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  • From: KAKerby AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems
  • Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:27:35 EST

I have tried for years to germinate these heat-loving, cold-sensitive plants in a variety of places.  I have found that without either high ambient air temps (and therefore, soil temps) or supplemental heat on the bottom of the trays, my germination takes a long, LONG time.  The seeds don't rot, they don't do anything.  They just sit there.  On the other hand, when I use soil heat of some kind (switching to honest to goodness germination mats this year), they pop right up and never look back.
 
I suspect your soil is good in terms of moisture and fertility; it may simply be too cold yet.
Kathryn Kerby
Frog Chorus Farm
Snohomish, WA
 
In a message dated 3/11/2010 10:58:30 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, amy AT petalumabounty.org writes:
Hello all,

I discovered this week that sweet peppers, tomatoes and eggplants that I sowed 2-4 weeks ago have had very little or no germination. I cannot figure out why this is happened. I have dug up some seeds and it appears that they did not rot as I opened up the seed and the endosperm looks good and has imbibed some water. There were a few pepper seeds that had a root radicle sticking out that looked a bit rotten so maybe that flat got over watered but that does not explain the tomato or eggplant seeds that appear to still be viable but have not stuck out a root radicle. The later two crops appear to have been sown too deeply so maybe this is the problem? Any thoughts? My soil mix is 3 parts compost, 2 parts coco peat, and 1 part perlite. All the trays are on a heating mat.  Is it possible that the tomato and eggplant seeds dried out and this stopped the germination process? I hand water so I know I have cut it close sometimes but am usually good about not letting the trays dry out while they are germinating. I would appreciate any thoughts on why this has happened.

Thanks!

Amy

--
Amy Rice-Jones
Bounty Farm Manager
Petaluma Bounty
210 Fourth St. Suite B
Petaluma, CA 94952
amy AT petalumabounty.org
707-775-3663 ext. 213


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