[dottydigger]

Hi  I am new to this site.....and  warn you all that I need a LOT of help with my gardening needs.  to begin with I have soaked the squash seeds as advised and the ones that sunk, I threw and those that floated......I am trying to grow...do they take a while to germinate are am I doing something wrong???  Also my shallots  the sets seem as big and the shallots I want to grow do they send out baby shallots when you plant them or do my 'big enough already' ones just get bigger..........told you I'm pretty useless at this didn't I? Dottydiggerx

[DavidT]

Good evening and welcome to the site. Never heard of floating squash seed to see if they are viable. You need to tell us more about how you`ve sown them, like, how deep, did you plant the seed on it`s side and how long ago did you sow them? With the shallots, what you planted will divide into  a cluster of shallots. Strange as it sounds, if you want largish shallots then plant a small set. If you want small shallots plants a large set.

[Carrotcake]

Hi Dottydigger and welcome to the forum.

I read about the soaking seeds thing for Cosmos, but it was the other way round ie keep the ones that sink.

As well as how long ago you sowed the seeds, are they in a propagator, window sill or outside?

[tam]

Unless they are saved seeds you should get good germination and there shouldn't be a lot that float (no seed inside the case).

I sow squash inside and they are up within a week - I don't soak them first.

[mumofstig]

I've never soaked squash seed either.........but would think that you have to sow the ones that sink not the ones that float 

They are usually up in about a week, if you plant the right ones

[8doubles]

When i am saving squash seed i keep the sinking and bin the floating stuff. I never soak the seed before sowing and germination is always good.

[peanut]

I saved some seed from a squash in the winter and dried them. Planted 6 2 weeks ago in 4" pots, seed compost and on their sides - they are in my unheated greenhouse and so far 3 have germinated

[boosh]

Hi there, i planted my butternut about 5 weeks ago i had one plant come up after about 2 weeks no6 plant came up the at the start of last week. did'nt soak these ones. i would not worry 2much as you can sow the seeds direct outside in june under a clotche till they poke threw, i did this last year, just thought i would try pots this year.

[Salmo]

Squashes seem to need quite a high temperature to germinate, certainly higher than their cousins courgettes and marrows.

The traditional day for sowing marrows outside is 15th May, rook shooting day. By the time they come up a frost is unlikely.