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Old 08-06-2008, 08:09 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Cat(h)[_2_] Cat(h)[_2_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2007
Posts: 45
Default Rocket and beetroot failure

On 6 Jun 2008 21:28:03 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


In article ,
"Robert \(Plymouth\)" writes:
| "Cat(h)" wrote in message
| ...
| I have re-sown twice two rows of rocket and beetroot, once around mid
| March (I put down nothing happening to cold weather) and again in late
| April/early May. Not a dicky bird of either germinated.
| Now, I have sown rocket before and have never had this problem.
| Beetroot is new to me.
|
| Did you use fresh seed? Beetroot is usually easy so I wonder if the seed is
| no good

Rocket seed keeps for years. However, poor storage conditions can
cause it to degrade rapidly, and have essentially zero germination.
I save my own seed, and have no trouble.



Both seed packets were bought this spring. Rocket at tremendous
expense from a local garden centre, beet from Aldi. Both packets
indicate the seed is OK till 2009.
I've never had bother with rocket, and had I not been so zealous with
my tidying up last autumn, I would have oodles of self-seeded stuff.
Where my rocket should have come up, I have some self-seeded big white
radishes which disappointed me (not for germination or growth, but in
terms of eating quality and interest), but whose half dead plants were
piled up in one spot a little too long, allowing the seeds to escape.

Anyhoo.
I'll try again the rocket, the beetroot I can live without. Red
beetroot is the only veg I do not like, and this was a challenge to
myself to see whether I could hack it fresh from the garden.

Thanks for your responses.

Cat(h)