Who Cracks Seeds in H2O Before Soil Grow?

[madback]

Hey mile high, Awesome post! People can actually can get an image logged in their head's.

I do not know how people can complicate such a prehistoric procedure. so for those of you who don't know

It dose not matter what medium you start your seeds in. It comes down to sterile conditions, from the get go. We also can't forget about the quality of material starting out with. BUNKO WEED SEED = A lot of unnecessary bunkness. Also from personal experience, seeds older than 3 years not stored properly have inadequate germ rates. So store your needs in a safe place, and not somewhere where they can get crushed, or tainted by anything.

Lets sit down and think this one out for a minute, breaking down, specific ways to germ your beans using ONLY TAP WATER

Peat Pellets/Coco Pellets


These pellets are one of the most reliable mediums to start seeds in because of the convenient "water and stow" expanding pellets. If your new to using these seed starters, it might be easiest to soak your pellets on a flat surface with the pellet facing up, so the little hole is at the top to put your seeds in, drain off any excess water, and BINGO! your seeds are now starting to germ. Be very careful with the heat mats, as you do not want to cook cannabis sprouts now do you.. or do you? I dunno. Some CONS with with using these pellets, is that if using a seed starter dome is not to let the pellets dry out for too long. You also want to keep a little vent in the top of the dome for a little constant fresh air, and to remind yourself to air out the dome a couple times a day. If you don't air your dome out your are creating a perfect environment for one of the 60,000 strains of Ascomycota to start colonizing. This is the white fury fuzz, the seeds don't like it, and they will die, so be smart. Final note on pellets; a good old ph meter will come in handy. PH - high 5's to mid 6's and you should be alright.

Soil/Straight to medium

This is almost as exciting watching those pellets expand before your eyes, but a little more shall we say "freestyle". This option has various different approach methods. I've seen 10-15 beens started in a 1 gallon, and I've also seen 1 seed placed directly into a 5 gallon, all germed in the growing medium. One of the CONS is placing numerous seeds to germ in such a small area, and carefully having to pull the roots apart. Adding perlite to your seeding mix will wash the medium off a little easier if planting a bunch of seeds in a smaller space.

Paper Towel

This is probably the easiest way to go. Wet the paper towel, place beans on the paper towel, and within minutes, I mean a couple of days you will have some sprouts, ready for the growing medium. One on the CONS with this technique is that if you get too stoned everyday for a week and forget about your beans you will have a cluster of sprouts ready for your sandwich, and/or your sprouts will be inter-tangled/growing through the paper towel. So, with that in mind keep an eye on the towels, look for the tail to pop out then into your medium.

Container of Water

This one is the most straight forward one of them all, and most cost effective approach to germ your beans. I practice this technique following my 3 proven steps to success
1) 3/4 fill 1 oz shot glass with water
2) Place seeds in shot glass
3) Sit back and watch the magic happen

The main CON is knocking your beans on the floor, so you can experiment with using a container with a lid on it.

 

[budlover123]

OG that's a similar method to soaking in a glass of water. As I mentioned I used to do that, except I waited for longer tails...

I actually did that once a long time ago and the seed fell down in the soil by accident and it actually grew down in the pot, the wrong way, I guess because the root was already kind of far out, it just kept going in that direction, I dug up a little white seedling a week later. That and the because it may be easy to damage the seeds when the root is 1/4" or more out of the seed hull, I think I killed a couple seeds that way.

 

[budlover123]

OG that's a similar method to soaking in a glass of water. As I mentioned I used to do that, except I waited for longer tails...

I actually did that once a long time ago and the seed fell down in the soil by accident and it actually grew down in the pot, the wrong way, I guess because the root was already kind of far out, it just kept going in that direction, I dug up a little white seedling a week later. That and the because it may be easy to damage the seeds when the root is 1/4" or more out of the seed hull, I think I killed a couple seeds that way.

 

[cfo]

I just germ'ed an Easy Ryder bean in 1 day using the wet paper towel method.

 

[mad librettist]

i soak seeds until they sink, then pop em in soil.

for cannabis seeds from mail order, I guard the seedlings with my life. Expensive little buggers.

 

[foescan]

It dose not matter what medium you start your seeds in. It comes down to sterile conditions, from the get go

Sterile conditions? That's crazy talk! I'm an organic gardener, I want microbes from the get-go.

I sprout seeds with peat pellets, greenhouse flats, and, depending on seed type, undivided trays filled with a mix of extra coarse vermiculite, fine perlite, peat and coir pith, with some castings too. ALL of those mediums are hydrated with (vermi)compost tea + mycogrow soluble. Why bother trying keep a sterile environment? That's too much work, and it's not natural. Sterile soil is dead soil.

Here's one of my current trays of heirloom 'maters, ready to thin and go outdoors. I'll be growing about 150 of them in half a dozen varieties. Jiffy switched to a spun fabric this year BTW. Don't know if it will break down. Anyway, I toss the dry pellets in my ever-brewing bucket of tea, then plant seeds directly except for a few cultivars that don't germ well. No need for domes in my region.

Works for me.

 

[sunnydog]

It dose not matter what medium you start your seeds in. It comes down to sterile conditions, from the get go. Also from personal experience, seeds older than 3 years not stored properly have inadequate germ rates.
.

I strongly disagree.

SD

 

[2cents]

i don't use the paper towel method because mold can form easily, but it still works well

usually i let seeds soak a day or two in a shot glass, by then they usually have tales sprouting and then i pick em out with a pair of tweezers and drop em into a dixie cup

 

[madback]

I strongly disagree.

SD

so, I guess you've never sat on a pack of beans then, or have never miss placed a pack... cool.. thanks for the imput!

Sterile conditions? That's crazy talk! I'm an organic gardener, I want microbes from the get-go.

Your talking a whole different world here but, I see what your getting at, your talking about the biological control of nature.... I'm talking more along the lines of good cultural hygiene, and having favorable conditions from the start...

Let me use an example and NOT a common tek to be practicing;

If you leave peat pellets in stagnate water for a day or two, you have created an unsterile environment full of harmful bacteria. Where as if you keep that water aerated, the beneficial bacteria have a lifeline to inoculate the water keeping it from going stale.

 

[foomar]

Would not be too hasty in discarding floaters and misshapes and late emergers.

Have kept good records and a disproportaionate number of keepers and interesting plants were slow or unhealthy looking for a week or so from germinateing and then came good.

You will certainly find runts and freaks but risk loseing some real stunners , would give them a chance if space permits , more so given current priceing trends.

 

[rrog]

I used to sterilize everything with dilute bleach, Peroxide. etc. Back when I did chem hydro. Now I keep a Lacto-B culture and some molasses in the fridge and I use it in everything. Like guard dogs as long as you feed them I feel.

Mold can be a problem, but really only with the forgotten wet box or incubator when you come back a week later.

 

[mad librettist]

cuttings I don't go sterile, but I use inert materials.

seeds should be in dirt.

 

[supermanlives]

no . just plant directly in soil and add water

 

[TACOE]

I strongly disagree.

SD

 

[foescan]

If you leave peat pellets in stagnate water for a day or two, you have created an unsterile environment full of harmful bacteria. Where as if you keep that water aerated, the beneficial bacteria have a lifeline to inoculate the water keeping it from going stale.

It takes a watchful eye for sure, but the more I use organic methods the more I learn, and the fewer mistakes I make. You definitely need to monitor moisture levels regardless of methods used. But I have tried soaking, paper towels, completely sterile conditions in so many different media over the years, and I honestly haven't had problems since I stopped sterilizing everything and being OCD about starting seeds.

I feel like ACT+mycogrow is a shield against harmful and stressful conditions, including damping off. I have no proof other than my own personal experience, mostly with heirloom peppers and tomatoes, which I supply to several restaurants and markets in the area that feature local produce. I've only been growing my favorite herb for ~four years, and on a very small scale. But still, I get almost 100% germ rates. Try it!

 

[madback]

I have no proof other than my own personal experience

Well my man, thats proof enough that it dose work.. Also thats rad that you grow for chefs/restaurants.. love that

 

[mad librettist]

If you pop a seed into a shot glass, wait til it sprouts, then pop some seeds into soil, the shot glass seeds will be a few days ahead. If the water is 75 F, and the soil is 65 F, there is going to be more difference.

Does this mean sprouting before popping is better, or does this mean that beans started in warm water is better than than beans in cold soil?

 

[Corpsey]

Honestly i remember putting seeds in water first, for 24-48 hours and then i would plant it in soil, and i feel like i still had to wait another 3-4 days before they really came up.

I dont have any notes when i was popping seeds like that but i remember when i read about tom hill advocating putting them straight into dirt, so i tried it and the result was always the same 2-4 days and they were up. so it felt like i was skipping an unnecessary step and achieving the same results.

But if anyone here wants to germ seeds another way, hey i'm all for it, i don't run your show. but give it a try and see for yourself.

 

[rrog]

How long in the water before they drown? Is 24 hours underwater OK?

 

[mean mr.mustard]

Probably. I usually grab them in 12-18 though.