Disaster with squash!

[Dorothyrouse]

I planted, Crown Prince, Sweet Dumpling and Butternut squash, brought them inside to light kitchen, not one has germinated! (14 potential plants!)

Is it worth trying another lot? Or contacting the ‘seed company’? Thinking dead seed? Although all packets were new this year, so. Not old/out of date.

Doubt if I’d find any plants in GC!

I’m really a bit annoyed! Any advice please?

[peanut]

I had poor gemination on my squash this year, I think it has just been too cold overnight, even indoors in my house! I've been chitting and resowing over the last week and now have too many!

[Jungle Jane]

Did you water them a second time after sowing? They can be slow.it seems strange for all three varieties to not show,can you remember how many days ago they were sowed?

[Snoop Puss]

Have you had a poke around in the compost and checked the seeds? When did you sow them? Might they just be a bit slow. It's been so cold this year that even though I took my courgettes indoors, they took ages to germinate this year. I'd given them up as a bad job when at long last, one popped up its head. Followed two weeks later by others.

I've only just sown my squash, but here that should still be OK. Where are you based, DR? It might be too late for Crown Prince and butternut, but Sweet Dumpling might be OK.

As for contacting the seed suppliers, I've never done that. I've always assumed the fault was mine or too difficult to prove it was theirs. Did the seeds all come from the same supplier?

[nickdub]

I always chit that sort of seed first by putting them in a plastic box with damp paper and then placing it somewhere warm like on a radiator.

[Dorothyrouse]

I sowed them on 18/5, in peat pots, the butternut and the sweet dumpling came from the same supplier.

One has shown its head now. I have had a little look, possibly one more appearing, maybe I’m being too impatient

I have more of the above, so may as well sow them, I also have a few CP, that were given to me, so worth ago, as they are delicious

[Dorothyrouse]

I’m in Kent

[Snoop Puss]

Good to hear they're coming up after all.

[Snadger]

I bought 15 mixed squash seeds off ebay. It wasn't until I had pressed the BIN that I read the negative write ups from buyers complaining about poor germination!

With this in mind I sowed the lot thinking I may get 1 or 2?

. Up to now 12 of the fifteen have germinated!

[Mr Bones]

We had the same thing with courgettes Dot. The first lot didn't do much good in compost so put a second batch to chit on damp kitchen roll in the airing cupboard. Unfortunately the boiler then bit the dust and none germinated.. Three good plants out of two packets of seed.

[mrsbusy]

all my squashes courgettes and cucs germinated well. I put this down to getting a small heated propagator. I used to start the seeds in the airing cupboard but the cupboard has been commandeered for a very large hot water tank for a new heating system (air source) so no room for anything else in there now.

[Sweet savory]

This year the squash germination here has been a bit dire. First lot completely no show. Then a blue kuri popped up followed by an uchiki kuri and then another blue. Three is enough for us but I had to sow 7 seeds to get them. The seed was from 2 different sources and the more “commercial “ source was the failure. Not sown on heat but sounds like a worthwhile investment

[Dorothyrouse]

Well, a few out of the original 14, have now popped up, about half.

I have the rest of the remaining seeds on damp kitchen roll in kitchen, to see if they’ll germinate! May as well, probably be inundated now!

[Dorothyrouse]

Opps, anyone need any squash! I planted more and eventually got quite a number to grow! Like about 20! Have planted some out on plot, but others are now coming on ok, but still may fail.

So I really must learn to be more patient!

[peanut]

Same here! Now have so many squashes and cucumbers, I'm sticking them in any random place horizontal and vertical!