Your doing better with your Chapman than I am. I'm batting 0 for 12.
jim

Mine took a long time, but 3 out of 4 came up. First to germinate was on day 12- they were last to germinate of everything I started (except Lillian's Yellow Heirloom which is 0 for 4- I've given up on that one for this year).

I had excellent luck last year. And they just started peeking their little heads through last night and have 50% after five days. So feel I will be fine this year. Think my Chapman seeds are from Neil Lockhart. Maybe just a difference in the seeds. Jay

Last year I got only 1 out of 30 Chapman seeds to germinate. Now, I've been growing from seed for many years now and I'm no novice at this. So this winter when I phoned in my TGS order they sent me another pack free. I had no trouble with this year's pack. I had lots of this year's seeds germinate and they are growing well so far.

I recall others having trouble with Chapman last year as well. Some got wrong type and others like myself had low germination.

I had 3 out of 4 seeds that germinated. Seeds from mariseeds.

Last year I ordered Chapman from TGS as soon as their catalog came out ... like in November. They back-ordered me and eventually sent me a pack after the first of the year, maybe in February, I don't recall exactly. I got good germination, and healthy seedlings. But I got fruit that didn't meet the specs for Chapman per photographs in TGS catalog or per expert opinion. They were very good tomatoes, all weighing 1 - 1.75 pounds, and the plant set fruit at higher temps than any other tomato in the 2007 garden.

Haven't started mine yet this year, but had no problems with Chapman last year, mine were from Marianna's as well.

This is not a defense of TGS b/c many of you know that I know Linda Sapp very well, rather, I'm confused myself.

Last year I remember seeing pictures of Chapman from TGS and some looked like the Chapman I've know for many years and some didn't. How much of that was environmental or for other reasons I also don't know.

And I do know that the last summer I grew lots of plants and varieties I saved lots of seed of Chapman and Red Penna and Wes, and I mean lots of seed. Those are three excellent varieties and I've sent out lots of those three, even this year in a seed offer made elsewhere and as far as I know those 2004 Chapman seeds are germinating just fine.

I'm confused when I ask myself why TGS, which has an excellent reputation, would send out seeds that were low germinating, since they do do germination tests,I don'tknow how often, but since Chapman was just offered for the first time in the 07 catalog those seeds can't be that old.

A couple of you said you got seeds from Marianne Jones and they were fine. A few years back she sent out quite a few low germinating seeds which I mentioned to her. I've known Marianne since the early 90's and she simply doesn't have time to read message sites online so I pass along to her that which is mentioned about her seeds. I know she started keeping stock fresher with growouts and I haven't seen any problems in quite a few years.

Someone said they got seeds from Neil Lockhart, another one of my long time SSE friends, but how many of you know that a couple of years ago he too sent out some non-germinating seed. In this case is was a matter of doing his fermentations in a different place than he had before and the seeds got cooked to death.

I'm also wondering how many of you took the time to call TGS and report that your Chapman from them was so low germinating. I can see 50% as being OK, since no two folks start seeds the same way, but when I read of such low germination I have to wonder.

I thought you also might find the following interesting.

At a seed offer made here at GW in 2004/2005 I distributed a lot of older seed for anyone who wanted to work with those seeds. I also had about 15 varieties that were fresh 2004 seed.

I asked for feedback from all who got those seeds and about 200 folks had participated.

Looking at any one 2004 variety, the germination rates ranged from 100% to 0%, yes zero percent. And that was the first time I realized how great the range might be for everyone growing the same variety and using fresh seed.

Many of you are new to Gw but I'm sure Bill remembers that event/

So as I said above, the Chapman situation remains an enigma to me b'c no place is going to send out a freebie that doesn't germinate well b/c that just is not the way to maintain an excellent reputation.

Carolyn

I didn't germinate this kind, but my seeds took 3 weeks before germinating. I batted 44 out of 44, so patient pays off.

Friday i started the following:

Brandyboy (4)
Brandywine (4)
Cherokee Purple (4)
Super sweet 100 (4)
Roma VF (4)
Black Krim (4)

And on my peppers:

Sweet Banana Pepper (4)
Orange Sun Pepper (4)
Red Beauty Pepper (4)

I will have to buy my cubanelle peppers, i don't have enough growing light space to grow them from seeds. I desperately need and extra lighting fixture. But if my local nursery carries it, I do a good thing supporting them. I will be growing 8 cubanelle pepper plants.

Carolyn, last year my Chapman seeds from TGS were back ordered like Bill's. I started half the pack. Got zero germination. So started the remaining seeds in that pack. Got only one to germinate. Then my son knocked it's top off by accident and set it way back. I never got a chance to really sample any before the fall. So this year I'm trying them again.

I seldom have trouble growing from seed. I've been at this 17 years now. This year I started 23 plants. All germinated in 3 to 5 days. Including this year's Chapman pack. I keep records on that. Something was definitely off on the pack of Chapman seeds I got a little over a year ago. Just pointing this out. I love TGS and have been ordering from them for years. I will continue doing so.

No, I did not notify TGS last year. No big deal to me I suppose. I did mention it when I placed this year's order and they sent another pack which was nice of them to do and as I mentioned above, the seeds in this new pack germinated fine.

The poster wanted to know if anyone else had trouble with them. I thought it helpful and to the point to share my experience.

Hope you had a nice Easter...:)

I used TGS this year and have 9 for 9 germination from Chapman seeds. Just my two cents.

I got about 30 percent germination. I ended up with one really strong seedling that I planted out about a week ago. Like you, I bought them from TGS. I've had relatively good luck with this company, but for some reason the Chapman seeds seem finicky.

Well, I wonder if its possible that I got a pack of last years seed. I just received them in the mail a month ago but I guess its possible. Otherwise, maybe the Chapman seeds need different conditions than other varieties. I've had no trouble with the other ten or so varieties that I sowed.

Seed germinations makes a person confused. I got 100% again on Chapman. But a few others have struggled. I planted something over 80 varieties. Haven't tallied yet. And have a few with zero yet but it has only been 5 days for some so will get better. I had some Brandywine Sudduth seeds I got from Carolyn that were 2003 seeds and she said I might want to double plant and all but one has came up after 6 days. Then have some 2007 varieties I have seen none of yet. And all seeds were started the same. JME. Jay

I had some Brandywine Sudduth seeds I got from Carolyn that were 2003 seeds and she said I might want to double plant and all but one has came up after 6 days. Then have some 2007 varieties I have seen none of yet. And all seeds were started the same. JME. Jay

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Jay, tht's comfoting to know about the Brandywine ( Sudduth) seeds. I did write perhaps a person might wish to double sow b/c I know that not all are created equal when it comes to germinating seeds. And I put extra in each pack as well. But who can argue when you got essentially 83% germination.

With 5 yo seeds, and I insist on writing the seed age on each pack ( OK, a few that I was distributing I'd forgetten to write the seed age on the vials or envelopes in which they're stored, but I'm just one who likes to know seed age.

With MY 5 yo seeds I expect in XS of 50% germination and with seeds 6 to maybe 12 yo I will double sow. Beyind that I may do some things to enhance germination and even then, without enhancement I usually get enough germination from them, but don't know that in advance.

MY own record for waking up old seeds is 22 yo seed and the documented record is germination with 50 yo seeds.

And when you see a date on a pack, such as packed for 2008, that means that's when they were packed and not what the seed age is. In europe they do things differently and there's a "sow by" date on the packs.

And seed viabililty has a lot to do with the conditions used for seed storage.

So thanks so much for the feedback,

Carolyn

I'm very new and don't have much to offer, but figured I'd chime in for stats.... I bought my Chapman seeds from TGS in October 07 (no backorder, rushed right out), I winter sowed them on 3/1/08 along with the rest of my seeds.

Currently I have 40% germination on my 'maters, and chapman was in the first 20%, it was a relatively early germinator for me compared to the rest (just for stats, ugly, black krim, florida petite and paul robeson were the first ones up)... it also seems every Chapman seed I sowed is coming up (I sowed appx 2-3 seeds per cup just incase).

TGS did send me some seeds that were marked: "below standard germination, seed count doubled" that was red currant... I doubled my sowing of those, and it seems they all came up too... I'll have a lot of thinning to do if they make it to the garden.

hope this is of some help.

Greaaaat. Now I'm scared. I got TGS Chapman seeds this year, and planted them on the 15th, and still nothing has come up. I suppose I should go put in a backup now. :P

Carolyn I was going to post the results of all the seeds I got from you after I was done. So far the germination has been good overall. Overall average of over 80% already on over 300 seeds planted. Some varieties are 100% and a few at zero. . Thanks again for the sharing of seeds and knowledge. Jay

Mixed here ... 1 of 4 from TGS ( ordered last year) jumped up and ran, 2 more broke ground a week later but are still punny. I also have some from Marianna's ... think I'll try them this weekend and compare since there seems to be issues with last years TGS.

Carolyn I was going to post the results of all the seeds I got from you after I was done. So far the germination has been good overall. Overall average of over 80% already on over 300 seeds planted. Some varieties are 100% and a few at zero. . Thanks again for the sharing of seeds and knowledge. Jay

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Jsy, I would appreciate knowing your germination percentage with the seeds you got from me/

Best to post that data at the place where there already is a thread about that so all the results are in one place.

Carolyn

Carolyn will do as that was my plan. Yes Neil told me about his previous problems with germination last year. He wanted me to tell him if I had any with poor germination. His have done well for me the last two years and have grown true. Jay