I have found this year that the germination of tomatoes is really hit and miss. I have some that are only tiny seedlings now and we are coming up to April! The aubergines and peppers were also very slow, with some failing entirely. I did them as usual, in pots on my south facing windowsill and I was very careful to keep the humidity acceptable this time (last year they got too dry and weren't a huge success). The ones that have grown on look much better than last year's, but the quantity is much less!
However the other day I resowed some, Tigerellas and MoneyMakers and they are already sprouting??? It's really confusing. I bought some Romas especially to try and it doesn't look like a single one has germinated. :-[
Tomato germination can be anything from 3 days to a month, but the long germination times are for old seed. With 5 years old or newer seed, they should come up within 2 weeks. If you bought the seed, you can't be sure how old the seed was when it was packaged. A reused packet can contain fairly old seed.
Are there any drafts at the window? Too damp perhaps? Peppers like bottom heat to germinate and they grow much slower than tomatoes. At a windowsill the germination and seedling development is partially dependent on weather. If you had a lot of rain recently, then light levels will have been reduced. Difficult to compare one year to another because the weather may have been very different. Hope it works out and the resown ones will catch up quickly.
Yes it did cool off for about a week. Nice and sunny today though. As I am in a flat there is not so much choice as to where to put them :-\
I will just have to see how they get on. Hopefully once potted on they will put on a spurt!
I've given up growing from seed. The cost of some seed varieties and the heating needed to grow them is too much. I buy plants from the garden centre (they have them in now) and grow then on (they only need be kept frost free). As the side shoots develope, I take them off when 1 to 1.5 inches long and plant them in separate pots to root. These will only be slightly later fruiting than the original plants. Allow one plant for every eight plants required.
I have done the opposite Larkshall. For the first time in many years, I have bought tomato seed and am attempting to germinate them in a pot in the airing cupboard. They are with the Okra and this is the first year I have tried to grow this. I don't even know what it tastes like because I have never had it before.
I really would recommend a propagator even if you ahve a windowsill.... B+Q were doing them for 9 quid a few weeks ago...
I always put my tomato, pepper, cucumber,courgette seed on damp tissue in a sealed container in a warm place and get at least 90% germination.Soon as the seed throws a root I then plant into 3"pots. No hassle
I never have a problem with germination but I have noticed that some varieties of tomato seed take longer then others.
I did a 72 tray of each of the following a couple of weeks ago and it was interesting what happened.
Juliet..seemed to pop up almost overnight
Sungold were very slow but all but three germinated
Big Beef were somewhere in between
The trays were all started at the same time, in exactly the same conditions so it is pretty obvious when doing flats of 72/s the difference in germiantion is according to variety.
All by the way had no bottom heat , were in propogaters with clear domes and put under growlights as soon as planted.
A 72 flat of cayenne peppers and another of Gypsy peppers was also planted, the cayennes have popped and grow ing well , the Gypsy sweets are just starting to show.
XX Jeannine
Hmmm I am a bit puzzled as in previous years I never had to faff so much. I am convinced however that the Roma seeds I got were duff, not a single one has come up! Perhaps I should complain about them :-\ I will try and buy one or two at a plant sale to make up, I do like the Italian types in a sauce!