Germinating seeds

[gengis]

I am having difficulty in germinating seeds in my GH on my allotment. The compost is drying out very quickly. I have been watering from above with a hand sprayer.

I have placed the seed tray (sweetcorn / beans) in a gravel tray full of water to see if that will work.

I am also intending to place capillary matting on a grow bag tray to place more seed trays on it. the compost is new so I am not sure why no seeds are germinating. the toms are in a hozelock self watering container so I think the heat in the GH is ok

I am able to get to the allotment around 2 - 3 x per week.

any tips would be most grateful

[ghexton]

Could you germinate at home where you have more stable temperature ? and take to allotment later while they're still small? I found it safe and easy to carry my wilko propagators.

[muckdiva]

I agree with ghexton, I tend to germinate most stuff indoors and move them to the greenhouse once seedlings appear. Also, are you sure the compost is dry under the top layer? I found that misleading as the top looks dry, so you water again and it gets waterlogged below and seeds then rot. Just worth checking..

[gengis]

Thanks both for the advice will try at home and check the compost

[rary]

If you are going to use a grow bag tray if you can put a couple of 2x2 battons along the inside of the try so that you can sit seed trays in it but above what will be a water level,cut slits in your seed trays to allow you to feed a strip of capillary matting through the slits, this is to act as a wick, make sure there is enough matting going out of the base of the seed tray to rest on the bottom of the main tray, fill the seed trays with compost and sow your seeds, place the seed trays on the wooden buttons fill the grow bag tray with water, the water can touch the seed tray but it would be better not to, gently water the seed tray which will help start a capillary action and ad long as you don't let the lower tray dry out that should keep your compost moist

[rary]

And could I suggest that you put any other questions in to the new shoots thread as this section is not the best place for them, this is a new section which not everyone visits

[Mark_Riga]

Also, placing a seed tray or plant pot with seeds inside a plastic bag till they germinate can help retain moisture and stop you potentially overwatering or having to water at all till they germinate.