Celeriac Troubles

[VolesAteMyPeas]

Hi All,

I'm having trouble germinating my celeriac. This is the first time I've grown it and the seeds I have are saved from a neighbouring abandoned plot so they may be the issue. I understand they do germinate slowly but it's been over two weeks now. Any advice? They are sprinkled on top of compost in modules and kept next to the boiler on a light window sill in my bathroom where the temp is constant and warm. More pertinently, am I too late to give it another go? They need a long growing season! Thank you.

J

[Mr Bones]

Not too late to have another go. Mine germinate in the dining room which fluctuates from about 18 to 21 degrees. I do cover the tray with cling film though until they emerge. As soon as the seedlings are showing it helps to thin them out.

[Nicos]

They usually take about 3 weeks to come through.
Soaking the seeds first helps them along a bit.

Is the temp around 20C?

They do need some light to germinate ...but could the windowsill temp be dropping at night?

I put a very light sprinkle of compost over them ( they need a bit of light) and then cling film over mine to keep them moist....remember that the are in reality a bog plant!
Don't expect full germination either!

[Alison]

They usually take about 3 weeks to come through.
Soaking the seeds first helps them along a bit.

Is the temp around 20C?

They do need some light to germinate ...but could the windowsill temp be dropping at night?

I put a very light sprinkle of compost over them ( they need a bit of light) and then cling film over mine to keep them moist....remember that the are in reality a bog plant!
Don't expect full germination either!

It's not something I do with any of my seeds but out of interest his do you soak the seeds, they're so fine I keep thinking they'd get lost. Can see how big ones can be managed but no these.

As far as germination is concerned, I just sprinkle on top of MPC, cover in a light covering of compost and water. The pots then sat uncovered in my cool conservatory, keeping the compost damp. Germination happened in 2 to 3,weeks, same for celery.

[Nicos]

I 'soak' most small seeds in a shallow dish with scrunched up kitchen roll at the bottom sopping wet/flooded with water. And cover with cling film for a couple of days.
They're easy to see/ handle on white kitchen paper.

They could be left there to germinate I suppose..if so, I'd do what I do with my chilli and pepper seeds...
Then a sheet of kitchen roll on top of that, then small pieces of kitchen roll...1p size dotted about ontop of all that.
On those pieces I put one, two, or three seeds so they are easy to see when they have germinated and easy to pick up and transplant into a small pot...1p piece of paper and all cos the fine roots are often attached to the paper.

[Kristen]

I cover mine with vermiculite - its light for the seed to grow through, and lets enough light through.

They are a long season crop, so I always sow early ...

I would definitely put the seed container in a plastic bag, or cover with cling film, to keep the surface moist. Shouldn't need watering after the initial watering if it is "wrapped"

[Alison]

I 'soak' most small seeds in a shallow dish with scrunched up kitchen roll at the bottom sopping wet/flooded with water. And cover with cling film for a couple of days.
They're easy to see/ handle on white kitchen paper.

Think I'm being thick, just tried it for curiosity (I don't need anymore but have loads of seeds) and the seeds are so small they just sort of disappeared into the kitchen roll scrunches. How do you control the sowing, when they're dry I can roll my fingers together to get the thin sowing I need but they stick to my fingers when wet. Is it because I only left them for 5 mins or did you mean something else! Like to understand other methods even if I don't then choose to use them

[Kristen]

I was thinking much the same thing Alison - Celeriac seed is so tiny. I've never attempted to "chit", or for that matter to soak, any tiny seed as I assumed it was pretty much impossible to then "sow" the seed, but I'd be interested in having a go

[Nicos]

It's a matter of laying a flat piece of wet paper over the very wet scrunched one...so it's a totally flat surface.
Then fit around the small 5p sized pieces of paper on top of that.
Tip of a pencil or something smaller just dip into the seed and smudge onto the 5p paper.

When the scrunched paper is so sopping wet/ sitting in a puddle, the moisture is drawn to the seeds.
Cover with cling film .
Simples

[VolesAteMyPeas]

Thanks for all the tips! I'll try cling film over them then and wait another week or so. May try the kitchen roll method as a back up.

[marchogaeth]

I got this from the magazine ages ago but it works for me:-

constant 20 - 25C temp.
Strong light
Keep moist

Apparently, even in the wild plants germination can be poor due to these very specific requirements. the breeding programme for domestic ones has (again apparently) exacerbated the germination difficulties.

Remember, originally it is a bog plant.

[crannman]

my celeriac took 4 weeks to germinate looking ok now covered them with a plastic propogater top

[Penellype]

I've just grown my first batch ever of celeriac. I sowed them in a pot which I watered well before sowing, and just sprinkled the seeds on top. I covered the pot with a plastic bag secured by an elastic band and put it on my sitting room windowsill (temperature around 10-15 degrees probably more during the day). I sowed them quite thickly because I wasn't expecting great germination.

These are my notes:
Celeriac Monarch (Suttons)
New seed
3/3 seeds sown in 5 inch pot on top of warm, damp compost and covered with a plastic bag. Placed on sitting room windowsill – need light to germinate. Signs of root formation 11/3. Leaves appearing by 17/3 and moved to grow light garden. Far too many have germinated!
1 Apr 12 of the plants were transplanted into a 12-pack to grow on. Currently they have 1 true leaf. The remaining plants to be used as baby leaf in salads.

[Alison]

It's a matter of laying a flat piece of wet paper over the very wet scrunched one...so it's a totally flat surface.
Then fit around the small 5p sized pieces of paper on top of that.
Tip of a pencil or something smaller just dip into the seed and smudge onto the 5p paper.

When the scrunched paper is so sopping wet/ sitting in a puddle, the moisture is drawn to the seeds.
Cover with cling film .
Simples

Thanks (I think) but really not simples, my head hurts, still can't visualise this at all. Think I'll just stick to sprinkling on the surface as that works well for me and is quick and easy . I always gravitate to minimum faff and suppose I've only ever soaked or chitted seeds if I have no other way of germinating

[Bren In Pots]

I thought my first sowing wasn't going to show so 3 weeks later I sowed more and within a couple of days the first lots germinated.