What's slow to germinate for you this year

[NCTIM]

I have an unfortunate pattern that is starting to develope.

Last year I really wanted to grow Berkeley Tye Die. I had excellent germination on pretty much everything but BTD.

This year I am excited about growing Chapman and Kalamans Hungarian Pink. Guess what--- They are two of the lowest % germination that I started. Kalamans has a germination rate of 25% and Chapman isn't much better at 33%. The seed were started on 2/12.

I started a second time and the results so far are only a little better. Kalamans is at 38% and Chapman is at 33%.

I started 39 varieties this year and most have a germination rate better than 70% and many had 100%.


Are you having trouble with any?

Tim

[nctomatoman]

You are right - every year it is something! I've planted 70 varieties thus far - most difficult to germinate - Cherokee Green (2006 saved seed - 4 seedlings from 50 seeds!), Mexico Midget (2004 saved seed, 50 seeds, no seedlings!), Red Robin (2006 saved seed, 6 seedlings from 21 seeds) are the only ones giving me trouble - it is clear that the fermentation process ran into troubles with those three! All have been replanted using seeds from different years - all in all, my germination rate on tomatoes is excellent, hot peppers and eggplant pretty good, and sweet peppers fair to good. Oh yes - Cossack Pineapple husk tomato - last year the seed germinated near 100%, this year same seed - complete failure to this point!

[BR]

Box Car Willie and Red Rose have ZERO germination for me after 11 days in 70-80* soil. Only one Mexico for the same 11 days. Earl's Faux has none after 9 days. I planted 5-10 seeds per cubicle. My hybrids are sprouting in 3-4 days with a much higher germination rate that the heirlooms... anyone know if that's typical for hybrids?

[NCTIM]

BR, let me offering a possible explanation for the better germination for your hybrids. As Craig said in prior post

it is clear that the fermentation process ran into troubles with those three!

I'm humbly suggesting that the seed companies may have better controls that maintain seed viability. I know that things come up for me that can put tomatoes on the back burner for a few days and darn it I had seed fermenting oops. Just a guess.

Earls faux and other OP's had 100 % for me as did as did Brandy Boy and Sungold (hybrids)

Here is another strange seed starting example.

I did a germination test a couple of months ago on the seed I fermented last summer. Stump of the World had 70% germination in 7 days. Now that I've started the real deal I got 50% after 14 days. A secong attempt has given me just 6% after 8 days.

Tim

[nctomatoman]

BR, there is nothing inherently different about the ability of hybrids to germinate faster/stronger/better than non-hybrid tomato varieties. In my opinion, and from my experience, it is all about the condition of the particular seed (age, how it was stored, how it was fermented, etc).

I am getting great germination from a few samples of 7 year old seed - 25 for 25, germination in 3 days. And, as I said above, some abysmal germination from some 1 year old seed. But fortunately, those examples are rare this year!

[Biscombe]

For me Its mule team, not a sign of life there! monkey *** have been poor too

[Biscombe]

PS has any of you out there grown monkey ***?

[pbud]

For me it's Yasha Yugoslavian, which is especially unfortunate since I sent seeds to some folks from here. Only 1 for 6 : - (

Even my extranjero (sp?) chile's with limited bottom heat did better.

[carolyn137]

For me it's Yasha Yugoslavian, which is especially unfortunate since I sent seeds to some folks from here. Only 1 for 6 : - (

******

Just curious but which company is offering Yasha Yugoslavian? I never sent seeds of it to any company so that's why I'm curious, and I don't even remember listing it in the SSE Yearbook although I m,ight have back in the early to mid-90's, I'd have to check that out.

Original source was Yasha Crnkovic, same source as for Crnkovic Yugoslavian which is quite well known and available.

I agree that a seed is a seed and that in my experience hybrid seed is no different from non-hybrid seed as far as germination goes. it can't be in terms of the process of germination.

Several of us have noted that seeds for heart shaped varieties don't appear to have the long term viability that non-hearts have, but here I'm talking 5 yo old seed and out from that.

I've made several seed offers at GW where I distributed seed for varieties that was quite old and gathered the data as it came in and I'm of the opinion that one of the major variables is the way that some folks germinate their seed. it's not the only factor b'c seed age and general condition re fermentation also play a part, but again, IMHO very often it's the method used that is the problem for many.

In my last seed offer at GW I also had fresh seed that I offered and taking any one of them the reports that came back showed germination ranging from zero % to 100%; I kid you not.

And well I remember Patrina getting close to 100% with some Red Brandywine seed from 1991 that I also distributed b'c there has been a problem with RB seed at several commercial places, although I think that's a thing of the past as long as folks realize that the two RB's listed at TGS are not RB and they have to get the one that has Landis associated with the name.

So no one factor explains variation in germination percentages as far as I'm concerned. Well maybe one factor and that's when several folks sowing seed for the exact same variety purchased at the same time from one commercial company get no to low germination and then it would appear that seed age might be the problem. And that has happened and still does happen.

If folks get seeds from a trade and the seed age date isn't on the package then all bets are off. With my most recent seed offer here at Tville all seeds were post 2001, most 2003 and 2004, and for 90% of them I had the specific dates and wrote it on each and every package sent out for about 200 folks who participated.

Most of the folks who list seeds in the SSE Yearbook are on a 5 year rotation in terms of growing out new stock for varieties listed and when I was listing hundreds of varieties I did that as well. With 5 yo seed I expect and get in xs of 50% germination routinely.

[Mireille]

No germination for Yellow Marble - Wonderlight - Whipper Snapper - Vorlon - Vermillon - Variegated and Tiffen Mennonite after 14 days on a warming carpet. I think I will sow again today if I have seeds left.

[JerryL]

I started about 200 pepper seeds yesterday and nothing is up yet. What’s up with that?

Tomatoes don’t get started until the middle of March.

[DavidinCT]

Originally Posted by JerryL

I started about 200 pepper seeds yesterday and nothing is up yet. What’s up with that?

I started 36 Sweet Pickle peppers yesterday and none are up this morning either. Could the problem be the lunar eclipse last night?

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by JerryL

I started about 200 pepper seeds yesterday and nothing is up yet. What’s up with that?

Tomatoes don’t get started until the middle of March.

I can go you one better than that Jerry.

I've got some tomato seeds that germinated and I never even sowed them.

When I have a stray seed on my tomato seed packing table I sweep it off onto the carpet and if it doesn't get vaccumed up and I spill liquid from a glass that I have in my walker basket, well, I think you get the picture.....don't you?

[jenn_sc]

So far this year I've had zero germination with Dr. Lyle and Aunt Ruby's. Omar's Lebanese and Orange Heirloom have only put out one plant each (out of 10 and 5 seeds, respectively). This is after a month of waiting, and now I even have the slowpokes on bottom heat. Still nothing.

Meanwhile, my other varieties are doing well, some even gave me 100% germination. Standouts are Livingston's Marvelous and Neves Azorean Red, which were big enough to pot up yesterday. Jeff Davis and Matt's wild cherry are almost ready to pot up as well.

Jennifer

[nctomatoman]

A year of extremes - had two tomato varieties that germinated in 2 days - one from 2006 saved seed (actually, chilhuacle's saved seed, and he may have saved it in 2007) - and 2002 seed - Stump of the World. And yet I wait and wait for Mexico Midget - even after replaning a different lot of seed.