LG1111 said:


As much as I'd like to agree, my seeds really don't germinate. I mean I can
plant 500 beans and not get even 1 seedling. We have deer and rabbits, but I
get NOTHING. To me, this suggests that my problem is chemical.

A heavy infestation of seed maggots might be another cause, given that you have
some success with transplants. These can be particularly devestating to beans
and other large seeded crops, but they can also destroy smaller seeds. I've
dug up cucumber seeds that hadn't sprouted in a reasonable time only to find
each one with a maggot inside. (Several years treatment with beneficial nematodes
helped eliminate that problem.) Earwigs and slugs can be murder on tender sprouts
but only come out at night. (The list of pests that can murder sprouting seeds
is not yet exhaustive...)

It's never a bad idea, though, to spring for a soil test (including the major
micronutrients) -- especially if you haven't had one in a while.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)