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# My seeds are not coming up

Before anything else, check the calendar. Most seeds come up in a few days to three weeks, and slow growers such as parsley, peppers and lavender take longer still. Your packet lists the germination time for that variety. If that window has not passed yet, nothing is likely to be wrong.

## Quick diagnosis

| What you see | Most likely cause |
| ---- | ---- |
| Nothing at all | too cold, sown too deep, or old seed |
| Patchy and uneven | dry spots or uneven warmth |
| Up, then collapsed | damping off — too wet |
| Mould on the surface | too much water, too little airflow |

## The six most common causes

**It is too cold.** Most seeds need 18–22 °C to get going. A cold windowsill or an unheated room stalls them. Move them somewhere warmer or use a propagator.

**You sowed too deep.** Cover a seed only as deep as it is wide. Many small seeds — lettuce, basil, snapdragons — need light and should barely be covered at all.

**The compost dried out.** A single dry day can stop germination for good. Keep the surface evenly moist and cover with a clear lid or a bag until seedlings appear.

**It is too wet.** Waterlogged compost starves seeds of air and rots them. Aim for moist, not soggy, and always use pots with drainage.

**The seed is old or was badly stored.** Viability falls over time, and faster in warm, damp conditions. Test old seed with the method below and keep the rest cool, dark and dry.

**You sowed at the wrong time.** Too early or too late means the wrong temperature and the wrong light. See *When to sow what* for the right window.

Two less common causes that still explain it. **Light-needing seeds that were buried** — some seeds only germinate at the surface, so press them in gently rather than covering them. And **seed that needed pre-treatment** — sweet peas and some perennials come up faster after an overnight soak or a cold spell. The packet will say if so.

## Checklist

| Point | What it should be |
| ---- | ---- |
| Warmth | 18–22 °C |
| Depth | as deep as the seed is wide |
| Moisture | damp, not wet |
| Light | as soon as they show |
| Patience | the packet germination time |
| Label | note what you sowed and when |

## Test old seed

If you are not sure last year's seed is still good, a paper-towel test saves you weeks of waiting.

1. Dampen a sheet of kitchen paper and lay 10 seeds on it.
2. Fold it over, slip it into a labelled bag and keep it somewhere warm.
3. Check after the germination time on the packet.
4. Count the sprouts: 8 out of 10 means great seed, 4 or 5 means sow more thickly, 1 or none means replace it.

## Speeding germination up

- Give bottom heat — a propagator or heat mat holds the compost at the 18–22 °C most seeds like.
- Cover to trap humidity — a clear lid or freezer bag stops the surface drying out.
- Pre-soak large or hard-coated seeds overnight: peas, beans, sweet peas and beetroot.
- Use fresh seed compost — fine and free-draining beats garden soil or old, lumpy mixes.
- Sow in season. The right warmth and light beat any gadget.

## Still nothing?

If fresh seed sown in the right season still fails, contact us with your order number, the variety, and a short description of how you sowed: compost, temperature, depth and how you watered. We will look into it.

In the meantime, radish, sunflowers, beans and salad leaves almost always come up.

The full version of this guide is on [seedschoice.com](https://seedschoice.com/blogs/news/why-seeds-not-germinating).
## Starting again? These seeds are easy
* [Fast-growing vegetables](https://seedschoice.com/collections/fast-growing-vegetables) — quick results, ideal for beginners
* [Microgreens and sprouts](https://seedschoice.com/collections/microgreens-sprouts) — ready to harvest indoors in days
* [Vegetables you can sow this month](https://seedschoice.com/collections/vegetables-sow-now)
* [All vegetable seeds A–Z](https://seedschoice.com/collections/vegetables)
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