Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: GraciesGran on March 21, 2021, 08:30

Title: Tomato failure
Post by: GraciesGran on March 21, 2021, 08:30
Bought some Amish paste tomato seeds.  Treated them to new pots and compost, followed the instructions to the letter and not one of them have germinated.  The half packet of unknown beefsteak type tomatoes, best before 2018 are going great guns in an old pot with some cheap compost!
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: jaydig on March 21, 2021, 08:40
It might be worth getting in touch with the seller just in case you have received a bad batch of seed.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: GraciesGran on March 21, 2021, 08:57
I will do.  Have given them every opportunity, perhaps I'm better off ill  treating me seeds!  My sister sent me some heritage tomato seeds and they are being sown today - under the ' bung  them in a pot and hope method'.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: Growster... on March 21, 2021, 09:24
I'm having trouble with 'Tiger Stripe' and 'Sungold' at the moment! 60% germination.

The 'Shirley' and 'San Marzano' have only been in a few days, but I'll do some more of the latter today!

As this year is already about three weeks behind, I'm not that bothered yet, but it looks as though my record of fresh toms in the second week of July won't happen in 2021...
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: Christine on March 21, 2021, 11:01
Hmm my Sungold seeds dated plant by 2020 seem to be coming along gently.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: GraciesGran on March 21, 2021, 11:24
Have emailed them.  The website says they aim to reply in 48 hours.  Which makes it Wednesday as they are a Monday to Friday set up.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: Subversive_plot on March 21, 2021, 15:28
I get increased germination by chitting tomato seeds before putting them in a pot with compost.

Fold a paper towel in the bottom of a plastic food storage container. If you are growing more than one type of tomato, write the variety name on the towel with a waterproof pen. Get the towel thoroughly wet, drain off standing water. Put the seeds on top of the wet towel and put the lid on the container. Stick the container somewhere that is a little bit warm (top of the refrigerator will do). Open every three days or so, when the roots make little white points coming through the seed coat, they are ready to go into pots. I get better than 90% germination this way.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: GraciesGran on March 22, 2021, 06:40
Short exchange of emails and replacement packet of seed on its way.    Can't complain at that

Subversive plot - I do that for parsnips because my dad did!!!!  I've done it with beans but never occurred to me to do it with other seeds will give it a try

Am so impressed with the service I've received.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: jaydig on March 22, 2021, 08:31
I'm glad you will be getting replacement seeds.  I always say that any company can make mistakes, or have problems with their products, but it's how they deal with any complaints that matters.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: mumofstig on March 22, 2021, 09:11
Replacement is all well and good, but if the batch of seeds inside isn't much good, it won't help much..

I hope they are, fingers crossed, but we'll see...
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: Aidy on March 22, 2021, 18:47
I love the Amish Paste toms and I am a massive fan  of pre-chitting.

This method works, I have been using it on most seeds and funny enough I started doing a good few years back after reading an article written by.... a Amish farmer.
All my hard seeds are pre-chitted, some are fiddly but germinate quicker and more reliable.
Hope this batch is better.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: madcat on March 23, 2021, 09:18
All my hard seeds are pre-chitted, some are fiddly but germinate quicker and more reliable.


Do you pre chit your courgettes/marrows/squashes?  I struggled last year germinating them and was wondering about prechitting this year.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: Potty Plotty Lotty on March 23, 2021, 17:39
All my hard seeds are pre-chitted, some are fiddly but germinate quicker and more reliable.


Do you pre chit your courgettes/marrows/squashes?  I struggled last year germinating them and was wondering about prechitting this year.

I always do. One year I struggled to get them to germinate and ever since I've chitted them.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: GraciesGran on March 24, 2021, 09:28
Replacement pack of seed arrived yesterday.  Just been to the greenhouse where the disaster tray has been for the last few days and as to be expected I have 12 seedlings!!!!!!!

Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: mumofstig on March 24, 2021, 10:25
 :lol: :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: Aidy on March 24, 2021, 13:19
All my hard seeds are pre-chitted, some are fiddly but germinate quicker and more reliable.


Do you pre chit your courgettes/marrows/squashes?  I struggled last year germinating them and was wondering about prechitting this year.
Courgette!!! Stop swearing dear  :lol:
Yes the only seeds I tend to show direct is beans, I never pre-chit those and things radish but most others are.

Glad to hear you have a crop of seedlings now .
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: steven c on March 24, 2021, 13:58
as mentioned on a recent thread we now pre chit nearly all our seeds [apart from the very small seeds onion and tomato etc] they then all seem to pop up this saves resowing and time.  good luck .
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: 8doubles on March 24, 2021, 17:26
Have never needed to chit a tom seed as they are not reluctant growers , if i put ten seeds in a pot i expect ten plants if the seed is in date .
Tom seeds really want to grow .
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: GraciesGran on April 04, 2021, 12:33
Spoke to the nursery again and explained what had happened.  My conscience would not let me accept the replacement pack of seed for free.  With agreement of the nursery they have been donated to the people running the community allotment.
Title: Re: Tomato failure
Post by: Growster... on April 05, 2021, 06:56
All the Shirley have now come up, as well as some more San Marzano, which I'd popped in just in case!

I now have about eighty seedlings...:0(

(Lots of chums here wanting plants so not really a problem, but just to say, that as this year is so late starting, it's not surprising that some seeds have just 'seen what it's like outside' and waited a bit...)!