Allotments 4 All

Hi everyone, Ive had a really awful failure for the germination of beetroot. Do you think the very hot weather may have been the cause? I sowed directly into raised bed filled with fresh growbags & watered regularly. Covered with fleece to stop the flying rats from nicking the seeds.
I dont know whether tp sow again from the same packet as it was from the B&Q value range which Ive never used before or whether to sow new seed from a posh packet ;)
Thanks for any suggestions

I have never had problems with beetroot germinating but I would definitely try different seeds next time. I have some B&Q sweet dumpling squash VALUE RANGE that I sowed today so hopefully they will be okay. I have a feeling that your poor germination might be do to the dry weather conditions.  I have been watering my allotment sown seedlings everyday and sometimes twice a day during the hot weather we have been having.
You have plenty of time to sow again :)

Duke

I soak my beetroot seed for 24 hrs before sowing.

Put a kitchin towel in a plastic box, soak the towel, drain off any excess, place a few of the seeds on the towel and seal the box.

After a few days you should see the seeds germinating, a sure way of seeing if the seeds are duff or not, and when they have started you can sow them in the ground or pots.

We all get probelms with germination of seeds from time to time.

All we can do is try again  and there is time to do so.

It could be the seeds, the condition,s or a lot of other things but there you are.

Just keep trying.

What works wonderfully this year fails next year and what failed last year works this year.

It is cheaper to re-sow than to pay for
a coroner's report on the failure. LOL

Quote from: Chrispy on April 29, 2011, 21:03:06
Put a kitchin towel in a plastic box, soak the towel, drain off any excess, place a few of the seeds on the towel and seal the box.

After a few days you should see the seeds germinating, a sure way of seeing if the seeds are duff or not, and when they have started you can sow them in the ground or pots.

This was the way I was taught too and it's fool proof as you say. :)

G x

Hi everyone thanks so much for the replies & suggestions, I will definitely try soaking some & also the kitchen towel method ;D

have you tried scarifying the seeds.

Hi plainleaf I havent tried it, how do you do it?

It shouldn't be necessary; if they don't come up easily, there's something wrong.

Scarifying is what you do to lawns to rake off thatch and moss.

Stratifying is done to seeds to break germination and involves a spell in the fridge to make them think winter is past and it's safe to germinate.   Some seeds actually need a period of winter frost to break germination so are sown in pots or trays in autumn and left outside over winter.  It is not necessary for beetroot.

I had problems with direct sowing last year so this year I've sown in trays in modules and will then be able to plant out any beetroots and chard that grow without disturbing their roots.

Obbelix what you are describing is dethatching.

scarifing  is when you rub the seeds against a rough surface such as sandpaper or an Emory board.

As for trouble with seeds germinating, there was a study few years back that showed that many UK seeds companies  sold seed that did not meet goverment germination requirements.

Plainleaf, Scarify simply means to scratch..  you can scarify a seed,  a lawn, or your skin!!

Dethatch a lawn and scarify a lawn are the same thing XX Jeannine

Start the seeds off in modules, this gives you a bit more control over conditions, plant out when a few leaves have developed.

It's strange, because I find that beetroot seeds stay viable for years and years, even when not stored well. I'm wondering if there is something about the sowing conditions — fresh growbag compost (rich in nutrients and sterilised?), frequent watering, high temperatures, and stagnant air under the fleece. It could be that they are damping off as soon as they germinate, then getting eaten by slugs once they collapse.

I'm suspicious of "sterilised" compost, as I think it can be exposively colonised by the first fungi to come along, rather than being a balanced ecosystem of competing organisms holding each other in balance. But that aside, rich moist compost, and still, humid air - it could be damping off.

Hi everyone, lots of ideas for me to consider.
The seeds never showed themselves above the ground so dont think it could be damping off & the soil was never overwet & there is no sign of fungal growth or slugs  etc.
The few that have germinated are looking really strong & healthy.
The fleece isnt very tightly covering, it does allow air flow as it isnt touching the soil, it is over the top of the sides of the raised bed so a good 4 inches above soil level. It was mainly there to keep the pigeons away.
I have soaked some of the same seeds for 24 hrs & will sow today & see what happens.
I am really starting to think it is due to low quality seeds to be honest. Ive got some new seeds from the real seed company so if the rest of the B&Q value ones that I sow today dont germinate I will try better seeds.
I have 4 more identical raised beds using the same grow bags as soil & fllece etc & everything has germinated very well....but I used good quality seeds.
 

How deep are you sowing them

scarifing  is when you rub the seeds against a rough surface such as sandpaper or an Emory board.
Well..scarifying not quite.."physical degrading or the seed coat- scarification"...but the term used for this process is chipping.
But using this process for beetroot..no. Beetroot seeds has almost 'cork' like surface that is not hard and it absorbs moisture for germination very well.
Chipping is used for seed with extremely hard 'coats'..almost like waterproofed layer which doesn't allow moisture to reach the seed embryo.
Sorry for all this..but its good to get basics right... ;)

I think you have hit the nail on the head, it is so easy to blame the seed etc. but so often with any of the beet family seed it is the depth it is sown that stops the germination. They barely need covering hence the starting on kitchen towel etc.

Quote from: Jeannine on May 03, 2011, 02:38:16
How deep are you sowing them

Hi Jeannine I didnt sow deep, just lightly covered with compost but possibly my watering may have pushed them deeper into the soil?
I resowed the bed with seeds that I soaked for 24 hours so time will tell if these will germinate.
If they dont I will use a different more expensive packet of seeds & try the kitchen towel method to make sure they are germinating before I sow.

Thanks everyone for all your tips & help.