Why Aren't My Seeds Growing?

📝 In This Week’s Nutty Goodness

This Week’s Focus: What’s all the craze about starting with seeds, heirloom seeds and how to get ahead of the weather.
This Might Suit Your Fancy: Seeds, seeds & more seeds
Where The Roots Meet The Soil: Why Aren’t My Seeds Growing?
Inspirational Stories: Tree Tsunami, Restoring Coral Reefs & Reviving Wetlands

I've got a packed newsletter full of insights, stuff you should think of doing or getting, upcoming events, and inspiring stories.

🐝 This Might Suit Your Fancy

Eastern US - Fedco (Northeast), Johnny’s Seed (Short Season), Hudson Valley (New England)
Southern US, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Texas Tested (Seeds for harsh climates), Common Wealth (regionally adapted), Hoss (seeds, starts & southern gardening techniques)
MidWest US, Driftless (regionally adapted), MIGardener (affordable, large selection & gardening videos), Seed Savers Exchange (heirloom & open pollinated)
Northwest US, Nichols Garden Nursery (locally adapted), Alliance of Native Seedkeepers (heirloom & non-GMO), Deep Harvest Farms (organic, open-pollinated, veg & flower), Uprising Seeds (certified organic, non-GMO)
Southwest US, High Desert (high desert CO), SeedsTrust (high desert), Terrior Seeds (AZ based), True Leaf Market (large selection, heirlooms, etc), Botanical Interest (large selection), San Diego Seed Company (regionally adapted)
Zone 10a - True Leaf Market (large selection, heirlooms, etc), Territorial Seed (high germ rates), Seeds N Such (tropical fruits, heat loving flowers), Eden Brothers

🎙️Where The Roots Meet The Soil

Why Some Seeds Just Won’t Sprout For You

I had resigned myself to thinking, maybe there are “some seeds that just won’t grow for me”.

Other thoughts like “maybe the seed is too old” (that could be true maybe). Or “I didn’t water enough,” what gardener hasn’t gone through the existential watering too much or too little dilemma.

Why Start Your Plants From Seeds Instead of Pre-Grown Transplants?

Starting from seeds used to seem like I would just be wishing on a star. I’d put them in the potting mix, give them some water and cross my fingers. When that didn’t work I would just drive to the nearest Home Depot.

Even thought I’m a biologist, I didn’t understand basic things like “time to germination” or “germination rates.” I thought maybe there are some seeds that just won’t grow for me and I took it personally, as a reflection of my ability to grow plants.

But now that I understand more, and I’ve had lots more success, there are 3 reasons I think every grower should start from seed:

👒it’s cheaper to grow from seed even if it’s starting plants indoors. Even if I have to buy seeds, it’s still cheaper.
And I’m learning how collecting seeds from what either grows nearby or in my garden will give the next round of plants a better chance of doing well.
Most importantly, I can pick a variety that will do well in the climate where I live and give me the amount and type of fruit/veg that I want.

🔖Did you miss last week when I talked about 10 plants that are toxic to dogs?

Why Some Seeds Don’t Grow

Let’s just talk about me not having enough patience to start. I used to think when I put the seed in the dirt and give ‘em some water, they should start growing at least by the next day. 🫣

Some seeds need special treatment to mimic what would happen outdoors, like cold stratification for strawberry seeds. Tough outer shells might need to be nicked or scraped to help them absorb water some time this century.

The ecologist in me could go on forever about different kinds of 🌱seed stratification but for a typical garden, the two I mentioned are the most common.

Recently, I learned something new. Don’t laugh, this is going to seem pretty obvious. Some seeds need light to germinate. Okay, you can laugh.

A lot of seeds don’t need light to sprout, but they may do better with some soaking. Then just given them moist soil that’s warm enough for their little enzymes to get to work.

Gardening Hack To Getting Ahead

Seeds are how gardeners get plants started indoors when the weather or the soil temperatures aren’t ready for seeds outdoors. With some grow lights, a seed warming pad (if you live in colder temperatures), and a small fan, you can tap into a whole new realm of gardening.

I got a lot of my garden started this way, this year. And none of my cucumber starts survived because we didn’t really get a winter here in Phoenix this year. 🫠 So I grabbed some seeds and stuck them in the ground where I had wanted them to grow.

Now I’ve got little cucumber sprouts and I supplemented with transplants so fruiting is spread out over time. Not all at once.

What’s The Big Deal With Heirloom Seeds?

I like to call these “You Get What You Plant” kind of seeds, they aren’t hybrids meaning one variety pollinated by a different variety. And they self-pollinate, meaning they really only take their own pollen.

You don’t have to worry about some sneaky pollen from a bee or the wind bringing in a different variety.

Why does that even matter?

Because different varieties give you different fruit/veg characteristics, like whether it’s a good sandwich or sauce tomato. Whether your carrots grow long or stay short.

They’ve been around for hundreds of years because they don’t mix with other varieties, so they stay true to what you planted.

Get Your News Without the Spin or the Bias

Most outlets tell you what to think. The Flyover just tells you what happened. Free, fast, fact-focused news across politics, business, sports, and more. Join over 2.3 million readers — no paywall, no agenda.

Join Free Today