Germinating in wet paper towels vs soil

stim · Feb 22, 2018

they do usually take longer in soil the heat mats help. The best soil starters are the ones you find in your soil bin you have forgotten about

those are strong starters lol I agree If I buy them its towel for sure.

positivity said:
Never again will I dig for a bought seed with a chopstick to see what happened to it.

paper towel..'

If its good it'll go. If its bad it'll stop. If its tired it'll stall. Flip the towel to check...or...play mini excavator

Tried the worm bin vs paper towel recently. Towel won. YMMV

DsourDog · Mar 22, 2018

I let them float in ro and h2o2 mix over night or 12 hours then right into rapid rooters

growhigh1233 · Mar 31, 2018

interesting thread................. i used to always germ in paper towel............. good method.............. but now i germ in rockwool cubes with a heated propagator..........maybe it was just me been heavy handed ,but i used to always damage at least a few seeds in the transfer from towel to growing medium, and it's so easy to put the paper towel somewhere a little bit to hot, and almost cook the seeds or somewhere to cold, and slow down germination

with a heated prop, its perfect every time and the germ rates are exceptional ... plus if seeds don't germ its easy to dig them out the rockwool cube, and pop the seed shell open with your teeth, then put them back in the propagator ..........so many seeds iv popped with my teeth have grown perfectly after

Illuminate · Apr 18, 2018

I get 100% on fresh seed by putting straight into 29-30*c soil mix, out of the bag, water by spray bottle the top layer of medium. Keeping them warm and moist.

aridbud · Apr 18, 2018

Used to use paper towels, but the bleaching of them decreased germination. Solo or styro cups in warm area, moist medium....and diluted food grade hydo perox....works like a charm!

brown_thumb · Apr 18, 2018

I've had great luck popping in very damp paper towels but often lose the seedlings when transferred to soil. I'm going to try popping in soil this time.

SnakePlissken · Apr 19, 2018

Pulling seeds off paper towels almost always damages micro hairs, and some times I've goofed and broke the root rip. Arghhh.

Put seeds between the thin dual paper towel layers.
From now on, Don't ever pull the layers apart.
Use a flashlight to see thru the paper to check germ status.
Use scissors to cut out seeds, being careful to NOT cut root, or disturb the layers.
Plant it.

Illuminate · Apr 19, 2018

SnakePlissken said:
Pulling seeds off paper towels almost always damages micro hairs, and some times I've goofed and broke the root rip. Arghhh.

Put seeds between the thin dual paper towel layers.
From now on, Don't ever pull the layers apart.
Use a flashlight to see thru the paper to check germ status.
Use scissors to cut out seeds, being careful to NOT cut root, or disturb the layers.
Plant it.

Snake.....snake??.....snaaaaàaaàke

Mate Dave · Apr 19, 2018

SnakePlissken said:
Pulling seeds off paper towels almost always damages micro hairs, and some times I've goofed and broke the root rip. Arghhh.

Put seeds between the thin dual paper towel layers.
From now on, Don't ever pull the layers apart.
Use a flashlight to see thru the paper to check germ status.
Use scissors to cut out seeds, being careful to NOT cut root, or disturb the layers.
Plant it.

If your clumsy you might. In almost 16 years I have never seen that happen. Flashlight Scissors :biggrin:

Organik · Apr 19, 2018

TychoMonolyth · Apr 20, 2018

Mate Dave said:
If your clumsy you might. In almost 16 years I have never seen that happen. Flashlight Scissors

The wife cuts hers out too. I have way too many to be messing around with scissors.

Mate Dave · Apr 20, 2018

I've just germinated & bred some 10+ year old Bubblegums. I have also cracked some 15+ year old stuff in paper. I don't put a seed on the soil until it will 100% grow.

KokoKush · Apr 28, 2019

I know this thread is a year old but I thought I would share my germination methodology. Make sure your seeds are fresh. Seeds should be refrigerated.

First remove seeds from cold storage. They are put in cups with neutral ph water at 78 f and left for 24 hours. By now most of the seeds should have or be able to sink.

Second they are removed from the water and placed into wet paper towels. Neutral ph and the temperature around 78 f. Seeds are checked daily and removed when the shell has cracked and the root tail has emerged. Paper towels are changed every two days to prevent fungus.

Finally seeds are placed root tip down into soil (substitute your medium of choice) a quarter inch deep then covered with soil. The soil is moistened and covered with plastic wrap to maintain humidity. Soil is also kept around 78 f until seed emerges.

There are interesting results using earthworm castings/tea for stubborn seeds, also other techniques for stubborn seeds but that's another story.

Complete Noob · May 6, 2019

I tried both now I plant in coco then transfer party cup to either soil or coco. Seeds come up day 5 for most seeds, day 4 for second place. and some take as long as ten days

Tried paper towel method when I first started imo it makes the seedlings weaker. The casing doesn’t come off the right way or something idk but I would never try the paper towel method again. Not with my nanner seeds nor lemon seeds neither

Facelesdoll · Oct 23, 2019

For me paper towel wins everytime for a few factors vs variables. Paper towels are usually the most practically hydrating form of germination assistance where as dunking in water can drown some seeds. Some seeds need a week or two until the sprout gains traction. Seen it in old beans where they wants warm humid hydration not saturation and soil makes controlling those variables tricky. Easiest to crack beans then try to achieve proper hydration via inner soil humidity. Humidity vs true hydration is the difference of a seedling drinking and breathing and searching for water growing vs overdrinking. Once the seed cracks I plant in substrate

Esme · Mar 10, 2020

Old thread but say no more.....3 days from placing in the paper towel

growhigh1233 · Mar 10, 2020

Esme said:
Old thread but say no more.....3 days from placing in the paper towel

View Image

maybe i'm just heavy handed but id mangle those transferring them to rockwool....................id prob lose 20-30% ..............im a seed straight into the grow medium kinda guy .............heated prop always, that's the key to success imo ........... consistent temps!

Esme · Mar 10, 2020

growhigh1233 said:
maybe i'm just heavy handed but id mangle those transferring them to rockwool....................id prob lose 20-30% ..............im a seed straight into the grow medium kinda guy .............heated prop always, that's the key to success imo ........... consistent temps!

I've not broken any as of yet just take my time mate, i've got a grow going now just potted these up, Once in jiffy i leave them in the dark for 24 hours and there heads will be poking up then once i see the tap rot at the bottom then they get put into 0.5ml pots.

Some do grow into it but be gental and it will be okay, i get 100% germantion rate this way, I all ways boil the kettle and soak it in hot water i feel like it kills some of the bad stuff if it's on the kitchen towel

Esme · Mar 10, 2020

temp in the prog is 73.4/70rh perfect VPD at that stage.

'Boogieman' · Mar 10, 2020

I use the paper towel method for about 48 hours, I plant them when the tail is about a half inch or so. If I let them go too long they grow into the paper towel.

Germinating in wet paper towels vs soil

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