On 3/18 I some seeds. They were 16 cups of Sophie's Choice, 10 Cherokee Purple Heart, 6 Kellogg's Breakfast, 1 Kosovo and 1 Brandywine Sudduth. By 3/22. 19 cups had germinated and yesterday all except for 10 of the cups with Sophie's had germinated. I got 100% germination of every variety except Sophie's Choice, which were new seeds I ordered this year. Of the 16 cups I started with, with 2 seeds in each cup, only 7 plants total had germinated. That is less than 25% germination rate. Only 1 or 2 of the SC germinated after the 4 days, and none in several days now. I threw out the cups remaining and replanted today. I used the rest of the seeds from the original packet and most of the second packet I had ordered from the same person, but this time I put 3 seeds in each cup. Is this something I should report to the place I purchased them from? I have never had such a poor germination rate, even with seeds several years old, much less a packet I just purchased. I also started several other varieties from the same vendor today and increased only those seeds to 3 per cup also, just in case. The original planting was done with the same mix on the same day and they were all kept in the same place, on the same mat, with the same covering. I place a bunch of seed starting mix in a bowl, wet it and mix it until it is evenly moist and then fill the cups. So I know there wasn't even a difference in moisture between them. They were all identical. I could not find the seeds in those cups but I often have trouble finding them in the few cups that don't germinate in the past,partially due to the vermiculite and perlite that is in them, I think. I have trouble spotting them.

So, should I report it or wait for the replanting to see if it is also a problem with the second packet (which has the same code number on it), as well as other seeds I bought at the same time, or let them know earlier that there may be a problem? I was planting these for a lot people that like to grow in pots and I am afraid I will disappoint them if I wait until it is too late to order elsewhere and replant again.