Courgette not germinating

[monkeyboy]

Last year I sowed some Courgette Patio Star F1 straight into my SFG. Nothing happened. I assumed it was because it was outdoors.

This year I sowed them into seedling compost in little pots in my heated propagator. Temp is 20°C at its lowest. Everything else (toms, peppers, calabrese, sweetcorn, celery) has germinated and at least one inch tall.

The courgette seeds: nothing. I dug around in the soil to find them and they look the same as when I took them from the packet.

Any ideas?

[fishpond]

How long have they been in the prop?
Also take one of the seeds out and open it, see if its live or rotten.

[veggiechicken]

How old are the seeds?

[monkeyboy]

I bought them last year from moreveg. I’ll crack open one of the seeds. What am I looking for inside?

[fishpond]

Whether it looks live, dead or rotten.
What is the sow by date on the packet?

[Atta]

Recently I soak my seeds overnight and then I gently make a little hole with nedle on the seed coat. They germinate within 3/6 days.

[monkeyboy]

Last night, I cracked open one of the seeds I'd sown. Green-grey coloured stuff inside. Not black. I was in a rush this morning and couldn't find the packet so I'll check tonight about dates.

[Miss Mousetrousers]

I think when I sowed mine 2-3 weeks ago the packet said to put them on their edge (or it might have been the melons?) but they've only just germinated. It was a fresh packet and I watered them from below by standing the pots on a tray rather than from above as I find it causes little disturbance to the surface of the soil. As there's plenty of time try getting a new packet and see what happens. You might end up giving loads away - who knows!

[monkeyboy]

Label says packed year ending January 2019 and nothing else. I’ve broken a bit of husk on both seeds and sowed them again. Otherwise I’ll either buy some different seeds or plant plugs or available or sow something else instead.

[bario1]

Buy a pack of Romanesco courgette seeds - they always germinate, and quicker than any of my other types, and they're a great tasting variety too.

[ameno]

I had a similar problem last year: it was duff seeds.
Which adequate warmth (as you would be in a heated propagator) courgette and squash seeds should sprout within 3 days, and emerge in less than a week.
Try pre-germinating your remaining seeds. Put them on some damp kitchen roll in a tub of some sort, and put that in your heated propagator (raise it about an inch off the base, or it will get too hot and the seed will bake). Be sure to keep the kitchen roll moist, and if they are not showing signs of sprouting within 5 days then they are definitely bad seeds. Any that do sprout, just pot them up as normal.

[Urban]

Buy a pack of Romanesco courgette seeds - they always germinate, and quicker than any of my other types, and they're a great tasting variety too.

I can agree with this, I sown some romanesco seeds that where a year out of date, a few days ago, thinking they probably wont germinate, but they all have

its nice to hear that they will taste good also

[monkeyboy]

Well the seeds still haven't germinated, so I'll give up and on them and have a look at Romanesco.