winter so far..... don't worry, the things get enormous and one squash off it might well be all you need for 4 portions of roast curried squash soup a week for nearly six months.... my one from last year has been..... d**n thing was huge.....I have a five-burner double oven range and split down into chunks to roast it filled both my ovens...

[1066]

Chris - what does the 'Cheshunt compound' do?

[caroline7758]

I set +/- 500 squash seed and 1250 pumpkin

Are you a commercial grower, Squashman? Or do you just like squash? :D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I put my non-germinators under the hot water tank last night, and there's movement already. It seems it was just temperature.

[antipodes]

I have to say that I get much more success direct sowing. I put mine out 10 days ago and I only have one (a pattpan squash) that is not through and already with real leaves. In pots they were always hard to germinate and transplant so I have given that up.

[Dandytown]

I reckon its not enough heat.

I have had mine in between wet cotton wool (in a bag) in the airing cupboard for 10 days now.  The bag was resting on top of one of those polystyrene swimming pool floats and placed direct on top of the boiler. 

Some came up quick but there were at least half a dozen varieties still to come up.  I thought that I could have fried them with too much heat.

I took the bag of the float and placed directly on the boiler and low and behold 3 varieties germinated within a further 2 days.

Guess they just need heat

[lewic]

None of mine came up either! These were last years Waltham butternut from Realseeds. They were in the plastic greenhouse covered with fleece. Didnt cover them with a lid as I thought they might roast to death, but maybe they got too cold at night.