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#1
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Germanation Rate
If I get a very poor germination [assuming conditions for were correct] does it imply resulting plants will be very poor.
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#2
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Hi Pete,
Do you mean a poor germination rate? If the germination rate is poor, it can mean that your seeds are a bit old or that conditions aren't ideal. It doesn't always mean that you have to expect little or slow growth. If your seedlings don't grow, that's most of the time a bad sign. How do you want them to be winners, when they have got a bad start... It's best to have fresh seeds and the germination rate, as well as the growing rate should be good to expect best results. You can't expect best results under worst conditions, right?! Btw: I've also noticed that many hydroponists aren't necessarily "seed hunters" or heirloom collectors, breeders. There are some 15.000 tomato varieties, various colors, different shapes, ranging from tiny to 3 pounds per tomato. And what is mostly grown are in fact "calibrated red supermarket tomatoes". Californian wonder Bell peppers, common herbs, the same corn as you'll get anywhere, etc. In some way it's understandable, as people tend to grow what they are used to, what's "next" to them - but why not enlarge the own horizon a bit? Just saying... Last edited by Luches; 11-27-2009 at 09:43 AM. |
#3
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Pete, maybe you can share your germination methods, and also what types of plant seeds your trying to germinate. Maybe some of us can help refine that or figure out what might also be a problem and help to determine if indeed it is the seeds or not.
Luches. I usually do one or two different Heirlooms a year, just to see if maybe there's something I will like and do regularly. I tend to like my tomatoes done in the soil tho. More of a buffer, and less chance of bottom rot. I'm sure I'll do tomatoes in a Hydro system again, but definitely not in a NFT. Probably in a perilite tube. |
#4
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Kevin has a good point here which I forgot to mention: germination rate may indeed depend on plant specie or germination method. Some plant species tend to have a much lower rate than others. And, the method in use may have a notable influence as well. Best is to give more information about both.
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#5
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Quote:
In other words: as soon as I've found a tomato that produces well, has a decent taste and flavor, a pleasant color and is robust and resistant for my climate - I'll probaly settle for it and drop the other 14999 Another example: I've got 32 varieties of Amaranth to select the "best" varieties from. Some growing as high as 4 meter (12 foot) supposed to producing over a pound of grains per plant. Others will not even reach 2 foot but are very early. Grain and leaf varieties, some for sprouts, some are traditionally used with tamales, others for popped seeds used in muesli. Some are highly decorative but less productive, etc., etc... What a task.... I actually wish I had only got a few... |
#7
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I have noticed, that in tropical climate seeds may not stay viable for very long if not kept cool. I've tomato seeds that germinated with 99% but after 16 month were dead. From now I'll keep my seeds packed airtight (zip bags) and refrigerated!
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#8
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I had someone pick up some Pelleted tomato seeds for me to start for them, and had poor germination versus my regular un-pelleted seeds.
Maybe it was a bad year for pelleted seeds? LOL! |
#9
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I never use "pelleted" seeds actually... I know they are commonly used with lettuce seeds for hydroponics. Some huge farms even manufacture their own pellets but as far as I know only for lettuce, to fit in their 'vacuum seed planter devices'. Perhaps the pellets attract some extra humidity and may be responsible for the bad germination rate, even for some fungal infection...
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#10
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You saw the 'Lettuce - How It's Made' show also? Thats my favorite one.
Either Way, I won't buy them again unless I buy them on a commercial level in the future for lettuce. Their not cheap in the small packs and considering the outcome vs. All the other seeds I started that weren't pelleted....I'm sure it wasn't what I did. |
#11
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Guess I saw it there too (remember now), but that wasn't the only time. Actually the whole thing was a bit too industrialized for my taste. I remember those milfs hooking hundreds of lettuce roots through that styrofoam rafts with a wire hook. Then again, my favorite shows are (among others) Californication and Weeds
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