This has to be the most frustrating time of the whole season. After much anticipation I finally sowed my pepper seeds. These are the first seeds to find themselves lovingly placed in seed raising mix in preparation for my summer garden. They are notoriously slow and experience has taught me that if I’m to have a decent harvest before my first frost in autumn then they need to be started now.
In spite of being a bit rusty, having not sown any seeds for months, the technique came back instinctively and I felt good. Finally, I was growing again. The season is underway. I was even proud of my restraint and only sowed what I needed and a replacement set and resisted the urge to chuck in the extra “just in case” ones and completely avoided the “but they are so tiny, it wouldn’t hurt to grow a few more!”
Then I set them up in a warm spot with a gentle heat radiating from underneath, to appease their fickle desire to germinate in a cosy spot of around 22°C. Several times a day I gently misted the soil to ensure it was at the correct level of moisture. I had even used fresh seed in a brand new seed tray so I felt so chuffed with myself. We were off to a good start.
It has been 12 days and my confidence is beginning to waiver. There is no sign of anything. Nothing. The seed tray is barren. In spite of my obsessive level of care that no other seeds in the garden receives – there is nothing like that first child to get spoiled beyond belief. By the time the cucumbers go in there is so much going on that they get lobbed into the nearest pot and watered as and when and they rarely get individual attention. They still do well – proving we don’t really need to fuss as much as we do.
But I need to be reminded of this each season as I fuss over these first seeds. I begin to question myself. Is the misting not working – is the soil too dry. Maybe my mister is a little too misty and it is making the soil too wet. What if the heat is too hot and cooking my seeds? What if it is too cold and my wee babies are shivering down there in wet soil? What if the seed is dud? But with 11 different varieties, surely they can’t all be dud? I resist the urge to have a poke. I wake in the middle of the night with the question going around and around in my brain: “What am I doing wrong?”
But deep down in my heart I know what is wrong. The problem doesn’t lie with the seeds. It lies with me. I need more patience. They will pop up eventually – in their own time. I need to trust their natural instinct to grow. I have given them what they need and all I have to do now is wait. But I do wish they’d hurry up.
Come again soon – the sun is shining, the soil is drying and there is much to be done.
Sarah the Gardener : o)
So exciting! Hoping for a great season for you.
I am a few weeks before I start planting my cool weather seed.
This time of year is super exciting, you can almost get a feeling for the summer to come. I can hardly wait.
All the best with your cool weather seeds.
Cheers Sarah : o)
Pepper seeds are SO slow. Every year I’m tempted to stop watering and just give up because obviously they’re dead. It doesn’t help that I sow them at the same time as my tomatoes who pop up in a few days…hang in there! They’re come.
I had one once come up after 53 days. I never abandon a barren seed tray! There is always hope!
Cheers Sarah : o)
Two thing that spring to mind, are they in the sun? they can cook very quickly on days like this ,Forgot to open door on my glasshouse this morning ,temp was 48degrees!! also i find a sheet of glass over the tray helps keep humidity up.
cheers
Graham
Hi Graham. thanks for your helpful advice. They are in a perfect spot in my office where I can keep a close eye on them and have started to pop up. I always get impatient around this time of year, but they never really let me down.
The greenhouse gets surprisingly warm on these late winter days!
Cheers Sarah : o)
Awesome update thank you for sharing have a blessed day your not on your own i get inpatient as well and down at times
Hi Linda. We are always in such a hurry aren’t we. Gardening is great for slowing us down to a more relaxed pace.
Cheers Sarah : o)
very true
I feel the same way about peppers, they take so long. They are probably already here as I am a little slow in responding.
Hi Lucinda. I knew it was just a waiting game. The first one popped up about an hour after I posted this to my blog! Typical!
Cheers Sarah : o)
Resisting the “chuck in the extra” is the hardest part always, I find… I do use covers on the trays, so I don´t have to mist regularly, with very small seeds I find that safer.
Even after growing successfully from seed for years – every time the peppers test my confidence. It doesn’t help that they are the first seeds of the season. They are all popping up now – thank goodness.
Cheers Sarah : o)
I got my first hint that its almost time to get into the garden again… self-sown coriander and rocket started popping up. Spring is nearly here!
You can really tell, when the weeds start popping up in earnest! I hope you have a fabulous season.
Cheers Sarah : o)