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- From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
- To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems
- Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:20:41 -0500
On Mar 11, 2010, at 1:26 PM, Amy Rice-Jones wrote: Hello all, How old is the seed? Viability in pepper seed, at least, can drop off abruptly, so that seed that was fine last year may have little or no germination this year. What temperature are you actually getting in the soil? The heat mats may be running too hot or too cold. Do you have domes or other covers over the flats to keep them from drying out? If not, that might help (though if they've already germinated and then dried out, you may need to start again with fresh seed.) If you do, are the flats exposed to strong light? Sunlight or other lights on trays covered with clear plastic domes can cause them to overheat, especially if they're also on a heat mat. Are you using home made compost? If it's not finished enough, it might be inhibiting germination; if it didn't get hot enough during the composting process, it might have some organism living in it that is inhibiting germination. (If you're using a purchased compost, check with the manufacturer whether it's recommended for seed starting use.) Oh yes -- was any ingredient of the compost straw or hay from sources that might have applied herbicide to the fields? There's a long lasting herbicide that survives the composting process and has caused problems in potting soil or mulches -- I can't think of the name right now, and don't know whether it got pulled of the market. Did all the seed come from the same source, and get shipped to you in one package? If so, maybe it got mishandled in transit? What is your seed storage like -- could the seed have gotten too hot or too damp before you planted it? That's all I can think of right now (but I hope it doesn't happen to me, whatever it is!) -- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly Fresh-market organic produce, small scale |
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[Market-farming] solanum germination problems,
Amy Rice-Jones, 03/11/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems,
William H Shoemaker, 03/11/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems, Kate Halstead, 03/12/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems,
Road's End Farm, 03/11/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems, Etienne Goyer, 03/11/2010
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
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Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems,
KAKerby, 03/11/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems, Mike Rock, 03/11/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems,
KAKerby, 03/11/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems,
Jay Sleichter, 03/11/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems, Bill Shoemaker, 03/11/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems,
Jay Sleichter, 03/11/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems, Shanti Rade, 03/11/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] solanum germination problems,
William H Shoemaker, 03/11/2010
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