Contact Us
University of California Cooperative Extension Ventura County
669 County Square Drive, Suite 100
Ventura, CA 93003
Phone: 805.645.1451
Fax: 805.645.1474
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The office will be closed for the following holidays:
March 29 – Ceaser Chavez Day
May 27 – Memorial Day
June 19 – Juneteenth
July 4 - Independence Day
Poor Seed Germination
The following are some causes for the poor seed germination and dead seedlings in your garden.
- Cutworms. The adult is a brownish-gray moth about one inch long (head to tail) with a two-inch wing span. The larvae is a gray, brown, pale pink with black specks worm which lives in the soil. Cutworms feed at night and can destroy emerging seeds and seedlings. Cutworms usually curl up into a figure 6 shape when disturbed. If you see one of these while working in the garden or flower beds, kill it to help reduce further damage.
- Darkling beetles. These are dull gray beetles (several species) that live in the soil and feed on plant roots and seedlings. The beetles may be anywhere from a quarter to three-quarters of an inch long. They do not like light, so will quickly seek cover if disturbed. They feed at night and seek shelter in the soil during the day. Darkling beetles (dull gray to black) should not be confused with predaceous ground beetles, which are shiny brown to black and often similar in size to darkling beetles. Predaceous ground beetles are the good guys that eat cutworms, and other soil insects.
- Flea beetles. These come in several sizes and colors. All are small, anywhere from one-sixteenth to three-sixteenth of an inch long. The one thing they have in common is that they hop when disturbed. They quickly leave the plant and seek a hiding place. They are also nocturnal in their feeding habits, so early (sunrise) morning (or at night with a flashlight) is the best time to check for flea beetles. If present, they will usually be feeding on young leaves where they make small holes or windows in the tissues.
- Seed maggots. These are the larval stage of a fly. Eggs are laid on the soil at the base of the seedling, and the larva feed on roots and stem tissues. They can also destroy germinating seeds. The maggot is white and about three-eights to a quarter of an inch long at maturity. Keeping a loose layer of soil at the surface, so there are no soil cracks, discourages adult egg laying.
- Garden Symphylans. These animals are also called “garden centipedes.” They are white, multilegged, live in the soil, and move quickly to hide if exposed to light. They are from a quarter to half an inch long and feed on roots and stems of seedlings. One way to test for symphylans is to take a cylinder (three-pound coffee can with both ends removed or something similar) and push it into the soil where symphylans are suspect. Fill the cylinder with water. If symphylans are present, they will float to the surface of the water after several minutes. Symphylans are hard to control.