will the seeds grow?

EAFC_rdfl

I sowed seeds in my raised bed on 1st April and so far nothing has sprouted. Should I be starting to worry or will they still come on? With the cold and wet weather from then til now I am starting to think they won't. I sowed carrots, parsnips, leaks, spinach and courgettes.

If people think they wont grow what's the recommendation? Give it another quick dig and then wait for a spell of better weather before seeding again?

I'm not into the effort of sowing in pots first (apart from some scallions, lettuce and coriander we have growing in pots). I sowed basically the same stuff the same way last year and it worked out ok, probably sowed a bit later though

bmaxi

I would think it's certainly a bit early to sow courgettes, if you remember, April was summer last year. I would usually wait another month before I'd sow them or sow them indoors now. As for the rest, give them a bit more time as the weather has been cold. I sowed scallions near the end of March and they only showed their heads today, about three weeks is a good rule of thumb for most seeds at this time of year. Provided your soil is well drained you'll probably see results in the next week or so.

shawnee

Weather has been cold and wet so some seeds may rot , however when we get some heat you will know what has survived. Parsnips don't mind this weather so they should survive.:D

dardevle

.....
it really is pot luck to try and germinate a variety of seeds under exactly the same conditions as there is no one size fits all solution to seed sowing...better to familarise yourself with each seeds requirements and plant accordingly.


generally speaking it would be considered a bit early for some of your seeds...while at times the air temps have been good - the all important soil temp has been very slow to rise,

carrots for example won't germinate in soil temps less than 7c
- while parsnips require only 2c for germination.....but are notoriously slow to show(so don't give up on them yet.)

courgettes i only ever start in pots and plant out when the weather is milder.



.......

muckyhands

I sowed carrots (and planted out ones I bought from a garden centre- to left of pic) on March 30th. Enclosed the bed with fleece which would have provided some protection re weather.

Also, before sowing the carrots/ planting, I marked out the drill and filled it with peat- free compost.

Happy to say they started coming up in the last week. I believe filling the drill with the peat- free compost was a definite help as carrot seeds are quite small.

Carrot seeds need to be quite fresh and dont store for as long as other seeds might, so maybe check the date on the seed packet for the year they were packed in just in case, if you still have it.

Parsnips should be ok and courgettes sow some indoors as back ups in case, it is a bit early to sow outdoors. Spinach I have never actually grown so must put that on the to do list.

j@utis

it's been three weeks since this thread started. has anyone sowed any seeds into their raised beds? my raised bed is still empty. I look outside and think that summer will not come this year. weather forecast is the same for the next week too with temp struggling to get over +12C

whelzer

I put some spuds down about 5 weeks ago and they are flying. I've earthed them up twice - never done this before but its had no "bad" effect as the plants are approx 8" high. Put the seed spuds down quite deep as well.

I had my carrot bed covered in black plastic from approx mid feb until last weekend when I sowed it. I put fleece over it yesterday as its been too cold imho.

I also transferred spinach & chard seedlings (sowed seed in pots) next to them last weekend and they were grand this evening...

I transferred pea plants (from pots) one evening this week (Wed maybe) and they seem ok...

I've got french beans (bit early I think) in pots about 4" high and theres no way I'd put them in the ground yet - way to cold.

I've also go loads of salad that over wintered grand - various Chinese salads, purlanse, lambs lettuce etc Have lots of salad seedlings that I plan on transfering at the weekend if I get a chance.

Courgettes I'll start in pots this weekend.

Hope this helps...someone. I'm in Dublin btw with due South facing garden...

whelzer

I put some spuds down about 5 weeks ago and they are flying. I've earthed them up twice - never done this before but its had no "bad" effect as the plants are approx 8" high. Put the seed spuds down quite deep as well.

I had my carrot bed covered in black plastic from approx mid feb until last weekend when I sowed it. I put fleece over it yesterday as its been too cold imho.

I also transferred spinach & chard seedlings (from see in pots) next to them last weekend and they were grand this evening...

I transferred pea plants (from pots) one evening this week (Wed maybe) and they seem ok...

I've got french beans (bit early I think) in pots about 4" high and theres no way I'd put them in the ground yet - way to cold.

I've also go loads of salad that over wintered grand - various Chinese salads, purlanse, lambs lettuce etc Have lots of salad seedlings that I plan on transfering at the weekend if I get a chance.

Courgettes I'll start in pots this weekend.

Hope this helps...someone. I'm in Dublin btw with due South facing garden...