Germination problems

[Mothy]

Spent a few hours this morning going through some very thinly germinated rows of Parsnip/carrot/beetroot. Seem to have had problems this year getting stuff going.....the annal weeds seem to germinate fine though!!!

Has anyone else had trouble with small seeds coming through this year? We are in Leicestershire and had a really cold spring (wet at times), followed by a real warm dry spell.

[Mothy]

[supersprout]

Hi Mothy, I think I'm the same latitude as you and not a million miles away. Due to beds being full and not digging :-[ I didn't get beetroot, carrot or parsnip in earlier. But my very experienced lottie neighbours are having similar problems - some sowing for a third time, and some whose Feb sowings of parsnip took and later ones didn't, and others with very thin germination >:( For the first time this year, I sowed beetroot and parsnip in modules, and planted - starting last month - and that's worked. We don't eat many parsnips, so I have about 30 for the winter, and the beetroot are growing in succession - about 20 multi-sown modules every three weeks. I'm trying Flakkee carrots in modules for autumn/winter, 100 sown yesterday (three seeds to a module), and look forward to finding out if that works too. Because of the small number of plants we need, that might be the way for us in future.

[Tee Gee]

I have had problems with the same three veg.

I know Parsnips & Carrots can sometimes be a bit difficult for me but never beetroot.

I wonder if they are reacting like lettuce which apparently does not germinate above 55°F .

My own thoughts are, they did germinate or at least chitted and because they are so shallow and with these high temperatures of late, the chits were baked and the seed aborted/died.

Thats all I have to offer.

[Mothy]

Thanks for the feedback!

TeeGee, what you mentioned regarding lettuce seems to be true....I'm seeing better germination outdoors than in the Ghouse.