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Gary350
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Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

My Seeds are not Germinating?

I squeezed seeds from several tomatoes into water then planted several seeds in the garden and planted several seeds in pots. Plants came up in the garden in 3 days but seeds in pots have not germinated after 5 days. Pots are filled with potting soil, pots are in 1/2" of water in full sun. Laser thermometer says pots are 104°F and air temperature is 85°F.

I also planted, cabbage, broccoli, pak choy, in pots nothing has germinated.

Mother nature is smarter than me this is why I don't grow seeds in pots.

12 noon I moved all the pots to a table under a shade tree. Are seeds to hot in full sun? Is potting soil too wet? These tiny pots will be bone dry soon if seeds germinate they die if I do not water them on time.

I would like to have plants before Sept 1st. If I had planted all these seeds in the garden they would have grown plants several days ago. Transplants will be easier from pots. I have several tomato plants in the garden that are already 12" tall.

What is the problem?
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imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I think the temperature at 104 is no optimum. Most seeds optimum germination temperature peaks at 80 degrees.

I started my tomato seeds (from a fresh tomato), kale, eggplant, and pepper seeds in the last two weeks and they have germinated well. My peak daytime temperature has been 84 degrees with one day reaching 86. The only things that are not germinating well are beans. I think that is a problem with the soil in the pot being too wet.

Can you start them inside or in a cooler place?

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

If you need to keep water in the bottom tray to prevent accidentally drying out, try making holes or slits up the sides of the containers so the potting mix and roots can breathe.

pepperhead212
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Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

104° would not even be good for most peppers; though maybe some of the tropicals will germinate, this would not be optimum, and definitely not for any of those brassicas. At this time of year, with it still getting into the 90s, but I want to start some brassicas, and other cool weather plants, like chard, I'll start them inside, and transplant at about 3 weeks old, when weather is getting a little more suitable to them.

imafan26
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Posts: 13961
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Usually, I would not plant much in July or August. This year, the temperature never went above 86 degrees. It is the first time I have successfully germinated broccoli in August. I usually wait till the end of September to try to germinate fall seeds. The only things I have to germinate now are the heat loving plants like the peppers and eggplant because they do not germinate well when the days are shorter and cooler.

I don't know if it would help to use cooler water or misting the seed tray to try to mitigate the heat. I do use shade cloth but, the reality is that shade cloth increases the humidity inside the shade house. When humidity is already high, it seems even hotter.



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