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...
