It might be that they germinate only after the soil temperature gets high
enough. After they have been in the ground too long, some seeds will rot
before germinating. I like to plant my onions, beets, potatoes, etc. early
in the spring, and then after harvesting them, replant with carrots,
radishes, and turnips. That way the temp is right since the first planting
is of cold weather stuff, and the second planting is done when the soil temp
is up. I am in zone 5 (Kansas).

Dwayne

"Kathy" wrote in message
...
I'm puzzled at failure of corn and chard to germinate this year. They've
always done fine before. I planted the same corn that I did last year, and
of two packets got only 8 plants. I'm guessing maybe I got a bad lot.

But that doesn't explain the chard. I planted the same chard that I did
last year (not in the same place as last year, but a place where it did
well a couple years ago) and it never came up. A second packet of a
different kind from a different company failed. A third packet from yet
another company failed. The area is moist but well drained, more evenly
watered now than the last time I grew chard there. I screened it against
birds and rabbits. Muskmelons, asparagus, beans, and cilantro are growing
just fine all around the spot where the chard never came up, and weeds
don't have a problem with it. Any ideas what went wrong?

Kathy