My germinating method

Hi guys.
I'm no pro and I know this has probably been debated to death, but I'd like to show how I germinate my beans.
In the first photo I have the whole thing as it sits normally. I have 2 small plates side by side. The one has another plate covering it. In the covered plate, I have my beans in a folded wet paper towel with them sitting just under the first layer. .I then partially cover it so some air can still get in but it still stays mostly dark. The second plate (on the left) beside it has water sitting in it. But I have connected the two plates with a single folded strip of paper towel. This strip acts as a water wick and as the plate with the beans in it drys, it will draw water across the wick, keeping it moist. I keep the whole setup on an old satellite receiver which is plugged in and on. This generates just enough heat to keep everything warm. It is pretty much self sustaining and I don't have to do anything except add a bit of water maybe if germination takes longer than a few days. This takes the fear out of things drying up while you are away.
I've used this setup for more than a few years and it has never disappointed.


(second photo shows beans in PT uncovered)


What do you pros think?

SNAP...me too

on my useful device ..is on a temperature controller too

to my blog

https://www.rollitup.org/Journal/Entry/heater-box-diy.32582/

I am no pro but here is how I germ beans...

I am actually popping some BC Bud depot Original Blueberry and The Black

Yesterday at 3 pm I dropped 6 of each in a small glass of tap water...got up this morning at 7 and all beans were at the bottom.

I pulled em out and placed em in wet, not damp paper towels doubled and folded over.

Put them in a cupboard in the kitchen top shelf.

All of The Black have already germinated and 2 of the Blueberry have germinated.

I Wil pot them tomorrow in small plastic pots and put them in a Clone dome with a warming seedling mat underneath set at 80*

Cheers

I think you're over thinking this a bit. I did it for years with a plate as you have and covered it with a large bowl and that was it. They don't need as much fresh air as you're giving them. You're actually just making it easier for the water to evaporate. Which you're minimizing the effects of with the wicking of water from another plate. Creating work when it's not needed. I did something similar 1 plate and 1 bowl. Dome keeps humidity in. But I'm sure you've noticed sometimes the roots wrap around the seeds rather than be straight.

Try this next time. Fold your paper towels in to a square like you have. Line the seeds up just below the fold. With the seeds correctly position so the crease is up and the roots will go away from the fold. Then fold over the top. This places the seeds in the center of the towel.

When I did this I had 4 layers on each side of the seeds. I did all this on a plate just as you started. The last thing is soak the towels. Angle the plate and let excess paper drain. Then place the wet towels with seeds inside a ziplock bag. Folded edge of the towels on the ziplock side. With a small piece of tape HANG the ziplock bag in a dark warm spot. With the zip side up. This way the roots will be straight! They'll pop faster. And they'll come out of the shell and the starter leaves will there. So when you plant it the roots will not only be straight but you can sink it in the medium so that the starter leaves are just above "ground" level. Then put it under the light! It works great!

I tested it with 10 seeds. All 10 popped I didn't want to open it to soon and I wanted them all to pop. So I didn't check them for 4 days and 8 hours. All 10 were out of their shells with the shortest tap root at 4.25 inches. The tap roots ALL had side shoots several roots passed through a layer of paper towels. This was just a test and I had no room for the plants. So I learned that I need to check them sooner next time.

I did it the other way for years and 98% of the time no problems. But once in a while there'd be a seed with a curled tap root that I'd kind of have to help break the soil after transplant. Because it was confused as to which way was up. When you hang them. They're straight as an arrow.

I watched a video on germination thinking I'd never learn anything. When the guy started hanging the ziplock bag I felt disgusted. Because I knew it would work and felt like a bone head for not thinking of that myself.

I'll be starting new seeds in the next week to 10 days. And I can't wait to try this for real.

There's a link to the video.

It's better to keep germinating seeds in the light. There's no good reason to keep the plastic bag in the dark.

I agree the best way to stop the plant stretching 2 inches before it starts to grow is adequate light, from the get go.
Adequate, not too much, that is even worse than slightly too little.

I just put then in dirt, like nature. I used to do all thiess "special" germination procedures, they aren't needed, just extra handling steps where you can potentially damage it. I use something like rapid rooters if they are going into a hydro system. The seed doesn't care if the moisture is from a paper towel or dirt. I use party cups WITHOUT drain holes to start seeds. I saturate the soil I'm using at least an hour before planting, this allows it to drain and to normalize to room temperature. Then I plant and cover with plastic wrap or a party cup. I usually don't have to touch it again until it's sprouted and growing.

churchhaze said:

It's better to keep germinating seeds in the light. There's no good reason to keep the plastic bag in the dark.

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In a natural environment a seed would be below ground. Below ground it's getting no light until germination is complete. So it may not do harm but I'm putting mine in a dark place

goldberg71b said:

There's a link to the video.

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Watching this video gave motion sickness. I can't believe such a disorganized dude is selling seeds at 200 bucks a pop smh.

Kizomba FlyingKizombie

That's what plants do, in absence of light they stretch in a desperate hope to reach more light.
Doesn't matter if they are under the soil, they have to keep growing until they find light, that is good, but then if it breaks the soil and thinks it is still dark it will behave like it is still under and keep shooting up another 2 inches at least.
Ever notice how the grass grows under your car if you leave it on the lawn for a few days.

You make or break a plant in the first 5 days. I am also very against topping plants too early, as it inhibits root growth. You need a few nodes above the spot at least.

ANC said:

That's what plants do, in absence of light they stretch in a desperate hope to reach more light.
Doesn't matter if they are under the soil, they have to keep growing until they find light, that is good, but then if it breaks the soil and thinks it is still dark it will behave like it is still under and keep shooting up another 2 inches at least.
Ever notice how the grass grows under your car if you leave it on the lawn for a few days.

You make or break a plant in the first 5 days. I am also very against topping plants too early, as it inhibits root growth. You need a few nodes above the spot at least.

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Who the hell parks their car on their lawn? LOL

Alright! All 6 of The Black germinated and so far 5 of my Blueberry germinated!

I potted all of them, even the lone Blueberry that didn't germinate...yet.

My plan is to get 3 females from each strain. SCROG 2 of each strain in my tent and then grow 1 of each outdoors!

So far so good...

ktmac20 said:

Alright! All 6 of The Black germinated and so far 5 of my Blueberry germinated!

I potted all of them, even the lone Blueberry that didn't germinate...yet.

My plan is to get 3 females from each strain. SCROG 2 of each strain in my tent and then grow 1 of each outdoors!

So far so good...

View attachment 3936417 View attachment 3936420 View attachment 3936423

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These pics show the curled roots I was talking about.

vostok said:

Watching this video gave motion sickness. I can't believe such a disorganized dude is selling seeds at 200 bucks a pop smh.

Kizomba FlyingKizombie

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Yeah I know what you mean. That's definitely not a professional production. I'm not sure why I watched the whole thing. But I'm dam glad I did. When he went to hang that bag. My eyes opened wide and as I said above I felt real stupid I hadn't thought of that myself. It's really a brilliant idea it's also a really simple idea. I'm just here to tell you motion sickness or not IT WORKS GREAT!

I've seen posts where people bend the stems of young plants all the way down to the soil. So the starter leaves can be at "ground" level then cover the elongated stem. Why not start there without bending? Days earlier? Do it this way and they'll start there without bending. Not only that they'll be there much quicker.

You don't have to worry about the roots curling if you plant them immediately after germinating.

Compare the pictures in post #3 and post #14. The seeds from #3 should have been planted right after taking the pictures.

churchhaze said:

You don't have to worry about the roots curling if you plant them immediately after germinating.

Compare the pictures in post #3 and post #14. The seeds from #3 should have been planted right after taking the pictures.

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I can't disagree with this ^^^ It was just a matter of time for me to pot them up...If you see the times on my posts, post #3 was basically 9 pm...Bed time! Post 14 was 16 hrs later after I got home from work and was able to make time to pot them all at the same time!

That is one thing I was waiting on too...waiting to pot them all at the same time!

I may start a grow journal now too!

Cheers