Germination Help Needed

jcr1709 · April 13, 2011

Been starting tomatoes from seed for 4 years now, always with great success, but this year I'm at about 11 days since I started the seeds and only have 8 or my 80 plants that have germinated. I've read that sometimes seeds can take 14 to 20 day sometimes, but if I wait that long before I start more I'll have to buy plants...dread. Here's what I've done in the past.

Moistened soil blocks made with seed starting soil with 1/4" deep divot in the top for the seeds. I top the seeds with sifted stand (heard this lessens possibility of stem rot rather than the soil)

Add seed (this year I did about 4 per block because some of my seeds are 3-4 years old now, wanted to lessen the possibility of no plants.

I place them in a seed tray with drainage, cover with plastic wrap and put them in a consistent 75 degree environment (an old wall oven with a small buffet warmer in it . All the blocks are about 70-75 degrees soil temp.

The only thing I did different this year was I moistened the soil a little more than usual since I went away for about 5 days after starting the seed and I didn't want them to dry out. Can you destroy them if they are too wet?

Also, some of the seed I saved in the last few years I did something different I read here. After fermentation, I did soak them for about a minute in a very light bleach/h20 solution (heard this lessens the possibility of mold. Dried them properly and store them in small containers in a cool dry place.

The seeds that did germinate so far did so after about 5 days. Any great advice would be appreciated. Ifi I start more seeds (with bought seed can I expedite the process a little faster so I will have healthy plants when I put them out around the middle to end of May? I am dreading the possibility of buying plants, not to mention the terrible selection of what's available and the cost.

Thanks,

Jamie

April 13, 2011	#1
jcr1709 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Middlefield, Connecticut Posts: 24	Germination Help Needed Been starting tomatoes from seed for 4 years now, always with great success, but this year I'm at about 11 days since I started the seeds and only have 8 or my 80 plants that have germinated. I've read that sometimes seeds can take 14 to 20 day sometimes, but if I wait that long before I start more I'll have to buy plants...dread. Here's what I've done in the past. Moistened soil blocks made with seed starting soil with 1/4" deep divot in the top for the seeds. I top the seeds with sifted stand (heard this lessens possibility of stem rot rather than the soil) Add seed (this year I did about 4 per block because some of my seeds are 3-4 years old now, wanted to lessen the possibility of no plants. I place them in a seed tray with drainage, cover with plastic wrap and put them in a consistent 75 degree environment (an old wall oven with a small buffet warmer in it . All the blocks are about 70-75 degrees soil temp. The only thing I did different this year was I moistened the soil a little more than usual since I went away for about 5 days after starting the seed and I didn't want them to dry out. Can you destroy them if they are too wet? Also, some of the seed I saved in the last few years I did something different I read here. After fermentation, I did soak them for about a minute in a very light bleach/h20 solution (heard this lessens the possibility of mold. Dried them properly and store them in small containers in a cool dry place. The seeds that did germinate so far did so after about 5 days. Any great advice would be appreciated. Ifi I start more seeds (with bought seed can I expedite the process a little faster so I will have healthy plants when I put them out around the middle to end of May? I am dreading the possibility of buying plants, not to mention the terrible selection of what's available and the cost. Thanks, Jamie