Onion seeds not germinating….

[RhysParticipant]

Charles

I obtained some Kelsae exhibition onion seeds from Medwyn Williams and have, for the first time, tried to grow onions from seeds not sets. To my chagrin, 3 weeks after sowing them, not a single seed has germinated from over 100 sown. I take it from that that I am clearly doing something wrong!

Every seed I’ve received from Medwyn to date, from beetroot to tomato to potato to climbing bean, has always germinated perfectly, so I doubt that that is the problem.

My seed compost produced fantastic germination of tomato seeds, so that isn’t the problem I don’t think.

I”ve placed them in trays inside an internal cupboard in the house which has been measured to be at around 20C. Is this an OK temperature? I read that you should germinate in the dark also, which is why they are in the cupboard.

I didn’t water the soil immediately as the seed compost was damp but did water them after 14 days: 7 days after that, still no joy.

Do you have any tips or suggestions, as I have my standard garden ones to sow later this month and I’d rather not have a second failure on my hands if at all possible??

Regards

Rhys

[charlesModerator]

Sorry to hear this Rhys, its a pity you hadn’t sowed just a few other onion seeds at the same time, say your maincrops, to have a benchmark.

In theory, onion seeds germinate less well in temperatures consistently over 20-25C, because when bulbs drop seed in their second summer, they need to lie dormant in summer heat and then germinate in early autumn, to over winter as small plants.
However when I grew overwintering onions from sowings in the greenhouse in late August, it was often warmer than 20C, and they grew.

I would suspect the seed but can’t be sure, everything else sounds fine.

[sarah-off-gridParticipant]

I have just sown my onion seeds this week and I have followed the advice from Robinsons regarding temperatures.

“Germination should take approximately 2 weeks at a temperature of 12deg C. Keep the seeds moist but never over water at this stage.

We have found that a higher germination temperature will in many cases damage the seeds, thus giving poor results.”

http://www.exhibition-seed.info/cultivation.htm

Robinsons are similar to Medwyns albeit not as famous. They have specialised in onions for many many years and it chimes with Charles’s point regarding temperature being too high.
I haven’t strictly followed the 12’C max as I am not growing for the show bench,- and many other texts say 18’C is fine, but I am trying to keep them coolish despite my propagators not having thermostats.
Good luck with your second batch

[Pete BuddParticipant]

My Red Baron were through in 1 week, sown in New Horizon in a propagator at 17 deg C. Bedfordshire Champion took a couple of days longer.

[RhysParticipant]

Just sowed a packet of Ailsa Craig seeds on Monday and, already by Frday > 100 seeds have germinated. Didn’t do anything different so it must have been the seeds last time that were duff.

Live and learn.

[charlesModerator]

Thanks for sharing this Rhys. A lot of us are having problems from poor quality seed and yet they are all supposedly tested for germination.

[RhysParticipant]

Seem to have found a way to get some Kelsaes to germinate – the seeds which failed earlier on are now germinating, at least at some level, as follows:

1. Water thoroughly with rainwater from the butts.
2. Cover trays with foil.
3. Place trays on newspaper on top of an external gas boiler in an enclosed area.
4. Leave for 3 days at what will probably be 23 – 27C within the soil.

From having less than 5 germinated, we are now up to about 20, which still isn’t very good but does at least give a starting point to grow a few.

Maybe the lesson is that, for Kelsae onions at least, warm and damp conditions are best to trigger germination??

[charlesModerator]

Interesting but I still suspect the seed of being old and thus lacking vigour. Because of that, you have needed extra warmth etc to help them germinate. I hope they grow well nonetheless!

[RhysParticipant]

Yes……..I just hope that any I get to grow are sufficiently vigorous to make it worth continuing them next year to make my own seeds.

Having transplanted the Ailsa Craig seeds yesterday and counted as a result the total number which germinated, as near as dammit 150 germinated from a stated 350 seeds, which is just over 40%.

Don’t know if that is good, bad or indifferent, but it is certainly liveable with!

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