ProfessorMembrane
Well-Known Member
Seed Germination is the process by which the inactive plant material stored within a seed is activated & encouraged to begin growth.
You must keep in mind that while a hard seed is essentially in stasis and can survive for long periods with little care, a germinating seed is coming back to life and the initial stages of this life are fragile.
A seedling trying to emerge from its shell needs the same things that all plants do, except light & nutrients. Moisture, heat, & oxygen are the most important factors in your seed's germination time.
We'll discuss these three factors and the best way to provide such for the seeds.
Moisture: Seeds are almost completely dry, with the exception of some essential oils, and a dose of H2O is the first step towards waking them up. I recommend the cup method, as it has shown me the easiest & best results. Alternative methods include the sealing your seeds inside plastic bags / bins that contain paper or cloth that has been soaked in water, but this can cause problems in early growth. Seeds send out their taproot first, and this root seeks a rooting media, if it finds your paper or cloth, it will attempt to root into this material, which can lead to the loss of micro-roots when you extract your seed from the cloth.
Heat: Seeds are fetal life forms, essentially, so they require protection from the environment, especially in the form of cold. Cold will slow germination, and even kill seeds, however, too much heat will simply cook them. Most seeds enjoy temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees for germination.
Oxygen: Seeds need to breathe too, despite what you might think. An oxygen supplement for your seeds is always a wise thing to do, whether it is in the form of H2O2 dosage or an airpump. Seeds left for too long in a closed environment without oxygen supplements will suffocate.
So, now that we've discussed the factors, let's conclude with how germination should run.
1. Heat your water to an initial temperature between 80 and 100 degrees, you can range as high as 100 because you're going to lose heat from the time you remove the water from the heat source until you've placed the water into a new heating environment.
2. Add H2O2 (dosage of 5ml for each 120ml of water) or an airline (aquarium stones are preferable, large bubbles can strand seeds along the side of the cup) to your water container. An optional supplement that can be used for each germination is 1 drop of SuperThrive for each batch of seeds, added directly to the seed cup, this supplement contains many different vitamins and hormones which can help stimulate germination.
3. Add seeds to container (I prefer a Travel Coffee Mug w/lid), close, & place in a warm, dark place. If you don't have an existing area of your home that puts out enough ambient heat (Older model Refridgerator/Freezer, Hot Water Heater, etc), then a seedling heating mat may be used with the same results. When using the mat without a thermostat, simply place the entire setup into a cardboard box and close the top. The cardboard provides just enough insulation to keep the ambient temperature high enough without retaining enough heat to cook your seeds.
4. Wait. What we're waiting for is one of three things, either your seeds sink to the bottom of the cup, they split open, or they go all out and begin growing taproots. You're going to be waiting for a period that ranges from 24-72 hours. I like waiting for the entire batch to finish, but you can open your container periodically after the first 24 hours to check for the emergence of taproots, transferring them to rooting media as they pop. Don't be afraid if your seeds don't split open, if they sink to the bottom of the cup when you disturb the surface of the water, then you're in business.
5. Transfer germinated seedlings to your rooting media. I like plain old soil, or peat pellets, and usually place my seeds no further than 2cms into pre-watered soil, or directly into the pre-made hole of the peat pellet not shoved inside, but simply placed atop the pellet with its taproot poking into said hole. If using soil, make sure to water before adding your seeds, because as you water your soil will re-settle, sometimes carrying your seed too far downwards to reach the surface. In both cases, make sure the tap root is always pointing down. If your seeds have not split, make sure that the more pointed end, not the blunted end, faces down, because this is where the taproot will emerge.
Generally, seedlings should be placed into at least medium-sized pots (1/2-1 gallon size), as they can remain comfortably in that pot until they sex. Remember that initially seedlings like plain soil and no fertilization beyond background ppms in your tapwater. If you're using seedling trays or cells, you can place your seedling heating mat underneath your tray in order to accelerate their emergence from the soil. I personally don't use trays for seedlings unless I have a huge number to germinate, because every time the root mass of the plant leaves a container and travels to a new one, a form of shock is induced, slowing growth, and the move from tray to initial pot is one I like to skip for ease and simplicity.
6. Now just grow your new plants! If emergence is slow, make sure to wait for the surface of your soil to become relatively dry before adding more water, as seeds are quite easy to drown.
You must keep in mind that while a hard seed is essentially in stasis and can survive for long periods with little care, a germinating seed is coming back to life and the initial stages of this life are fragile.
A seedling trying to emerge from its shell needs the same things that all plants do, except light & nutrients. Moisture, heat, & oxygen are the most important factors in your seed's germination time.
We'll discuss these three factors and the best way to provide such for the seeds.
Moisture: Seeds are almost completely dry, with the exception of some essential oils, and a dose of H2O is the first step towards waking them up. I recommend the cup method, as it has shown me the easiest & best results. Alternative methods include the sealing your seeds inside plastic bags / bins that contain paper or cloth that has been soaked in water, but this can cause problems in early growth. Seeds send out their taproot first, and this root seeks a rooting media, if it finds your paper or cloth, it will attempt to root into this material, which can lead to the loss of micro-roots when you extract your seed from the cloth.
Heat: Seeds are fetal life forms, essentially, so they require protection from the environment, especially in the form of cold. Cold will slow germination, and even kill seeds, however, too much heat will simply cook them. Most seeds enjoy temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees for germination.
Oxygen: Seeds need to breathe too, despite what you might think. An oxygen supplement for your seeds is always a wise thing to do, whether it is in the form of H2O2 dosage or an airpump. Seeds left for too long in a closed environment without oxygen supplements will suffocate.
So, now that we've discussed the factors, let's conclude with how germination should run.
1. Heat your water to an initial temperature between 80 and 100 degrees, you can range as high as 100 because you're going to lose heat from the time you remove the water from the heat source until you've placed the water into a new heating environment.
2. Add H2O2 (dosage of 5ml for each 120ml of water) or an airline (aquarium stones are preferable, large bubbles can strand seeds along the side of the cup) to your water container. An optional supplement that can be used for each germination is 1 drop of SuperThrive for each batch of seeds, added directly to the seed cup, this supplement contains many different vitamins and hormones which can help stimulate germination.
3. Add seeds to container (I prefer a Travel Coffee Mug w/lid), close, & place in a warm, dark place. If you don't have an existing area of your home that puts out enough ambient heat (Older model Refridgerator/Freezer, Hot Water Heater, etc), then a seedling heating mat may be used with the same results. When using the mat without a thermostat, simply place the entire setup into a cardboard box and close the top. The cardboard provides just enough insulation to keep the ambient temperature high enough without retaining enough heat to cook your seeds.
4. Wait. What we're waiting for is one of three things, either your seeds sink to the bottom of the cup, they split open, or they go all out and begin growing taproots. You're going to be waiting for a period that ranges from 24-72 hours. I like waiting for the entire batch to finish, but you can open your container periodically after the first 24 hours to check for the emergence of taproots, transferring them to rooting media as they pop. Don't be afraid if your seeds don't split open, if they sink to the bottom of the cup when you disturb the surface of the water, then you're in business.
5. Transfer germinated seedlings to your rooting media. I like plain old soil, or peat pellets, and usually place my seeds no further than 2cms into pre-watered soil, or directly into the pre-made hole of the peat pellet not shoved inside, but simply placed atop the pellet with its taproot poking into said hole. If using soil, make sure to water before adding your seeds, because as you water your soil will re-settle, sometimes carrying your seed too far downwards to reach the surface. In both cases, make sure the tap root is always pointing down. If your seeds have not split, make sure that the more pointed end, not the blunted end, faces down, because this is where the taproot will emerge.
Generally, seedlings should be placed into at least medium-sized pots (1/2-1 gallon size), as they can remain comfortably in that pot until they sex. Remember that initially seedlings like plain soil and no fertilization beyond background ppms in your tapwater. If you're using seedling trays or cells, you can place your seedling heating mat underneath your tray in order to accelerate their emergence from the soil. I personally don't use trays for seedlings unless I have a huge number to germinate, because every time the root mass of the plant leaves a container and travels to a new one, a form of shock is induced, slowing growth, and the move from tray to initial pot is one I like to skip for ease and simplicity.
6. Now just grow your new plants! If emergence is slow, make sure to wait for the surface of your soil to become relatively dry before adding more water, as seeds are quite easy to drown.
Shite, you can just sick the seed in dirt, water it and let it grow 
