Nasturtium seeds - germination time?

From reading various places on the Internet it looks like Nasturtium seeds take 10 to 20 days to germinate. Would people here say that's about right?

I partly ask because I planted some Nasturtium seeds 5 days ago (no signs of germination yet of course) - they're in good moist seed compost in a planter (which is inside a large, sealed plastic bag) inside my airing cupboard. They were soaked for 24 hours beforehand. Yesterday I also placed some in some sheets of damn kitchen towel, seeled inside a plastic bag. Just for fun/as a test.

The other reason that I ask this is because, when I was researching sweet pea germination, the time given seemed (on average) to vary from one week to three, yet I managed to get mine to germinate in about three days in my airing cupboard (as per the method above) - some were planted in seed compost, some started off in wet kitchen towel. Some were chitted, some not - overall it didn't seem to matter, germination for the sweet peas (various varietes from different sellers) was very swift indeed.

 

Depends where you sow them really. I normally sow them direct into the ground as they don't like to be moved once they've put out roots - I'd say they take about a week to sprout though - in warmer conditions.

 

Thanks. Curiously enough I popped some seeds into the ground over a month ago but nothing appeared, must have been too cold then they rotted or were eaten by wildlife I guess.

The current batch are in a planter and each has been "assigned" half of a toilet roll, therefore no root disturbance when planting them outdoors (if they germinate of course!).

 

I grow some inside still, but I always see it everywhere about them not liking it.

Most people underrate Nasturtium, apart from aphids, I really like growing it It's probably one of the first packets of seed I ever bought.

Summer 2013, think this was a general mixed colour. I normally buy Empress India now which is a really dark red.



August 2012, the climbing variety - I believe I grew these inside and transplanted to the pot

 

Further to my original query, here's an update:

Since planting the seeds in my half-toilet-rolls (filled with compost) ten days have passed and they have not germinated. I even dug up a few and there are no shoots showing.

To add to this, and this is where it gets more interesting, five days ago I took some more of the seeds and placed these within some moistened sheets of kitchen towel on a plate inside a sealed plastic bag (a method which I have used with 100% success on sweet peas) - this was placed inside the same airing cupboard. Five days later TWO of those seeds have started to germinate.

As for the so far non germinated seeds - am I doing something wrong or are the seeds at fault? I know that they take 10 to 20 days to germinate but two of them have put that timescale to shame.

Bearing in mind that all of the seeds have been soaked for 24 hours beforehand and placed in the same moist, warm conditions I don't think it's me at fault. Maybe my Nasturtium seeds prefer moist kitchen towel as a germination medium.

Or maybe the seeds in the compost are getting TOO warm? I've now put those on a window sill, the remaining so-far-non-germinated seeds in the kitchen towels are still in the airing cupboard.

 

Hi MadHedger,

I've had problems with another Tropaeolum ( Canary Creeper ) as well this year. I sowed about 20 of them about a month ago and not one came up so I've just put in another 20.

 

My nasturtium seeds took over 6 weeks to germinate. Mind you, I did put them outside straight away, when I should've kept them indoors. They are growing nicely now though .

 

At least yours germinated.

Good to hear that they are doing well.

 

In my experience, it's about 2 to 3 weeks for nasturtium to germinate indoors. It's essential to keep them warm and moist, borderline wet in fact. They do germinate easily, butthe outer seed casing is very tough, and that has to break down naturally before germination can happen. That's why warm and moist/wet is best.

 

Thanks. That's kind of what puzzles me though given that I managed to get two to germinate in five days simply by encasing them in wet kitchen towel. The others that didn't germinate were also in the same conditions (warm airing cupboard, kept moist, etc).

It's a mystery ......... but perhaps many of the seeds were bad? Surely not?

 

Were the seeds in date and in a sealed packet?

I wouldn't dismiss them as bad til they've had 4 weeks and not done anything.

 

Yup, in date and sealed.

 

I think there is a bit too much molly coddling going on here. I know I'm in a different climate, but all of mine germinated outside quickly straight out of the packet in compost and are romping away ... not the common ones but the lovely raggedly ones ...we are in our rain season at the moment and warmish ..

http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/5005

 

I'm a control freak, that's the trouble.

I did in fact sow some directly into the ground a month or so ago - we've had no frosts but nothing has come of them. I suspect they eihter rotted (it did rain a lot) or various critters ate them.

 

Don't write them off yet. In the ground is where they do best. They won't appear yet for a while. Remember they are native to much warmer parts. I wouldn't expect to spot my first outdoor nasturtium seedling for at least another month.