Squash wont germnate

[.commander]

Hello all!

My wife kindly picked me up some "musquee de provence" seeds a few weeks ago from a garden center but nothing I do can make them germinate. The Courgette plants managed no bother. Any suggestions to work out if it is I or the seed? They were full price good brand too so I'm annoyed if it is the seed!

[muddled]

Are you starting them in a heated propogator?

The last few weeks have been pretty cold...followed by a sudden warm spell. If you started your seeds off during the cold spell outside, they might have rotted.

Do you have seeds left to try?
If you don't have a heated prop, any constant gentle heat will help....on top of a fish tank maybe? or on top of the fridge? You can even start them off in the airing cupboard but wrap the pot in a clear plastic bag to prevent it drying out and check twice a day....as soon as it breaks the surface your seedling will start to get 'leggy' if its stuck in the dark.

Most pumpkin/squash seeds germinate and show above the surface in about 6 to 10 days I think....they tend to pretty quick.

[Marb67]

My Cucamelon and courgette seeds have only just come up after what seemed like weeks of waiting. I almost gave up.

[SusieG]

Hi Commander, my courgettes and butternut squash too were very, very slow. In fact my first sowings of courgette were a complete no show. The second lot faired better, purely because I left them on a sunny, warm, windowsill (above a radiator!) and they germinated in the appropriate amount of time.

The butternut squash I had planted 3 seeds, I have only one germinated, after rescuing them from unheated GH (as the pack instructions ...?) and popping them too indoors ...

So yes, as muddled says - start again and keep 'em warm!

Not forgetting pumpkins too, also romping away after starting indoors!

[Yasminh14]

I have a method that I always use for squash seeds with a pretty much 100% success rate, as long as seed is fresh. I soak bit of kitchen towel in water, then lay it in the bottom of a small plastic tub. Pop my seeds on top, close the tub and put it in the airing cupboard. It creates a warm, humid environment that helps the seed germinate, usually within 2 days. As soon as I see a little root appear, I pop it into a small pot of seed compost, put it on a sunny windowsill, or in the greenhouse/coldframe (depending on outdoor temperature) and the leaves will usually appear within another 2 days. I do this every year and it never fails, with any type of squash or melon seed.

[AkionTotocha]

For me, difficult seeds go on kitchen paper in the tropical aquarium. Not in in the aquarium, but on top of the filter so they're only wet/moist and then the heat is constant too. The second they germinate though they get taken and put in soil.

So I'd try soaking them in water or on a kitchen towel, maybe under clingfilm on a radiator or something? So the heat is warm and the area is wet. But then check regularly so they don't rot too..

[Kirk]

I have 6 in to grow/germinate, so far not a thing after about 6 weeks.
Have Winter, Hunter, Hawk varieties.
One appears to have green at the pointy end but that is about it.
Tomorrow it could well be a case of buy 2 or 3 at the plant stall on the market. At 70p each I suspect they are my best chance.

[Gillykat]

I sowed my butternut 'Hunter' on 4th May and just noticed two coming up yesterday. It has been extremely warm this past week in the greenhouse mind

I like the sound of your method yasminh14 - I'll write that down and try it next year

[teakdesk]

Temperature is the key, I find.

I wanted to check the viability of saved spaghetti squash seed so did the damp kitchen paper trick in three pots back at the start of April. Kept seed at 18 degC and after 4 weeks no germination.

Couldn't find any new seed of the same variety so I showed some seed in compost in the propagator at 25degC anyway and it germinated in under two weeks.