Why are my Seeds not growing?

Seeds Not Growing This is a common and understandable question when people have often spent a lot of money and time planting seeds and they wonder why are my seeds not growing? We will try and explain some of the requirement that seeds need to start to grow and the factors that may impact on or delay growth. Whilst the principles are the same for all seeds we will concentrate on the areas we cover which are mainly grass seeds and wild flowers.

SEED REQUIREMENTS; The key things are;

• The right quality of soil.
• A reasonably even seed bed. With our seeds you are sowing small seeds which must be planted near the surface. If the seed bed is uneven then seed may drop down holes and not grow.
• Enough moisture, not a problem in spring 2018 but in other season it has remained dry for weeks
• Soil temperature. Ideally the soil temperature needs to be consistently over 12 degrees centigrade for a few days. Whilst you can buy a soil thermometer, as a rough guide the climate temperature needs to be roughly 6 degrees warmer than the soil temperature.

OTHER FACTORS why the seeds not growing.

• Assuming that you have created a good even seed bed and there are not problems with the soil and seed is not buried too deep then the main things that effect germination are water and temperature.
• On a small area you may be able to water it but on a larger meadow or paddock this not possible, so you just have to wait. Generally, seed will sit there, and if it is warm enough, as soon as it starts to rain it will grow.
• Several things can slow germination down. If the ground is wet (clearly a big problem in spring 2018) or heavy ground or is in shade, then it will take longer to warm up This will in turn slow germination down.
• Another factor may be PH or Soil nutrients. An acid soil severely limits the species that will grow there. Ideally it should be above 6.0 for grass to grow . It is easy to test if you have any concerns. On larger fields if taking it on or concerned about performance then it is worth getting a full soil test. Low levels of some nutrients can impact on establishment and performance

Planting Mixtures

Horses in Field Most of what we supply are mixtures of grasses and or grasses and wild flowers. All grass seed must be independently tested for germination and purity. Most grass seeds will have passed a minimum germination standard of over 90%. Some wild flower meadow mixes can contain over 30 different species and whilst it is not impossible it is unlikely they will all fail at the same time. Our general advice is given the right conditions and the correct seed bed, seeds will grow. Generally, germination on grass starts within 10 to 14 days. If though any of the factors we described affect the conditions, then the start of germination will be delayed. Seeds will wait until the conditions are right for it then growth should start quickly.   If you are still asking the question why are my seeds not growing and would like some more advice, then please feel free to contact us at shop@meadowmania.co.uk