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When to give up on seedlings?

debs64debs64 Posts: 4,925
If you have 12 little pots and seeds coming up beautifully in 9 of them how long do you give the other 3? Just wondering what other gardeners do. Bearing in mind that space in propogator or on windowsill may be limited. 
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  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,930
    Throw them out.
    They will germinate the next day.
    Happened to me last week with some tomato seedlings. Now I don’t know which varieties they are.🙄
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 4,861
    😂 @pansyface
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 6,657
    If they haven't shown their faces by the time the others are ready to pot on, they go on the compost heap
    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first” 
  • LynLyn Posts: 22,004
    Depends what they are, I sow some seeds that I know won’t germinate until autumn or even next Spring. 
    Some seeds need an outside winter before they’ll germinate. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • If at first you don't succeed, read the instructions. They might be slow to germinate, or they might need stratification, or the might need darkness.
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 4,925
    If 9 out of 12 germinate that’s a pretty good success rate I just wondered how long other people gave their seedlings before giving up. Like to give them every chance but obviously space is limited. 
  • LynLyn Posts: 22,004
    As said before, depends what they are some can take up to two years to germinate some in 2 days. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 4,861
    Mine get till I pot them on, like you limited space, so if 9 are up and that is enough then tip out the rest. I usually do it somewhere that if one suddenly appears it could be salvaged. 
  • LynLyn Posts: 22,004
    I  thought the OP was talking about other pots not germinated, not seeds in the same pots, so yes I agree, if nine seeds out of twelve  in the same pot have germinated I’d through away the rest. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • debs64debs64 Posts: 4,925
    Sorry I wasn’t more clear I just think it’s strange, I have about 180 sweet peas all sown at the same time in the same way about 10 different varieties and it’s amazing how some are really tall then in the next tube exactly the same variety is only just poking through. About 40 tubes are showing nothing at all, different types. I may give them another week then empty them into a big pot and see if anything happens. 
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