As a beginner gardener, I've found that I need to write down when I plant seeds because I get so excited that it FEELS like I planted them weeks ago when it's only been 5 days. LOL! I start to worry too early. 😉
On the plant tag I pencil the date and on my wall calendar which hangs near my seed trays I write what seeds I started that day. Helps me realize it hasn't been as long as it feels like lol. 😊
My #1 mistake is impatience. Seeds didn't sprout, so I stole the soil to plant something else. Then I have several different plants growing in one pot or I find tiny sprouts that I just killed because I wanted the dirt for something else.
I did this with my red sorrel seeds. They didn't germinate for a month, so I reused the soil for indoor basil, and ended up with dozens of sorrel sprouts in between my basil a couple months later.
Thanks, Luke. Ignorance is bliss. I didn't know about carrots needing darkness but had a bumper crop in a small garden at my former house. I must've done something accidentally right.😂 Great tips. Keep them coming!
A lot of folks, especially new gardeners, plant the seeds too deep. I know I made that mistake when I was first starting out. It’s important to pay attention to the planting depth on the seed packet.
I love you Luke! You’re such an upstanding and honest young man! You remind me of my son! The only time I don’t buy from you is when you don’t have a type of seed I want, usually herbs. But 99% of what I’ve bought is from you! Just ordered Trifecta and worm casings and plant identifiers.. I tell everyone about you because it’s so nice to find an honest and upright seed seller! I’ll support you until I can no longer plant seeds! ❤️ God bless you and your family! ❤
I had seeds sprout this year from 2011 and 2012. I was experimenting. They took longer to germinate. My theory is as seeds age the outside shell hardens. I will try to germinate more old seeds knowing they might not come up, but excited when they do.
2023 is my first kitchen garden. Zone 5, MI. My seedling germination rate is high, but my seedlings are leggy. I have another small grow light on the way and will repot under new lights. First set of true leaves are just budding.
I planted store bought beans with 15 varieties in it. I soaked them overnight. They germinated wonderfully and are growing so fast. I made a video of them and an update. Now I need to transplant them and do another update. I planted 70 tomatoes and I had 3 varieties. I only got one plant from two of them and two plants from the sungold. They were planted around February 19th. I'm contacting Burpee and have them replaced. Great video as always 😊 Thanks for sharing this info 😊 have a great day and happy gardening 🌿🌱😊🤗
I’m definitely too impatient. Just started trying to grow from seeds and have made a bunch of errors. The good thing is that I planted such a wide variety that I at least have beans and squash. Unfortunately, my greenhouse became too hot and killed most of my tomato seedlings. I have a new tray with tomato seeds. Hopefully I will have some tomato seedlings soon! Thanks for all of the great content!
So funny you made a video about this. Every year I keep a written record of ALL my seed stock, with date of packet and variety, into a composition notebook. I knew I'd had certain seed packets that I had that were PRETTY OLD. This year I began to mark them specifically. Anything that was older than 2020, I began adding a star in front of PER DECADE😂... just to show me how old they REALLY WERE. I LITERALLY had at least one pack of seeds that had 3 STARS in front(1999)! Lol! This year I decided to take all those seeds that were that old and finally just dealt with them to get them out of my stock for good. I took the 1999 and several 2006 seed packs and soaked them for between 1-2 days and then planted them in pots in my little greenhouse. So far, I have a pack of SNAPDRAGONS from 2006 that HAVE SPROUTED! Could hardly believe it. I thought, if MIGardener can bring the Giant Crimson Tomato back from extinction from a pack of seeds from the 1930's, 40's, or 50's, then I can raise out whatever germinates and lives long enough for me to transplant them out. I was SO PROUD of you guys for accomplishing that! I bought a pack last fall for planting this year. Had asked my BF's elderly in-laws if they'd ever heard of the variety. They didn't know if they had. I told them the story behind MIGardener bringing it back from extinction. And she paid me for the pack I had so they could grow them out, and I bought 2 other packs to replace the ones I sold to her. I'm REALLY excited to try growing the Giant Crimson Tomato this year! Happy germination!
I'm surprised you didn't mention the soil drying out. As a new indoor seed starter, I let some trays get too dry. I figured if the humidity dome was on, they were good, so I wasn't monitoring soil moisture close enough. Luckily, I cought most just in time to not lose them.
I always have a fan on the seedlings now, to prevent loss from dampening off. Great video, and MIgardner is a wonderful seed source. All my asparagus seeds from you are already growing, no seed scratches needed. Great growth already. Also all the flower seeds and herbs are already growing great. I still have snow, but your seeds are already trays of healthy little plants ready to go. Thanks so much. Happy Spring!
Thanks for info Luke, I didn't know beans prefer dryer soil & weather. I was able to successfully grow Martha Washington Asparagus from seed without doing any scarification or soaking the seeds at all. The only thing I did was to stratified my asparagus seed in the freezer and while starting them indoors using a heat mat until germination. The seed I had was already a couple of years old thankfully so many sprouted.
Thank you Luke! I've been having difficulty germinating peppers for 3 years running. 😧 I didn't use a heat mat because they're close to the heat register. I'm going to start more one more time - then I'll pick up some plants at the nursery. 😊 Blessings!💚🍃🌱🪴
I've had a lot of success germinating pepper seeds in a damp paper towel in a warm place, like over a pilot light. You just have to make sure it doesn't dry out or go moldy. Usually if you prime the seeds like this, then even the ones that haven't yet sprouted can be placed in soil and they'll sprout a couple days later.
How old were you when you got interested in gardening? And was there one or two things that started your love for it? I have learned so much from your videos.. truly thank you.
I always plant mostly new seeds, then throw in a few of my older favorites I have left. I still have some Costoluto Genovese seeds from you from a few years ago. I love those tomatoes, so planted a few of them with my new tomato seeds and all 3 germinated. Some older parsnip seeds did nothing. My peppers did nothing until I got heat mats, then they germinated like crazy. I have recommended your channel and your seeds to everyone. Both are the best.
The first time I tried to germinate zinnias they failed completely. I dug down in the potting mix (which contained some homemade compost) and discovered tiny larvae that had burrowed into the seeds and eaten them! Now I use more sterile seedling mix. 😕 Thanks for the Giant Crimson seeds, Luke! They went into the ground yesterday (Zone 10a) and are doing beautifully!
Happy St. Patrick's day! Thank you for all your wonderful hard work and exceptional attention to details! You're all gold! Inoculate seeds? Never heard of that. I'll research your channel for fyi... but through research seems like a rabbit hole (no pun intended). Idea: Use a clean new nail file to scarify? Thanks for all you do! Much appreciated!
Thanks Luke!! I didn't know you could scarify artichoke seeds lol I planted 5 and they all came up so I must know what I'm doing lol, but more than likely it's bc the seeds came from MIGardener!!! Bless yall! Happy planting!
I totally understand what you're saying Luke I have been struggling with certain seeds that are not germinating and my reason is the location that I'm germinating them in Is to cold I have tried using heat mats to germinate my tomatos and peppers some of them are not sprouting and at the same time the soil is drying out a lot quicker so I have to water more often I am trying to just water when thay need It
Great video Luke.... I'm a seeds fanatic and I do some of my plants from my own seeds, like tomatoes, bell peppers, melons etc... I have some they dont sproud and I think its the seeds that didnt grow to maturity... thanks for your time. Shalom
How about a video on starting seedless watermelon. Soil blocks vs. seed starting mix, heat mats, or not, scarification, or not. And any other tips. They are hard to get germinated. Humidity dome or not and Watering before emergence.
That happened to me last year when I planted a tower of herbs and then accidentally knocked them over! I just had to try to put it all back together the best I could and decided I’d just have surprise herbs!
My best friends' Mother in law saved tomato seeds in a piece of waxed paper. It was a very small amount of seeds and she put them into a plastic jar with a lid. Now her MIL has been gone for about 7 years. Nobody knows when the seeds were put into the jar or what kind they are. I sprinkled some in some seed starting mix to see what would grow. So far we have 15 that have sprouted!!! Since I don't know what type of tomato they are, I'm calling them Debbie's tomatoes. 😊 I'm hoping they grow & produce well so my bestie and her husband can have seeds from her.
I look at my seed trays every day! I can't help myself, so far I have 75% of my marigolds. It's only been a week and i have tiny baby sprouts. 😅 Really hoping for my onions and jalapeños. I give everything a tiny bit of water every day and I hope that's ok. The seedlings are near a heat register, and I'm afraid they'll dry out. I bought grow lights this year hoping for a much better result from my seedlings.
Thanks for the tips on seeds! I have packets from 22 and I wish I could share because I'm not going to use them all. Going to see if there is an age requirement for seeds at my local library's seed library. Because if I keep them, I will plant them next year.
I have bought through Amazon (checked the supplier) and had great germination. My husband bought a large garden starter pack for me... 80% would not germinate and no date on the packaging. Live and learn...
Man... my problem is that I overseed and end up growing too much. Then the seedlings are so healthy I feel guilt culling them. So my starting room ends up overfilled and I can't find enough people to give away my extra plants to.
Well honestly I’ve never took it to all these reasons. I’ve always been a decent grower of my plants and happy with my results. Darn MS is taking more so planting changes are charge. Your videos have been great just wanna say Thank You 👍
One sprouting issue that I deal with frequently and is such a tough one to deal with is fungus gnat larva (or other root eating larva) chomping on the new tiny roots before the sprouts even have a chance to show their face... I don't wish these on anyone 🤦 If you spot 1 fungus gnat flying around, get your artillery out right away because it can get bad. If you see 1, there's probably already hundreds of larva in the soil.
I had fungus gnats last year so I've been researching. Apparently, if you mix in boiling water at the beginning, it kills all the eggs. Let it cool before using the soil. I'm trying it this year.
@@torontohomestead9254 this is what I do. Boiling water with peat moss or coco coir and pearlite and vermiculite. I usually add my worm castings after everything has cooled down though.
I've had the hardest time getting several types of seeds to germinate at all. The first is skirret, or _Sium sisarum_ which is a perennial umbellifer like a parsnip that grows back year after year. The seeds are tiny like carrots, but they can take up to 2 months to germinate, which is exactly what happened to mine. I only got a few seedlings from a pinch of seeds, and I'm not sure how to get them to germinate faster. The second is red-veined sorrel, or _Rumex sanguinosa._ I collected a bunch of seeds from the existing plant I have, and tried sowing them last September indoors. Nothing happened after a month, so I reused the soil to grow basil over the winter. Come December, I had a whole bunch of little sorrels sprouting up between my other plants. I heard some types of sorrel can take 6-8 weeks to germinate, but I don't know if I'm doing something wrong. The third is ramps, or _Allium tricoccum._ Due to people overforaging them in the wild, I decided to try growing some at home. However, I can't get the seeds to germinate at all. I read that they may require several rounds of stratification, which I tried to do by putting them in and out of the refrigerator, but so far nothing.
Last year I tried to start Delphinium and they didn't germinate as I didn't know enough to cold stratify them!!! I also planted many of the cool season plants too late as I thought that I had to wait until all danger of frost to even start them!
Any advice on what to do when the roots grow through the bottom of the tray? I accidentally forgot to empty my tray after bottom watering and now I have a bunch of roots growing in the drip tray.
That's my signal to transplant... if the final place isn't prepared yet, or weather conditions aren't prime, then I up pot the seedlings to a larger pot. I chose the size of the up sized pot based on how long I think it's going to take to get the final bed prepared and the rate of growth of the plant. So... I'd probably up pot a tomato that's showing it's roots 4 weeks early into an 8 to 10" pot (because they grow fast) but I'd transplant a pepper into a 4" to 6" pot because they grow much slower. Be as gentle as you can.. but don't worry too much about a few roots not making it back threw the holes.
It also helps to wet down the soil so that the plants separate more easily and you don't break as many roots. It depends on the type of plant, as certain plants like tomatoes and basil can regrow their roots more readily than others.
I discovered that a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide works really well and doesn't hurt the seedlings. I've always had this issue and am trying it for the first time this year. I still see one or two here and there but they are gone for the most part. Straight peroxide, no need to dilute.
I just learned why my Artichoke seeds aren't sprouting. I've tried twice this year so far only to have seeds rot. I will get it the sandpaper and hopefully third time's the charm! 🤣
I learned that soaking or putting seeds in the fridge will help them to start growing; though I have to say that last year the slugs and caterpillars were my biggest problem. Netting will be in place this year, and hope the neighbours cat isn't able to get under it. I live in the Republic of Ireland; so it is a wet place a lot of the time. In the height of summer it might get as high as 32 Celsius. :) Thanks for all the tips many of which I will be using this year. I only have 4 small raised beds for veg so I try to grow just the veg we would eat. Take care and stay safe
Any good tips on germinating Delphinium seeds. I've planted one-two seeds per cell and covered it with a paper towel, and a dome. Curious if there's any tips you can give me to ensure some success?
I can't wait for this one... I have Nasturtium all in the same tray all planted on the same day all in the same condition all brand new seed but one type has had ZERO germination 😢 and I haven't had any luck getting any stevia to germinate either.
I'll be growing stevia for 1st time this year and have heard they need a heat mat. If you didn't use one, might be something to look into. Edit: Source was Doug and Stacey. She had a neighbor put her stevia seeds on a heat mat when she 1st started growing it.
@@reneejmj Yes ma'am I've tried a few rounds so far with multiple tricks 🤣 Heat mat and humidity dome as well as lights because they're surface sown. I haven't given up hope yet but they've definitely been a challenge for me.
@@oldbear6813 After reading your post, decided to sew seeds a week sooner than planned. It has already germinated. Got seeds from Bakers Creek. Had on heat mat and put seran wrap w/rubber band on it. It was 3 inch pot
Great posting. My conclusion,from years of experience, My growing season too short to waste time on saved seed,( Unless it's a special variety). Just buy new every year from MiGardener. Your pepper seeds had a really good germination %. They have dropped starter leaves, developed true leaves, now they are just setting there. Will see. Thanks.
If you are land race gardening, buying breeding stock seeds, varieties' pack, etc. Naturally germination expectations in general can be very dramatic so keep that in mind too.
I direct sowed my onions and carrots together on 2/23/23. They have both germinated. The onion stalks are about 8" tall and the carrots are still seedlings. I'm in zone 8a in SC.
When you are seed shopping, sometimes you will see that there are seeds that are inoculated. That means that they have a coating that protects them from disease. For example, they might have an anti-fungal inoculation that protects them from some kind of fungal rot. Some specialty gardening stores sell the various inoculants so you can do-it-yourself. I don't use any of them in my garden, but If I was losing a lot of seeds every year to rot, I would start.
Hi Luke! My question is, why did one of my MIGardener Peach Melba Nasturtium seeds germinate, but not the other 11 I started? They were all prepared, planted, and watered the same way. I also did not know carrots germinate better in the dark. Thank you!
I'd love to see a list of seeds that need a warming mat to germinate. I have tried 4 times, 9 different ways to get the Paris lettuce seeds to germinate. Zero germination every time. I'm growing my lettuce using the Kratky method, and every other lettuce types i bought from you have done very well, but not Paris. Its this year's, so the seeds aren't old. I just can't figure it out. Spinach was difficult too, so I threw some seeds in soil that had been baked (to kill fungus gnats & spider mites, since v this is indoors). And BOOM, the spinaches grew!! I also tried that with the Paris lettuce in the same dirt with the spinach but Zero again. I've tried with rain water, filtered water, warm water, in a rock wool, on paper towels & in dirt. (Plus some under grow lights at different heights in my germination tent, and some in darkness). And I tried over seeding, like 5 seeds in a pod. Zero germinated. Anybody got suggestions?? BUT we are loving the other 6 lettuce types: Simpsons, Ruby, Little Gems, Slobolts, Cinnamons & Butterheads. They're delicious!!
Thanks for the video! I had a question: What is inoculating again? I also do have to admit I did also excavate my seeds to see if they had sprouted! :)
Last year I got Nadapena seeds and Habanada seeds from Etsy, two different suppliers. Nadapenas had almost 100% germination, Habanadas had 0% germination. I definitely blame the seeds. Peppers can be ornery and make us wait to long but I have never had this happen. This year seed was ordered early from a well known seed company.. Nadapenas were delicious and made a great salsa for those who don't like heat.
For some reason I thought the lavender seeds would sprout in the fridge! I'll try those again this year. I need to look up information on Holy Basil to try to figure out what I did wrong. I tried 3 different ways and times and nothing came up. Guess it needs more investigation before I get more seeds to try again.
What temperature range is best for stratification? Everyone says throw it in the fridge but my fridge isn't very stable. Many of my seeds don't sprout after stratifying.
Unstable might actually be better, because if the seeds go through cooling and warming cycles, that counts as one round of stratification. However, it depends on the type of seeds. Some like strawberries and blueberries need to go in the freezer, and I've also heard of peppers being stratified in the freezer.
Any advice on beet seeds? I live in zone 8 A. I soaked, then started inside in good soil mix and under a full spectrum grow light and only 2 out of 12 have germinated. Any advice appreciated
Please do a video specific on germinating celery seed. I bought some of your celery seed and have not had any success. All the other seeds I purchased from you have had no problems. In fact awesome germination rate except your celery seed 😢
Hi Im in Michigan, newb gardener, was curious if you had any experience growing fennel here? It's one of my fav veggies but expensive so was curious if you had any tips
I’m in MI as well, in the same town as Migardner in fact. I bought a started fennel plant last year and it grew great. Needed no maintenance. I know that doesn’t help with starting it from seed but growing it in MI for me has been easy peasy.
Raising my hand guilty as charged 🙋I excavated a little just this morning wondering what's wrong with my jalapenos this year. Thankfully I have more soaking and some bells so I can start them later today.
Do pepper & tomato seeds need to be in a consistent temperature range to germinate? I have them in a small greenhouse with heater that gets down to 50F at night.
I'm trying it too! Heard about it on Adapt 2030 with David Dubine.. then again it was mentioned in live stream with Bed Davidson on Suspicious Observers. I've got some copper wire and I'm going to wrap my bamboo teepee vineing framework in my 30 gallon pea buckets with the wire and see what happens. I have 10 buckets and I have 5 controls and 5 experiments (each with peas from the same pkg). I'm always excited to experiment with new discoveries... I loved strawbale gardening until they started spraying everything with persistent herbacides.
I planted fifteen varieties of peppers for seed starts. Tweelve of them met or exceeded expectations for germination. Three, I am having problems witrh, Habanada, Ozark Giant, and Rewia. Thus far, I've gotten two seds for each variety to germinate. I'm on the second round of seeding The seed trays are inside, on a heat mat, under a grow lamp. This is my second time trying tio grow Habanada. I haven't had much success with them. Rewia germinated and grew well for me last year. The seeds aren't very old, 2 years, the other polants are for 2023 growing season. Ozark Giant is a new variety for me, and not giving me a good impression.
