Sowed seeds 3 weeks ago, NOTHING sprouted! (growing, seeding, grass, vegetables)

[gnubler]

I live in the southeast corner of New Mexico. My backyard is nothing more than a lot of dirt with nasty Bermuda grass growing in patches all over (I hate this stuff). Following the square foot gardening method, I dug out four plots twelve inches deep and filled them with a fairly equal mix of commercial compost, peat moss, and existing soil from the yard (most of which has a lot of clay with big clumps, but I sifted those out).

I planted a bunch of winter crop veggie seeds according to the directions on the seed packages and watered the plots every evening after sunset. We've also had a couple of huge monsoons which dumped a lot of water in the area. After two weeks...NOTHING! What happened?

I volunteer at a farm 5 miles from my home, where three weeks ago I planted a bunch of seeds and beans and now they are already flourishing as 6-inch tall starters. Some seeds planted there 3 days ago have already sprouted!

Help! Any ideas?

p.s. I am beginning to suspect the flock of pigeons that hang out in my yard early mornings - is it possible they're just snatching all the seeds? After reseeding, should I cover one plot with a chicken wire cage and see if there's a difference?

[princessvanessa]

I hate to say this, but I am thinking that the clay soil may be the culprit. Plants need moisture and oxygen to germinate and grow. Clay is considered "heavy", the particles are so fine that when wet it becomes sticky and does not allow proper water drainage and oxygen absorption. The seeds probably rotted because they were constantly wet (as opposed to moist).

The compost and peat were good but I would have added an equal amount of sand rather than the clay yard soil. The compost provides nutrients, the peat also provides some nutrients as it decomposes as well as retaining moisture and sand allows drainage and oxygen absorption.

I know that crows (and I would guess pigeons, too) only really go for large seeds (peas, corn, pumpkin, etc.). When I was growing up the crows would swoop into our garden and walk down the rows grabbing the corn kernels out of the soil.

It sounds like you will at least have some fresh veggies from the other plot that you volunteer at. Fresh vegetables are soooo good and it gives one a real sense of accomplishment.

Good luck.

[wit-nit]

1/3 sand 1/3 screened soil 1/3 compost mulch mix is the best for your area. Watering in the evening is a no-no. Sets up fungus/rot problems. Need to start watering after 5-6 am, keep soil moist, not wet and watch for birds. If the seeded ared misses one watering, the dry soil will stop the germination process.
Your bermuda will come back up before your plants. Bermuda is a voracious weed that roots 5 feeet down and is difficult to eradicate.
Also test your soil for any soil sterlilants that could effect seeds.

[Threestep2]

Check the germination temperature. I am in AL and it is much to hot right now for anything to sprout.

[wit-nit]

Actually it's never too hot. The hotter it is the faster the seeds germinate. The key thing is keeping the seeds moist with the right soil mix.