southern ganga
Active Member
I just got some seed for my first grow in a while. i'm trying the wet paper towel method with no success. any suggestions would be very helpful. thanks in advance!
whats the best way to germinate seeds?
- Thread starter southern ganga
- Start date
meangreengrowinmachine
Well-Known Member
I soak the seeds in water for 24 hours first then moist paper towel inside of a ziplock then inside something to keep it dark inside of then into a nice warm environment
GroErr
Well-Known Member
Cup of water for 24-36 hours, once I see the tap root poke out they go into soil. I've used every method known to man/woman and this is by far the easiest and most reliable for me. Trick is to plant them with a smaller like 1/4" to 1/2" tap root, the longer you wait and the longer the tap root, the more potential issues when planting them (like breaking off the tap root etc.).
Beachwalker
Well-Known Member
Try to get some heat, if you don't have a propagation Matt put them on a DVR cable box type thing that's warm would help
-good luck!
friedguy
Well-Known Member
I second that.
GroErr
Well-Known Member
Good point, I do put that cup of water on top of my wireless router for some heat. Typically 24-30 hours and they've opened up in that environment. Some go longer, some are ready for planting within 24 hours.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
Paper towel method is so last century. 
Done them all in the past and what gives me the best germination percentage is to scarify the seeds before planting in soilless or soil without soaking.
To scarify them I use a piece of 150grit sandpaper cut to fit inside a pill jar them put the seeds in and gently shake it on it's side for 2 min then stick in the media about 1/2" down and water well.
Often seeds have been handled with bare hands and skin oils can coat the seeds to prevent moisture from getting in to wake them up. Heat mats aren't really needed as seeds in the wild lie in the ground all winter dormant until conditions are right for them to sprout so room temp is lots.
I put little pieces of shrink fit tubing on the ends of some tweezers to make it easier to pick up seeds without them popping out and flying across the room. Either that or wear a latex examination glove on the hand you manipulate your seeds with.
Who knows how they were handled before you got them or how they were stored. I've seen them hanging on display racks in full sun in places and that can't be good. 90% of the seeds I use are ones I've made myself so I know their history.
Done them all in the past and what gives me the best germination percentage is to scarify the seeds before planting in soilless or soil without soaking.
To scarify them I use a piece of 150grit sandpaper cut to fit inside a pill jar them put the seeds in and gently shake it on it's side for 2 min then stick in the media about 1/2" down and water well.
Often seeds have been handled with bare hands and skin oils can coat the seeds to prevent moisture from getting in to wake them up. Heat mats aren't really needed as seeds in the wild lie in the ground all winter dormant until conditions are right for them to sprout so room temp is lots.
I put little pieces of shrink fit tubing on the ends of some tweezers to make it easier to pick up seeds without them popping out and flying across the room. Either that or wear a latex examination glove on the hand you manipulate your seeds with.
Who knows how they were handled before you got them or how they were stored. I've seen them hanging on display racks in full sun in places and that can't be good. 90% of the seeds I use are ones I've made myself so I know their history.
southern ganga
Active Member
i got one out of the four to pop using the paper towel method. thanks for all the advice!
Indacouch
Well-Known Member
I dunk a paper towel and fold it over a few times. Put the seeds in the middle and fold the paper towel up nice and stick it inside a zip lock sandwich bag. I then set that inside a dark drawer in a warm part of the house.
I cover the ziplock bags with a towel and close the drawer.
Aprox 72 hours later
Then straight into soil filled solos. Inside a container that keeps things warm and moist.
Easy peasy......GL
I cover the ziplock bags with a towel and close the drawer.
Aprox 72 hours later
Then straight into soil filled solos. Inside a container that keeps things warm and moist.
Easy peasy......GL
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
Lots of different methods work and some work better for different people.
I'm the kind of guy that if I had a drawer full of soaking seeds I'd forget to check them and spoil the lot.
Stick them in dirt to sprout and the worst I can do is forget to water them and I rarely, tho sometimes, forget to do that.
Right now I have something like 18 plants of various strains and sizes in various sizes of pots and am forced to check on them multiple times/day.
Keeping me on my toes and getting lots of well needed exercise running up and down the stairs.
I'm the kind of guy that if I had a drawer full of soaking seeds I'd forget to check them and spoil the lot.
Stick them in dirt to sprout and the worst I can do is forget to water them and I rarely, tho sometimes, forget to do that.
Right now I have something like 18 plants of various strains and sizes in various sizes of pots and am forced to check on them multiple times/day.
Keeping me on my toes and getting lots of well needed exercise running up and down the stairs.
Cold$moke
Well-Known Member
I like to scratch them up a little with 150 grit in a tube as well
Then i soak in luke warm water , but i dont like to soak till they split i usually limit it to 6 hours
Some will split in this time anyway
Then to a plug of some type be it rapid rooters or rockwool (currently using rockwool)
Then it goes in a tray in till they pop
I never had good luck with the paper towel method either
My germ rates are usually pretty decent
Then i soak in luke warm water , but i dont like to soak till they split i usually limit it to 6 hours
Some will split in this time anyway
Then to a plug of some type be it rapid rooters or rockwool (currently using rockwool)
Then it goes in a tray in till they pop
I never had good luck with the paper towel method either
My germ rates are usually pretty decent
Indacouch
Well-Known Member
Absolutely, I was just showing how I germ seeds to check if new seeds are viable. Before I do lots and lots for the green houses. I'm totally with you on just dropping the beans in soil and watering. Much less work and fuss....and I've always had good results doing that. Now that I know all these strains are still good. I will fill cups and drop beans straight into dirt and water .....that's it........Oh and label the cups good. We all know what a disaster that can be.Lots of different methods work and some work better for different people.
I'm the kind of guy that if I had a drawer full of soaking seeds I'd forget to check them and spoil the lot.
Stick them in dirt to sprout and the worst I can do is forget to water them and I rarely, tho sometimes, forget to do that.
Right now I have something like 18 plants of various strains and sizes in various sizes of pots and am forced to check on them multiple times/day.
Keeping me on my toes and getting lots of well needed exercise running up and down the stairs.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
No shit!
I once sent a guy about 100 seeds of 10 different strains and two months later he finally sent me a PM with pics of two dozen plants and wanted me to tell him which was which because he couldn't remember which seed he put in what pot.
Needless to say I never sent him any more seeds.
Some peoples children eh.
Indacouch
Well-Known Member
I've made my fair share of labeling errors through the years.....but that takes the cake ...lolNo shit!
I once sent a guy about 100 seeds of 10 different strains and two months later he finally sent me a PM with pics of two dozen plants and wanted me to tell him which was which because he couldn't remember which seed he put in what pot.
Needless to say I never sent him any more seeds.
Some peoples children eh.
Wanted you to visually identify them for him ....lol wtf
KingOfSpite
Active Member
I'd be curious to know why the paper towel method hasn't worked well for some people. I'm near 100% germination over the years doing it that way.
churchhaze
Well-Known Member
Keeping germinating seeds in the dark is a counter-intuitive myth.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
For sure it works but for me it's just another step to forget and screw it up. I had a small stroke about 5 years ago and the fog is still hanging around tho much better than it was.
Found out two years ago that my birth mother was diagnosed with dementia at age 65 which meant she was likely sliding into it for 5 or more years before the diagnosis. Died 10 years later at 75. 6 months before I made contact with my 5 half-siblings.
I'm 64 this October and starting to wonder if those more often old-fart moments aren't something other than residual effects of the stroke.
I'll be eating my shotgun long before I'm stuck in a wheelchair drooling in my diapers I tell you what!
No way I'm going out like that.
Roger A. Shrubber
Well-Known Member
put them in a small cup of water till they sink, then into a little tupperware bowl with a damp paper towel, on the back of the fridge where they stay warm, till they crack then into solo cups full of promix/perlite