whats the secret?

[Peter]

Squash fanatic

I grow a couple of dozen squash over 3-4 rod each year.

Unless you sow them with some form of heat, be it propagator or airing cupboard, you will not get a good germination rate and with Crown Prince at £2 for six seeds that is a waste.

[Lesley Jay]

Amanda they should take between 5 - 8 days so no need to panic. I find that squash and courgettes germinate better in the propagator but I sowed cucumbers on 15th April in the greenhouse and they came through yesterday.

[Amanda1]

Thanks LJ, I will check them again tonight and maybe sing to them a little, that should stop them germinating altogether!

[eskymo]

SueA - I took your advice and poked around in the soil a bit and yippee, my courgettes are coming up and I reckon in a couple of days the shoots will be ablve ground. Now I'm worried as I've got 14 seeds on the go - not sure where I will plant them all if they all come up!

[bramble]

Sowed three different type of cucumber the middle of April > had all but given up hope. In the last week have got a 50% germination ratr. Out of 12 sowed (4of each type ) got 6 to getminate. Actually 2 of each germinated in the cold greenhouse and are flying away ever since. Don't give up hope.

[Clarea1]

I planted my squash & courgette on 25th March, they have only come through this week. I did however put them in the propagator at the weekend because nothing was happening! It has suddenly got warmer this week for us. Of 4 courgette seeds, only 1 came through - it was the last of old seed though.

[chickenkeeper]

I have planted 3 lots of courgette seeds from 3 different packets with one, yes only one seed germinating into a pathetic specimen of a plant. I have given up and ordered some plants!

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Chickenkeeper welcome to the mad house!! It seems to have been a strange year for germinating courgettes and squashes. Mine are usually through within a week but not this year. Each day another one germinates but tomorrow I am going to re sow the ones that still haven't germinated.

[Nicos]

Same for me too. None of the spaghetti squash have germinated - will have one more try.
There were loads of veg plants in our local garden centre today, so no worry, just costs more than home grown, and probably not the particular variety you would prefer. No spag squash of course!!!

[Alice]

Eskymo, what are you going to do with all those courgettes! I reckon 1 plant per person in household will give you all you can eat. Agree with everybody its been a funny year for germinating. Courgettes no problem, in fact now outside with flowers on! Tomatoes into flower. Will try to get time to do a piccy tomorrow BUT cucumber will just not germinate. Think I'll resow. Keep you posted.

[eskymo]

I've got friends who will take my surplus luckily! We're going to have a plant swap once our plants are big enough.

[Lesley Jay]

Well I dug out the squash and courgette seeds that hadn't germinated and re sowed in fresh compost so fingers crossed. I have got plenty of plants but I promised to give some to new people on our allotment site so heres hoping.

[eskymo]

At last!!! My pots are showing signs of growth at last!!! I've got runner beans coming up and my courgettes are popping through and my cucumber has decided to show it's face too. I look in my mini polytunnel this morning and my mange tout and peas are showing through the soil.

The magic of time...shame I'm such an impatient bugger who wants everything to work NOW NOW NOW...I need to mellow out a little methinks!

[Birdie Wife]

I had a poke in my opts too and came up with two ungermainted courgette seeds, 1 millipede and a slug. Should have checked my garden compost first... have repotted with fresh seed from two different packets and fresh compost. Maybe I'd better try turning the radiator up a notch too, if heat is what's needed.

[blackkitty]

I've had good germination of courgettes, cucmbers and squash as follows: I plant one seed in a small square pot (I think its three inches) I then cut the bottom off a one litre drink bottle, mostly tonic water but obviously it doesn't matter, and place this on top. I then put them on a warm windowsill. Most of my seeds have been up in less than a week including some seed that I didn't expect to do much as its several years old. I've had 100% germination. the round bottle bottom on the square means you have built in ventilation.
I planted some sugar baby watermelon seeds and only had one bottle bottom upstairs and was too lazy to fetch more, that one came up in a few days, no sign of the others. I put bottle ends over them on Saturday and they're all up
Now I just have to stop the cucmbers dying when I pot them on The last three did.