Squash germinating - a bit hit and miss

[amandaandherveg]

I have 5 squash in the garden that seem to be doing quite well. Now that I am taking over half of my neighbours garden I have space to grow some more, however getting squash to germinate is a bit hit and miss with me. I have 5 pots that have been on the windowsill for a about 10 days that don't appear to be doing anything and a bunch that have been in the greenhouse for a few weeks doing nothing also.

Any suggestions on how best to get them growing. I've been taking care not to overwater. The varieties include Crown Prince, Golden Nugget, Sweet Dumpling and one other whose name escapes me. Windowsill is in a coolish room.

[Lavenderblue]

I found that squashes need a really good blast of heat to get them going. Stick them in the airing cupboard for a day or two and take them out the second they emerge. I got 100% germination using this method from my last sowing.

[amandaandherveg]

I thought they might want to be a little cosier . Would popping the ones on the windowsill into a plastic bag help? I don't have an airing cupboard as our central heating/water is fired by a woodburner.

Do you think the ones in the greenhouse are slow because it gets cold at night?

[Lavenderblue]

yes it might well do - I find that once they are through though they are fine as long as they doesn't get too cold. You don't want them growing too fast as they get all soft and rubbishy. Mine have been outside for a while now but they are in a very sheltered south facing garden and then moved out to their final position on the very exposed allotment and they are all doing fine so I don't think its the cooler nights. Its a pity you don't live closer - I have about a dozen extra plant!

[amandaandherveg]

I've got 5 back up/'just in case I snap the stem plants' doing fine in the greenhouse, 5 leaf stage. My neighbour is a sweetie, she's an elderly widow and her garden's just too much for her. I planted some veg and tatties for her a while back and trimmed some branches then we struck a deak a couple of weeks ago that I would take over the bottow half with a friend of mine. No lotties here I'm afraid so we just have to take over other peoples gardens, lol.

[SlugLobber]

I germinated mine on the sill above a radiator. The heating was only on for a couple of hours in the evening at the time, but they all germinated very well. Unfortunately, every single one got eaten. I have one sick one which I'm desperately trying to revive!

[Alison]

Germinated mine in the conservatory (unheated but warm and sunny) in May in plastic pots with mini bell cloches over the top. They all came through (3 different varieties) within a week. However, last year, they seemed to take forever, don't think I used the cloches so it could be them that made the major difference.