No sign of germination.

Got One!!!!!

After four weeks and one day I have a bit of green poking through in one of my egg cups!

One more would be great as two chilli plants would be enough for me.

TO (v chuffed)

 

Great stuff TO, what kind are they?

 

No idea, the seeds came from a batch of supermarket chillies. The kind where you get 2 red and 2 green all about 3 inches long.
Same with the tomato seeds, they came from a particularly juicy shop fruit.
My one seedling is now getting the kind of attention normally reserved for premature babies!



TO

 

The packet I bought instructed me to plant the seeds on their sides. As the seeds are small flat ovals, this was difficult, but I did do it. Does anyone think it makes any difference?

 

Do you know Liz, I struggle with whether to plant beans, whether its runners or broad beans the right way up! They always seem to come up upside down. They still survive though despite inverting them to pot on.

 

Liz, I have never heard of that, maybe worth a try next time.

 

Like the avatar dalbuie!

 

I heard on gardener's question time that bulbs can turn themselves right way up if they are planted upside down - and if they aren't planted firmly enough, will push themselves out of the ground. If they are uprooted or push themselves out, the roots will anchor in the ground and pull the bulb upright, apparently - and I've seen a daffodil bulb inadvertently put under a (admittedly only 8-10 inch tall) conifer in a planter, push the connifer right out! It's amazing the power in those little dry-looking blobs... Which hasn't much to do with chillis but thought you might find it interesting [ ].

John and Liz, I regularly have the same dilemma. I have just tried to explain how I orientated my beans and failed miserably, but fingers crossed, anyway!

A couple of my california wonder finally germinated btw, don't know if they'll catch up in time to fruit though - I think I need to sow everything a lot earlier next year, and maybe get a heated propagator as I don't keep the house all that warm.

 

That is interesting Claire. About the bulbs that is.

 

Yes bulbs will right themselves if planted upside down but they will be a bit later cos all their energy has been put into finding the surface of the soil with the shoots. We did this in our RHS yesterday in college.

 

Thats nice to have it confirmed then. What about broad and runner beans though. Which way up do you put them in pots? Tell me TO please.

 

I always put beans in sideways [with the long bit vertical and the short bit horizontal]. If you look at a sprouting bean, the shoots [root and leaf] usually appear from the attachment scar, so this way neither has too far to go!
Another thing that confuses me is the depth of planting. With a large seed or bulb the size makes quite a bit of difference- so do you measure from the top, bottom, or middle?

 

Thanks for that and good point Liz! With beans I just put about 1/4" soil on top and firm it by hand. With bulbs though not too sure. I rely on planting instructions.

 

Well I'm delighted to say I have more chilli's on the way, they popped their little heads through last week. WOO HOO!!

 

Great news dalbuie!