Germination help...

DND

Well-Known Member
Lately I have been having a hard time getting my beans to germinate. I have been using the same method for years now and it always worked. I'll explain my method first, but if anyone has any pointers I'm open to them.

I soak my beans for 24 hours in plain tap water at room tempeture. Then I mist a paper towel, put the seeds on and fold it in half and place it on a heating pad (low temp). With this method I was getting 100% germ rate with the longest taking 3 days to show a tap root.

The seeds I'm trying now are Arjan's Ultra Haze #1 fem and KC Brains Danky Doodle. I tried 10 Danky Doodle seeds and I got 7 of them to pop open, but none would grow in the medium. With the haze I tried 2 and neither one has even cracked the shell and this is day 3. I know patience is key, but this is very discouraging especially at $11USD a seed for the haze.
 

DND

Well-Known Member
Im no expert, but are you damaging them on transplant, and Is the medium warm enough?
I don't think so...I use tweezers that are dulled and handle them gently. As far as medium, I keep it warm with the heating pad until they sprout and then I turn the lights on.
 

mlax317

Active Member
I put two in a cup of water and 2 in a wet paper towel in a bag, I then combined both of them into the cup. the one that floated is doin about 2x better than the ones that sunk but im not sure why. 3 out of the 4 seeds have sprouted after 6 days. These methods always work... how long can i leave them in there before they start to need sunlight and soil?
 

DND

Well-Known Member
how long are you letting the tap roots grow? should let grow to 1/4-1/2 inch MAX
That's the problem...they aren't even cracking open (the haze seeds). The Danky Doodle seeds cracked and nothing else after that.
 

stickyicky77

Well-Known Member
I am having the same problem except i got 2 big bud seeds to sprout but 0 NL X SK#1 and 0 Lowryder#2. The seeds will either not crack at all or they start to crack and it looks like a root is starting to form. After that they do not develop any further. I am not sure if i am keeping them too wet or if they are just bunk seeds.
 

YungMune

Well-Known Member
ur germinating technique is off alittle bit. you might want to use distilled water instead of tapped. also when you put them in the paper towells you should soak it in distilled water and ring out the water. if i were you i wouldnt put it on a heat pad because even on low temps it can be to warm for the seed, the low setting is usually around 85-90 degrees, seeds germinate around 78
 

DND

Well-Known Member
Well, I ended up putting the last 3 seeds in soil after they cracked their shells and will see what happens.
 

TallTallBuds

Active Member
this is hod it and it work 100% i get a two paper towels and i fill a cup of water with tap water and then i fold the two paper towels together and then i fold it in half and then fold it in half again so it will fit in the cup and then dip it and squeeze the paper towel so the water drains out and then unfold the paper towel once and put the seeds in and then fold it back in half. then get a gladware container and put then in there and spray it with water two or three times then put then in complete darkness and keep them at about 75-80f and let them sit for 2 days and it will be good. this site is what the gladware containers look like copy and paste it (Google Image Result for http://www.epinions.com/images/opti/9b/af/GladWare_Containers-resized200.jpg)
 

mrfriendly420

Active Member
Yo, I just tried my luck with KC Brains Northern Lights Special. No luck. No luck! They crack and kind of get a tiny tap root after about a week. Then I bury them in my Coco Choir and put them under my light. Nothing after a week?! That's crap, I'm getting new ones on monday, they will probably be from the KC Brains farm, but I'm going to ask for whatever is newest.
 

GiggleGirl

Well-Known Member
I couldn't get my KC Brains Northern Lights Special to germ either. Very frustrating! 2 cracked but didn't grow and 8 did nothing. On the KCB web site they say put them in a glass of water-- Tried it too-- still nothing. Next time i'm in town I'll have to swing by the at shop I'll get replacements-- pretty sure you can ask for something else with a dollar equivilant. (Maybe Lowryder-- goes for about teh same cash)
Alas.
GG
 

mrfriendly420

Active Member
Gigglegirl, I just went into the seed store and picked up K.C. 36, a different strain that was picked up about 3 weeks about from Holland - says the guy that works there. I will keep RIU updated.
 

DND

Well-Known Member
I think the problem is KC Brains genetics aren't as popular as others so his seeds sit on the shelf longer than others, hence we have poor germination rates. I think his genetics are good, but if we can never grow them out there is no point.
 

vfwvn

Well-Known Member
I started last Tuesday 1/22 with 11 indica dominate seeds, I was worried about starting all 11 thinking if things go bad I'll be back to the wait for the seeds to arrive thing all over again. I took 5 and did the paper towel and plate method for 48hrs. Took apeek and small tap roots were visable on a few of the seeds. I planted em Thursday in plastic 16oz party cups that were drilled with four holes on the bottom and two close to the bottom on opposite sides filled with 25% perlite and fox farm Ocean Forest. Plastic wrap and rubber band tops. Placed under a shop dual bulb flo. cool white 40watt bulbs. I also planted at same time the remaining 6 straight to the dirt and covered with plastic wrap and rubber bands and under the bulbs the went. Saturday am. the first germinated seed broke ground, by Sat. PM. all 5 were up. The first ungerminated seed broke the surface Sunday and finished Monday afternoon with a perfect total of 11 all up and going.. are

here's my most recent start up experience taken 10days after seed plant
 

Attachments

Top