Why are your seeds not germinating?

You have decided to become a plant parent. You plant the seeds, water them nicely, provide the food and keep them in sunlight. And then....Nothing. Absolutely nothing grows. No sprouting leaves you disheartened and eventually, you lose interest in gardening. So in today's post, we will talk about 6 fatal seed mistakes and how to avoid them. So that you can achieve a near 100% success rate and take your green game to the next level.

1) The magic lies with the seeds: Using damaged or old seed reduces the chances of sprouting. Seeds stored in moist places can lead to the development of fungal infestation. This can simply be avoided by checking the physical appearance of seeds or by a simple test of seed viability: Pour the seeds in a glass of water. Seeds sunken at the bottom of the glass are good for planting while you can discard the floating ones.
Bonus tip: Always purchase seeds from certified vendors.

Photo by Eco Warrior Princess on Unsplash

                                             

2)Improper sowing technique: Seeds planted too deep or not deep enough leads to seed not germinating. Thumb rule is an ideal depth should be 3 times the width of seeds. Also, avoid heavy pressing.

Read Also:  DIY Seed Starters


3) Bad potting mix: Planting seeds directly in garden soil isn't a good option. Garden soil is considered compact, which gives seeds hard time sprouting. For quicker seed germination use 70% cocopeat and 30% compost. Cocopeat helps retain moisture for a longer duration of time while compost provides all the necessary nutrients for seed germination. Besides these vermiculites, perlite, cocopeat pellets can also be added to the potting mix.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

                                                   

4)No planning: Another fatal mistake which beginners make is not planning the garden according to season or the climatic zone. Hence it is very essential to prepare a planting calendar according to your climatic zone.

5)Improper watering: One of the most crucial factors for seed germination. If soil is too dry seed will not germinate and if it is too wet, they will rot away. Hence optimum moisture needs to be maintained. Also, avoid the harsh spray of water directly over seeds as it may displace them from their place.

6)Sunlight: As against the widely accepted narrative of " keep 'em in full sunlight", dark and warm conditions are better suited for the germination stage. After few leaves appear, follow the 'hardening off' method, i.e. gradual and incremental exposure to sunlight.

Hope you find it helpful.  Follow The Pjama Garden for all the updates related to gardening. Do share and subscribe to The Pjama Garden to share the joy of gardening. Till then Happy gardening.