Question 1

Why did my seeds fail to germinate?

Accepted Answer

Almost always one of five things, and the order below is roughly how often each is the culprit.

**Temperature.** This is the most common cause and the least visible. Every species has a soil temperature range in which it will germinate, and below it seeds simply wait — or rot. Tomatoes and peppers want around 20–25°C; lettuce refuses above about 25°C and germinates happily at 10–15°C. A cold windowsill in March is below the threshold for most summer crops, and a heated propagator or a warm airing cupboard solves it outright.

**Moisture, in either direction.** Seeds need consistent moisture. Allowed to dry out once after imbibing water, most will die. Kept saturated, they rot or fall to damping-off, a fungal collapse at soil level. The target is damp, not wet — covering trays retains humidity but must be removed once seedlings appear.

**Sowing depth.** A reliable rule is to sow at roughly twice the seed's diameter. Fine seed sown too deep exhausts its reserves before reaching light. Some seeds — lettuce, poppies, foxgloves, snapdragons — need **light** to germinate and must be pressed onto the surface, not covered at all. The packet says which.

**Seed age and viability.** Germination rates fall with time, sharply for some species. Parsnip seed is notoriously short-lived and should be bought fresh each year; tomato seed can last five years or more.

**Compost.** Ordinary potting compost is too coarse and too rich for small seed. Seed compost is finer and lower in nutrients, which is what young roots want.

A few species need specific treatment — scarification, or a cold period called stratification — and will never germinate without it.

Question 2

Why do some seeds need a cold period before they germinate?

Accepted Answer

Because they have a built-in dormancy mechanism that prevents germination until the seed has experienced winter — an adaptation that stops seedlings emerging at the wrong time of year and being

Question 3

Why do my seedlings grow tall and floppy?

Accepted Answer

Tall, thin, pale seedlings that fall over are stretching toward light, a response called etiolation. The plant is investing everything in height to escape shade, at the expense of stem thickness and

Question 4

How long do seeds stay viable?

Accepted Answer

From one year to several decades, depending overwhelmingly on the species and then on storage conditions — and the difference between species is far larger than most seed packets suggest. The

Question 5

What are the most common vegetable gardening mistakes?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding common vegetable gardening mistakes is essential for successful gardening. Key errors include poor soil prep, improper watering, and neglecting pest control.

Question 6

What is bolting and how do I stop it?

Accepted Answer

Bolting is when a plant switches abruptly from producing leaves to producing a flower stem and seed. In a crop grown for its leaves or roots it ruins the harvest — leaves turn bitter and tough, and

Question 7

What does it mean to harden off seedlings?

Accepted Answer

Hardening off is gradually acclimatising indoor-raised plants to outdoor conditions before planting them out. Skipping it is one of the most common reasons healthy-looking seedlings collapse within

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