This topic contains 66 replies, has 18 voices, and was last updated by KevL 5 years, 9 months ago.
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I think they will still come unless rotted. Interestingly although quoted as” germinating in 8 days @ 20 deg c” in one table, it goes on to quote “172 days @6deg C” My labels would faded in that time!!
CleansweepStringfellow that is frustrating. We had some issues this year too, heat not quite enough to get them going evenly. I sowed some more a week ago and they are emerging beautifully, on a windowsill, where the night temperature is higher than on frosty nights over the hotbed. Also I sowed them more shallow!
Your first sowing may make it but since you have spare seed, I would sow more too.Tris if you are worried about depth, I know from experience that onion seeds germinate really well in soil blocks. You do not cover seeds in blocks, so no worry about depth of sowing.
Not suggesting a mass move away from module trays, just saying soil blocks work if for some reason you find germination of onion in modules a bit erratic.
Yes probably, actually certainly old seed. I have had some of that too, can see clearly from sowing a few batches.
With beetroot too and it was Kings’ Boltardy that barely germinated, while others did. The germination rate had suddenly dropped, for whatever reason.
This results in a waste of time, greenhouse space and compost, plus a later crop.
They replaced my seed, and let’s hope this was a rare occurrence.I have had slightly dodgy Ishikura salad onion- and Boltardy Beetroot seeds this year from OGC. Their Amsterdam Carrot seed was excellent though. I know the compost I sowed the dodgy ones in is great because other seeds have flown through.
Tris, the Ishikura is germinating but not at high enough frequency, a right pain as I bought three packets to sow at monthly intervals. I sowed the second last week so if that is dodgy I will ring them up. The Boltardy was rubbish: six seedlings from 72 seeds sown in 18 modules. I have resown new seed from Johnsons – too soon to have a result yet.
On a more positive note I sowed first seeds outdoors yesterday: parsnip, turnip and 1 sqft of Amsterdam carrots (25 stations two or three seeds per station): all under fleece now. Peas will go out later this week along with spinach and cabbage.
Interesting… I should have read this topic before. My Boltardy seeds (King) were rubbish as well. I sowed a second time as I hoped I did something wrong in my first sowing, but again, as good as nothing. I sowed Chioggia beetroot at the same time, with exemplary germination rate (sourced from well-known e-bay vendor).
I sowed a few onion varieties, Santero being among them and also being the only one that failed miserably (Suttons). I sowed a second time, just to make sure, but it looks as if the experience is going to repeat itself…
Best germination + vigour for onion seeds are for seeds I purchased from Bingenheimer Saatgut (Stuttgarter Riesen, https://www.bingenheimersaatgut.de/) and Semailles (Rouge de Huy, a local variety, https://www.semaille.com/en/).
Ah Dieter this is vexing to hear. I suggest you write to King’s Seeds and attach a photo of the comparative growth of your Chioggia seedlings.
Likewise the Suttons Santero, I think (hope) you were unlucky there.
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