Shall we share our seed-sowing success (or failures!)?

SAMHP_2

I'm probably a bit late in the day with this, having only just started sowing over the Easter weekend, but I thought it might be interesting to chart our collective success (or failures) of both germination rate and maturing times (flowering or edible) to guage how accurate/optimistic the info on the seed packets tends to be and what practice works best.

I have sown into pots/trays using J Arthur Bowers seed compost and placed in a cold greenhouse the following, rather eclectic mix, for a cottage garden:
Godetia (germinated in less than 1 week)
Cornflower blue ball & black
Calendula
rudbeckia
Larkspur
Poppy
Nigella
Cosmos
Sunflowers (dwarf)
Parsley
Rocket (germinating after one week)
Lettuce (just germinating after one week)
Onion (red Baron)

I am putting to the test some radical advice I got from an expert and moving some of them outside in their pots as soon as they have germinated (covered with thick fleece means they appear to have withstood last night's frost). Will leave a matching set in the greenhouse to compare results and ensure I don't lose the lot!

I have also sown straight out into the beds - a course I am usually reluctant to take as it rarely seems to work for me:

Poppy
Cornflower
Godetia
Linum

Oh, and an old Flora tub on the kitchen sink full of Mustard seed (germinates in under 1 week)

Might be interesting to see who has the most success, using what methods and sowing/planting out at what stage. Sorry if this is duplicating an ealier thread anywhere!
SAM.

Kezz_2

Hi - sounds like a great idea to me!

This year my successes from seed are:

Agrostemma (Corncockle)
Calendula
Coreopsis
Dianthus
Digitalis (Foxglove)
Eschscholzia (Californian Poppy)
Gazania
Geum
Helichrysum
Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)
Liatris
Lychnis
Marigold
Nasturtium

I've found that these have all been straightforward to grow.


Failures from seed for me this year are:

Allium
Alstroemeria
Lobelia
Monarda (Bergamot)
Petunia
Tigridia Pavonia


I'd love to hear what other flowers are easy to grow from seed so that I know what to attempt for next year! :j

Amarillo

Successes for me are:

Petunia (though harvested from an F1 hybrid last year so who knows what will happen)
Snapdragon (also harvested from garden)
Busy Lizzie
Red Alert Tomatoes
Garden Pearl Tomatoes
Peppers
Chillis
Aubergine
Mange Tout
Kelvedon Wonder Peas
Purple sprouting broccoli
Coriander
Russian Tarragon
Courgette
Marjoram

Failures so far:
Basil
Chives (both basil and chives have come up and died)
Dwarf french beans (have popped another lot in)

Still waiting on parsnips, climbing french bean, carrots, lettuce, spinach.

Sazbo

Good idea! :j

Successes thus far (am at work and can't remember varieties off top of head):

• Yellow cherry toms
• Chillis
• Cut and come again lettuce
• Rocket
• Basil
• Thyme
• Parsley -ish (*see Failures)
• Spinach (ditto)
• Pak Choi
• Spring onions
• Garlic
• Dwarf french beans
• Dwarf runner beans
• Courgette
• Cucumber
• Edited to add: rainbow chard, baby leeks

Failures

• *I managed to drop a tray of parsley:o - not the seeds' fault obviously lol and only some have made it:o
• Spinach has germinated very sparsely and what has germinated has been very slow growing... maybe I sowed too early? I'm so impatient!
• Rosemary - planted at same time as, um, the thyme and no signs of life as yet. I thought Rosemary would be quick/easy to germinate; I was wrong:o

Looking forward to reading everyone else's lists! :j

Sazzy x

Mortal

What a great thread!

Free seeds
Purchased seeds

I have sown:

digitalis magazine late 90's Some now planted out, most growing on in growhouse
campanula magazine late 90's Failed
californian poppy Collected from a neighbour in '03. Germ less than 7 days. Growing on in G.H
potentilla mag late 90's Failed
sweet pea mag late 90's only 2 came up, within 14 days, now planted out.
verbena bon mag late 90's two seedlings growing on on windowsil
nicotiana mag late 90's Failed

All above sown in margarine tubs

Lettuce - two leaves
Tomato - Tumbling Toms transplanted & in GH
Carrots - Amsterdam 2 seedlings
Pots - Foremost
Pots - Nadine
Pots - Desiree

Hanging basket of strawberries Flowering (original plant bought 08)
Peas Growing strongly in garden, large containers and a trough.

Teresita_2

Following have been a success (So Far!!!!)

Globe artichoke
Courgettes (a few types)
Spring Onions
Lettuces (Very slow going)
Sweetcorn
Radicchio
Carrots (Parmex and Early nantes)
Calabrese
Betroot
Early Sprouting Broccoli
Spinach

Not too chuffed with the lettuce seems to be really slow and I got the seeds from Lidl so fingers crossed.

Tomatoes are very slow going and for some reason don't think they like me lol.

stilernin

Oooh, I like this thread but we need more information to make it a really MSE.................. How old are the seeds? Did you buy them (and from which supplier) or are they 'home saved'?

I have always been really mean with my seeds, one lettuce seed per module, keeping seeds until they give up the ghost completely etc. Why buy seeds when you don't need to? There are several books which will tell you how long seeds are likely to stay viable but it is worth trying them on damp paper rather than just throwing them out.

My seed stash was given a good sort out a few weeks ago. I left my long established garden three years ago and have only just got a new garden, (much smaller ), where I can start to grow some veggies again. I'm giving some really old lettuce, tomato, leek, beetroot etc a try. The oldest, which I really don't expect to germinate are peas which are to be sown by 1997!!! These are on damp kitchen roll just to see if there is any life in them.

I admit that I have bought new seeds too as I know my stash has not been kept in the best conditions whilst I moved around.

Is anyone else as [STRIKE]mean[/STRIKE] careful as me?

Sazbo

stilernin - I only started gardening this year and don't know many other gardeners, so I admit I have bought my seeds - mostly dwarf or container-suitable varieties - from garden centres. But I fully intend to save as many of my own seeds as poss after this year's growing season. I supplemented my bought seeds with plants given to me by friends, and by recycling plastic containers instead of buying too many pots

Saz x

amcluesent

Had an epic fail today, forgot about a tray of "just-appearing" sunflowers in the coldframe and they have all expired.

Not sure if was the chill last night or being baked in the sun today (the lid was closed on the coldframe). Anyway all are now brown and dead.

Successes!

Self-seeded cornflower were fine over-winter and now thinned out.
White Echinacea - 75% germination
Sunflower 'Italian White' off eBay - maybe 25% germination
Nasturtium 'tip-top' - 75%
Lilies - am now about 3 years into a programme of "nodule" collection and sowing so am expecting first flowers
Alliums - Near 100% from seed collected last year - how many years before they are mature!
New Zealand flax - 100% germination from fresh seed

Now awaiting the 'Dig It' seed from Gardener's World.

russetred

How do you get parsley to germinate? My DH has successfully germinated all the other veg seeds but the "insert swearword" parsley as he refers to it just doesn't do a thing.

olly300

Most of my seeds I've sown I've started off inside but a few things are outside that I know won't be destroyed by the foxes and squirrels.

Only one failure - perennial rudbeckia from T&M

Successes:
1. Sweet peppers- 3 different types saved from Lidl peppers last summer approx. 90% germination
2. Chilli- 2 types of cayanne from magazine covers approx. 80% germination
3. Tomatoes- 3 types T&M Tamina (2 years old 69p 98% germination), Cherry (free from Magazine cover 90% germination), Hybrid (Lidl 75% germination)
4. Lobelia - Lidl 100% germination
5. Marigolds T&M hybrid (2 years old brought in sale), Suttons & Mr Fothergills only seeds brought at full price but they were 99p each. (germination rate too hard to work out)
6. Cornflower - Mr Fothergills free (1 year old) and saved from last year
7. Annual Poppies - mixture of saved seed from T&M (free and paid for at half price), Mr Fothergills free, Ebay and self-saved
8. Perennial Poppy - T&M half price last summer. (too hard to work out germination rate)
9. Cabbage - Mr Fothergills free100% germination
10. Perennial Sunflower - T&M half price last summer 60% germination
11. Sweet peas - 2 types free seed Suttons and Mr Fothergills 95% germination for each type.

Plus sage cuttings. Last year I took 3 cuttings and the 2 I put outside when big enough where destroyed by an animal. The only one that survived was too small to go outside.

I've got no room at the moment to start of basil and coriander inside as I've got lots of house plants that need dividing or they have babies that need to be rooted.

Then I've got self seed poppies, love-in-a-mist, pansies, cornflowers and nasturtiums in the garden. My lilies in pots have bulblets have started growing into proper lilies without my help.