Why haven't my seeds come up?
There are dozens of reasons why your seeds may not yet have germinated, but all is not lost. Try and establish the cause of this crop failure and sow some more. Even the most experienced gardener suffers losses, the secret is not to give up and try again. Never sow the whole packet at once, sow a few, wait a week or two and sow a fresh batch in a new pot or seed tray. If one batch doesn't germinate, at least you'll have a second and third chance.
Old seed? – Some seed lasts for years and years, while other seed needs to be sown fresh or within a certain time scale. If the seed you sowed was old, or damp or diseased then it may not germinate.
Too soon? – Some seeds germinate in a couple of days, while others need a week or more or sometimes even several months. Check and see how long the seed you have sown normally takes to appear: don't dig around trying to see what has happened. Instead sow some more and try again.
Too wet? – Although seeds do need moisture to germinate, if the compost is too wet, they may rot rather than grow. It is a fine art, but try to use free draining seed compost and don't over water.
Been eaten? – Tiny seedlings are tasty delicacies for marauding slugs and snails. If you've grown something really scrumptious then these can become magnets for hungry pests. Have a look for tell tale silvery trails around your pots and if present, then your seedlings have probably been munched. They won't reappear, so sow some more and use your preferred method of slug control.
Mice? – Some seeds are attractive to rodents and can be eaten before they even sprout and germinate. Mice have a habit of setting up home in the protected greenhouse environment and a tray of peas are just too tempting. Look out for tell tale mouse signs such as droppings. Set a humane trap, baited with chocolate or peanut butter and release the little creatures outside.
Wrong compost? – Don't be tempted to sow precious seeds in pots of garden soil. They may well germinate but if you are new to sowing from seed you may struggle to tell weeds and seedlings apart. More importantly gardens soil can harbour all manner of pests and diseases that will be encouraged by the warmer greenhouse conditions and could attack your seedlings.
Damping off – Your seedlings may have germinated while you weren't looking and could then have been cut down to soil level by a fungal disease called Damping Off. Start again and sow some more.
Questions and Answers
A cold frame is like a mini greenhouse. It is used by greenhouse gardeners to be an interim between the greenhouse and the garden.
A cold frame is an enclosure that is close to the ground with a transparent roof that protects plants from very cold weather. When sunlight passes though the transparent top, it heats the enclosure by convection and the warm air cannot escape. It is a miniature greenhouse that extends the growing season for flowers, vegetables and more. It is called a cold frame because it is not artificially heated like a greenhouse.
Cold frames gardening is another name for a cold frames greenhouse. These are greenhouses that are great for those who are just starting out growing things for the first time.
A cold frame is a roofed enclosure that is built low to the ground and used to protect plants in cold weather. Cold frames vary in size. A smaller version may be 3 ft. across, and larger versions are available from about 6 to 8 ft. across. Many different sizes are available. Cold frames have a transparent top constructed of glass or an equally appropriate material that allows plenty of sunlight. A good way to describe a cold frame is a "mini greenhouse".
Make a cold frame and extend your growing season. This simple structure will enable you to enjoy fresh vegetables well into the winter.
Cold frame plans are generally affordable to implement and can become a highly beneficial addition for your garden. The primary function of such a structure is to prolong the growing season, thereby providing the chance for a better yield for your effort and hard work. With this particular approach to gardening, the summer season is often started early on and extended longer devoid of the concern about the elements working against your growing efforts.
If you are like most people, you only think about pest control when you have some type of pest problem, but the reality is that just because you may not see a problem does not mean one that one isn't there.
For much of the last century Hemp was vilified for its reputation synonymous with Cannabis, and, unfortunately, the fear campaign waged by western politics pigeon-holed a crop of high economic potential, as a dangerous and dissident drug. Aside from its superiority in the categories of durability, longevity and cost effectiveness, the hemp crop has one of the most varied lists of applications of any commercial crop.
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That's a quite a far-reaching question as it does depend on what you want to use your greenhouse for.
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