[sharky]

I purchased all my seeds from the same online store. They came professionally packaged in foil sealed sachets (not the same type as for example a pack of unwins etc).

The trouble is I am having terrible germination rates, I am hacked off and rightly so. :-(

I will stick to seed from reliable sources in future, I just hope the others arn't duds.

[DD.]

What varieties in particular are you having problems with and when did you sow them?

[paintedlady]

chillis & peppers in particular can take up to a month if the soil temperature is low, in fact quite a few are slow if the soil temperature is on the cool side & it's not exactly been a heatwave recently  

[DD.]

Which is why I asked what & when before we start blaming the seeds too much!

[Aunt Sally]

Some things like carrots drop their fertility level very quickly !

[DD.]

And never touch old parsnip seed!

[azubah]

I sowed a packet of peas in the ground and only 3 came up. I think the seeds were eaten by mice.

I also suspect that a lot of seedlings are eaten by slugs before you even know that they have germinated.

If I suspect a batch of seed I sprinkle a few on tissue paper in a margerine tub or jam jar and keep them damp and warm and wait to see what happens.

[mumofstig]

If I suspect a batch of seed I sprinkle a few on tissue paper in a margerine tub or jam jar and keep them damp and warm and wait to see what happens.

I know one old gardener that does this with all his seeds. He says he won't waste the time and effort of sowing seed that's not gonna grow.

Suppose it makes sense