Topic: Brassica germination

[small]

This is the year I am going to succession sow, successfully, oh yes. So instead of my usual scatter-a-few approach with cabbage and cauliflowers (I always sow in trays then transplant) I counted carefully, into individual pots. From my first sowing - 25% germination. I call that rubbish, other stuff I sow like this, tomatoes, peppers etc, usually close on 100%. So what do you think? Are brassicas usually a bit hit and miss? These are fresh Wilko seeds, I thought I'd give them a go this year, maybe I should have stuck to Suttons....

[goodlife]

So what do you think? Are brassicas usually a bit hit and miss?

It can be..though usually they are quite reliable for me. I find there is nothing wrong with Wilko seeds generally as good as any other suppliers but much cheaper..bad batches do happen even from the 'posh' sources.
What I've noticed over the years with brassica seeds..is that if I don't firm the seed properly into compost before covering them they don't tend to germinate as well..I think they like to have good contact to the compost, particularly if the compost is very light sort. I mix littlebit of soil/sand/grit to my compost with brassicas to make it slightly hevier than I would use for anything else.

[artichoke]

Sorry, repeating myself endlessly, but I am a great believer in chitting seeds first.

Put into damp soft paper/cloth in a plastic box/bag....IF they put out little roots, prick them out carefully into a gutter or pots, whatever suits you, and eventually plant out into your plot.

If a good percentage of your seeds put out these roots, you know that you have a good packet and can sow them directly into the ground (if not too cold).

It drives me mad to take a lot of trouble to sow seeds and find they are not viable.

[Pescador]

I've sown Hispi cabbage on jan 27th in modules. 100% germination.
AYR cauli, same date, 20 %
Curly Kale sown 17th Feb, 90%.
All in cold greenhouse, and from seed packs opened last year and kept in their foil packs, carefully folded and "resealed" as tightly as possible.
I know cauli can be more demanding, but it's quite interesting to see the difference

[kt.]

I chuck seeds in a 3" pot and pot them on when seedlings are at the right height. That way I pot on and grow exactly what germinates.  I always sow more seed than needed and bin the odd few excess but at least I get all the cells full of plants. 

[chriscross1966]

I'm experimenting with some of my brassicas this year by starting them in bedding strips and potting on into modules, also with some of the onions...it might well be the way to go for the hardy stuff simply to take the pressure off the propagators.... that said I've got some bedding strips of radish that germinated just on the windowsill with a top on...stuss transferring out tot he carport and the GH as it gets going though, fo rthe hardy stuff light will be more important than the odd bit of cold, and I've only got a couple of decently bright windowsills that are useable...