plenty of time to sprout.. grow and flower ...

get to work

ken

So the seeds should still be good? I just don't want to disturb them by planting again if there is a chance they will still grow now that I've removed the mulch.

Look around you and don't worry so much. Ma Nature has been planting the planet for a few million years. Last time I looked, the only area that didn't have something growing was where I'd ripped out all the weeds.

Whatever you planted, enjoy what grows. Learn what it is and go from there. It's all about learning what works best for you and your little bit of earth. If you're determined to control it, you'll be disappointed.

There are no garden mistakes, only learning opportunities. Who says what you did is wrong? It might only be wrong for where you are and what sort of growing conditions you have.

Chances are Wal-Mart employees aren't the best at garden recommendations. If you have questions, it's best to ask folks who garden rather than folks who work in retail. You'll probably get more reasonable answers from folks who get their hands in dirt on a regular basis.

I'm no botanist but in my experience, seeds need three things to germinate: moisture, light and temperature. If the growing medium (that's the dirt) is fertile and they have sufficient light exposure & rain, the seeds should germinate.

If you're looking for an easy way to grow from seed, I suggest you head on over to the winter sowing forum and give it a try. It's nearly fool-proof and the results are astonishing.

Ken's right. And my two cents worth is .... if u think how nature does it....seeds drop in fall then leaves and such cover them all winter long,,,and they still survive. Plus, the mulch might even help keep them moist. In my experience which has not been good with tossing seeds down...its cuz they seemed to need to be watered daily,,,which I neglected to do.

Another plus to the mulch is...birds are less likely to eat seeds up....lol.

I just figured after almost a month I would have seen something sprouting am i just jumping the gun? So I started checking other forums. That's where I read that mulching after planting seeds keeps them from germinating. Im not so much impatient as worried I'll miss the best time to plant.

It makes sence that the mulch will keep light out. I know its used primarily to keep weed seeds from germinating as well as retain moisture.

So the seeds should still be good?

==>> they found hops seeds in an Egyptian brewers hut next to the pyramids.. and they sprouted..

i dont see why yours shouldnt ...

but for a buck for new seed.. i wouldnt hesitate to plant again .. IF YOU WISH ...

one trick is to plant the seeds in a marked row .. and when they get about 2 inches big.. move them around the bed as you wish ...

in my experience.. starting things from seed.. is VERY HARD ... do buy some already established plants.. just in case your seed experiment fails ... if you succeed good for you.. but you dont want to have a bare plot come july..

ken

Those centuries old plants that have been grown from found seed - the seed has been dry stored, not moist under mulch where they could have potentially germinated, run out of energy from being sown too deeply (buried under mulch) before reaching the surface and light, and then died/rotted.

Seeds need moisture, some oxygen, and something close to an appropriate temperature to germinate, not all seeds need light....light will trigger a break in dormancy in some, not all. We don't know what the OP has sown to decide her seeds are waiting patiently under the mulch for some light like a lot of weed seeds seem to do :)

Newbie, I answered you on your other post, I would pull back the mulch where you want plants to grow, either sow new seed or buy starts, push the mulch back into place when plants are growing - pushing it back up to the plants and not over them.

Hi & welcome to gardenweb. Agree with Ken that growing things from seeds is not the easiest gardening to do. Also agree with morz' advice.

And don't be too hard on yourself. Learning how to do something new takes practice.

Just in case it makes you feel better: I've been gardening ever since we got our house 11 years ago, and I still make big mistakes all the time! Gardening is so full of variables, it takes time to get the feel for it, and even experienced gardeners have multiple oopsies all the time. So have fun, and expect both successes and failures. As long as you're getting your hands and knees dirty and enjoying the time outside, it's all good.

Oh, and IMHO the Gardenweb is pretty much the best source of info -- and also of course any neighbors who have been gardening in your area for a while. Both these sources are about eight million times better than the folks at the Walmart.

I just spent the last 2 weekends spreading 20 yards of mulch (under shrubs etc) to PREVENT weed seeds from sprouting. I grow all my annuals and vegetables from seed (in pots and then transplant) and I would never put mulch over seeds. Some seed packets say 'do not cover with soil - need light to germinate' others should be lightly covered.

If the seeds are kept moist but not getting the required light there is a good chance they will rot before germinating.

I've been gardening ever since we got our house 11 years ago, and I still make big mistakes all the time!

===>>>

you guys got it all wrong.. its the 'attitude' that matters ...

you call it a mistake.. in hindsight..

i call it an EXPERIMENT.. in hindsight ...

no new knowledge is ever discovered w/o an experiment ..

so quit beating yourselves up.. and never fear the experiment ...

it is said.. you are not real gardener.. until you kill every plant 3 times ... and we can only accomplish that.. thru experimentation ... NEVER ADMIT ERROR ... or if you do.. kill them.. so they wont tell it to others.. lol

ken

There are no gardening mistakes, just composting opportunities! (Not original, I read it somewhere, but I like it a lot!)
Jan