Courgette germination

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wilj1

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Courgette germination
« on: May 08, 2021, 20:02 »
I wonder whether anyone else is having trouble getting courgette seeds to germinate. I have already dispensed with one sowing as no sign after 3 weeks. I have now sown a second lot which are still not showing after 2 weeks. They are fresh seeds and other people I have spoken to have had the same problem.
Please could someone advise on the best way to start the seeds growing

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Potty Plotty Lotty

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2021, 20:25 »
Are you trying to germinate them indoors or outdoors? If you are sowing outdoors regardless of whether you have sowed in the ground or in pots it's likely to have been too cold over the past few weeks. Did you check to see if the seed had rotted?

I "chit" my seeds  by putting a few seeds in damp kitchen paper in a clear plastic bag and leave them somewhere warm (airing cupboard sort of temperature) and check every 24 hours or so. Once the root is showing I carefully sow them individually into small pots of compost and leave indoors. They go onto a window sill once they break through the soil and are hardened off before being planted out once all risk of frosts has passed with a good dose of slug pellets.

Hope that helps!

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mumofstig

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2021, 23:00 »
I only sowed my courgette seeds, a few days ago. They were put on the warmest window ledge in the house (as there wasn't enough space in the propagator  ::) )
They are already beginning to poke through :)

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Subversive_plot

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2021, 23:30 »
I also chit courgette seeds (we call them zucchini here). Best way to be sure the seeds have sprouted.
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Grubbypaws

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2021, 15:45 »
I sow them in 3 inch pots which I place in a propagator at 22-24C. The second that they appear they are taken out and placed on a windowsill. I usually get 90-100% germination but this year it was 50%. I dont know whether seed companies have been struggling in these strange times. I have noticed other seeds have been of poorer quality this year as well.

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JayG

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2021, 16:50 »
I don't know whether seed companies have been struggling in these strange times. I have noticed other seeds have been of poorer quality this year as well.

'Packed in year ending XXXX' doesn't guarantee the seed was actually harvested that year, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if some seed suppliers have been forced to use older seed.

Shouldn't need to do it of course, but pre-germinating is a good way of ensuring you're only sowing viable seeds.
Whether chitted or not, don't water after giving a good initial soaking unless the compost is obviously dry, and then only enough to dampen it.
On a sunny windowsill all my cucurbits are usually up in about 6 days - after 2 weeks it's probably best to re-sow or at least have a furtle to see if they've rotted.
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

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TangleRainbowwand

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2021, 19:53 »
I have also had trouble with getting both my courgette and cucumber seeds to germinate this year.  Every other year prior to this one I’ve pretty much had 100% germination.  Strange one!
« Last Edit: May 09, 2021, 19:54 by TangleRainbowwand »

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8doubles

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2021, 20:11 »
Tromboncino 0 from 12 seeds.
Yellow courgette 11 from 12 seeds.
Winter squash 11 from 12 seeds .
All in the same propagator together !
Got the rest of the Tromboncino chitting at the moment so fingers crossed .
« Last Edit: May 09, 2021, 20:12 by 8doubles »

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Grubbypaws

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2021, 09:18 »
'Packed in year ending XXXX' doesn't guarantee the seed was actually harvested that year, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if some seed suppliers have been forced to use older seed.

Old seed would definitely explain it.

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andyww2013

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2021, 15:30 »
Interesting thread, out of 10 pots only 1 germinated from my courgettes.  2 different types all new seeds.  All raised in a nice warm conservatory.
All were sown on their sides to stop them rotting as well.

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madcat

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2021, 17:07 »
Some of my seed was last seasons, and I had real problems getting them going last year.  So I took advice from here and have chitted them in kitchen towel in my warmest propogator, covered with a towel to keep the heat in.  Checked once a day, and once they show root, into compost and into another warm propogator till they are showing leaves, when they go on the window ledge on cold days/overnight and outside in the sun if possible. I have had much much better results than previous years in soil in a warm propogator.  I will do it that way again next year.
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JayG

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2021, 16:16 »
My tally so far 10 days after sowing indoors and placing on a sunny windowsill (none pre-chitted.):

3/3 courgettes just through.

The others I've had to resort to winkling out with my trusty teaspoon as I've never had any cucurbit take longer than 10 days to appear.

3 Tromboncino, 1 is just showing signs of germinating.

3 Harlequin squash, 2 just showing signs of germinating.

5 La Diva cucumber - 1 showing signs of germinating (am chitting some newer seed in a sandwich box just in case.)

As you can probably guess I only aim to sow what I need because I hate wasting plants, and also never sow very early, so this is getting a little concerning - I can only put it down to the cooler nights indoors, because everything else is the same as I've done it for years.

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Hampshire Hog

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2021, 17:29 »
Interesting post a chap down our allotments was amazed when he saw one of my courgette plants.He too had struggled with germination. Does suggest the seeds may be old this year. That said mine probably were anyway.
HH 
Keep digging

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mumofstig

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2021, 18:08 »
It's weird I sowed 5 yellow courgettes and they came up within days, my neighbour saw my success and asked me to grow some green ones for him, new packet this year, and only 1 has germinated so far.....
It does make you wonder what's going on.

IIRC last year, one of the big seed companies admitted there were germination problems with one of their courgettes  :unsure:

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al78

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Re: Courgette germination
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2021, 18:19 »
I sowed 8 gem squash indoors in small pots a couple of weeks ago and so far only four have germinated. One of the seeds had rotted when I had a closer look at the no-shows, the other three have only just germinated.



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