Advanced seed germination techniques

[gh0st9]

Hey OO, got a question, after doing some reading, I was interested in Ga3, before I even read seafours posts I also came to 250 ppm 24 hour soak, but now after a bit more perusing and playing with numbers, I was wondering if exposure time also can have negative effects on early stage growth? (currently playing with 4 hr intervals and 100 ppm intervals, planning on running 10 test lots of 25-50 with 2 control groups-aiming for germ speed, and growth traits/strength after germ).

I assume so, since most of the techniques I've read in lab settings involve initial soak in the Ga3 solution(discarded) then onto the regular germ process.

 

[MJtheIndicator]

We could also consider taking the stratification route regarding germination.

 

[stihgnobevoli]

alright so none of that worked. they still just sit there. and or eventually get moldy. i might as well just drop em in the ground and cross my fingers. i'm having the same ratio of luck. oh wait i didn't try the full moon thing.

next full moon i'm gonna try germing with plain water mixed with 1ml/l 3% h202, 2 drops of superthrive/l and 1/4tsp /l "sugar" in the form of molasses.
and just plain water
as well as water + h202
and water+ superthrive all same seed stock.

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

I have not read all the posts, but what is the water you use for germination? I start thousands of old seeds, some 25 years old and I can sprout some of every batch, from 95% success to just 10% but that shows some seeds are alive the rest have died.
How do you store the seeds? For how long? I can't keep seeds long (years) at room temps. I keep them dry, in zips, at 4-5C. works like a charm.
You first need seeds well made, I flower my plants for seeds for 10 weeks after pollination to assure maximum vitality and so they live longer. Many people think you can make seeds in 4 weeks, you can, but they are not as well made, they will not last as long.
I do not know why you are having problems you should not unless the seeds are dead.

Depending on how many seeds I am starting and how old, I soak in water for 24 hours, then in paper towels, in a tray with a lid to avoid drying out. Zero problems. I never do anything fancy it is not needed in most cases. Sometimes I just plant newer seeds directly in seed starting soil, they all pop and grow.
In the future get more well made seeds and keep them correctly. People having problems have old seeds kept wrong. You can freeze seeds for long term storage that works better then 4-5C storage, but I do not like to take frozen seeds in and out of a freezer repeatedly. For most people 25 years at 4-5C is good enough if you need longer freeze seeds, if newly made be sure they are dry enough ( 10%) before freezing, I dry in paper bags for a month or two in a dry room.
-SamS

i'm still having a shit time with germinating my seeds. i don't fucking get it. even going back to the old schoo l paper towel method. the fuckin seeds crack, or start to crack and some even show the beginning of a taproot. i plant em. and then nothing comes up. i have a heated dome, and heated, unheated, in the dark, in the light, nothing. i've just lost a lot of my most valuable seeds and at this point i'm becoming quite irate. just lost my last 5 berry sour cream. those were fucking one off's

just tried superthrive on some 30+ random seeds i don't care about i bet those all sprout, but the shit i actually want gets turned into fungus food.

 

[stihgnobevoli]

been stored in a basement 10 years in an altoid can before i found em. they were hard to germ back then. that was like 8 years ago. been in a ziplock bag since then. i dunno if they're dead or not. 21 year old at the very least seeds. but some are closer to half that age. last seeds i lost were ...i think i got those in 2010 or so. like 5 years old. i dunno whats going on. maybe they're just old and dead at this point.

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

been stored in a basement 10 years in an altoid can before i found em. they were hard to germ back then. that was like 8 years ago. been in a ziplock bag since then. i dunno if they're dead or not. 21 year old at the very least seeds. but some are closer to half that age. last seeds i lost were ...i think i got those in 2010 or so. like 5 years old. i dunno whats going on. maybe they're just old and dead at this point.

Keep all seeds in a refrigerator dry in zip locks they keep 3-4 times as long as at room temps, frozen even longer.
10 years is long at room temps. Also do not make seeds in just 4 weeks use 10 weeks for a better seed that lasts longer.
-SamS

 

[waveguide]

Trehalose might work but not in the way waveguide thinks .

ty OO i just found this thread again..

not about to mess with it (under $15 on amazon) myself but had another "thought," given my nescience about chemistry.. (and the impressive thing is, this idea completely ignores what you've just said!) ... what about using trehalose during seed production, to produce seeds that store better?

course, not an idea the selling market is anxious to embrace..

 

[inumer]

Just put them in damp perlite with ph water... Works everytime.. Never lost a seed..

 

[shishkaboy]

Advanced?

Advanced?

I used to do the paper towel method but whether you soak or paper towel my new tech is...
I dont even plant them anymore. I just stick the tap root in the medium and leave the shell on top.
So far evey seed that I have tried this new method with has grown to seedling stage.

Just popped a new one, so I figured I would post it.

I have noticed they get a little "leggy", so I will keep this one very close to the light. Maybe that will help.

 

[Sforza]

The next time I germinate seeds, I'm going to do about an 8 hour soak in Sea Crop, Karma, Coconut milk, FulPower. Then I will plant them in a good organic potting soil, diluted with perlite, seed laying on soil with a 1/8" covering. Watered in with an inoculant like Great White or whatever, and the same water as the presoak.

If you want to crack them, a good way is to use tiny Vise Grips adjusted so they don't close all the way. I have some 3" Vise Grips. They're so cute. Good luck. -granger

I have used this method too. It works well to crack the seed without harming it.

 

[farmerlion]

I use only highest quality genetics. I plant one seed in a 10 gallon bag with quality soil and some earthworms. Then I give it some water and leave it alone. Sometimes you get a weak sprout. I kill it immediately and plant another seed. Grow your own and do as Sam_skunkman said. Flower your seeded plants 10 weeks or so. Healthy seeds are healthy plants. Can't stress this enough! There are no short cuts to quality! Peace

 

[Sativan]

Germinating seeds is not a complicated process and there's no reason to make it more difficult than it is. There are only three conditions that have to be met for a seed to germ: water, correct temperture and the right situation in the soil.

Anything more is just waste.

 

[Sativan]

Ultimately the genetics will determine whether you have a superseed or regular seed.

 

[species]

thats a lotta snake oil for something so simple.

i use 1 shot glass, tap water, seeds.

take shot glass, fill 75% with water. drop in seeds. dunk a couple times to moisturize. leave in a warm location for 24 hours. in 24 hours dunk all the seeds again, most if not all should stay on the bottom. come back in 24 more hours. you should see the shells cracked open and some will have tails coming out. if they are cracked/ showing tails plant em.

for anything left uncracked, gently crack the seam on the seed with your teeth. (more control than trying to do it with your hands) after you crack the seams soak for another 24. if they haven't started showing tails or swelling to the point where the shell is visibly open (like a clam) i would just write those off. if they still aren't ready after 72 hours in water they are most likely not viable.

after 24 hours you will notice the water in the shot glass has gotten cloudy/milky i can't presume to know what this is, i'm guessing some sort of enzymes released by the seed shell to aid in germination. but if you want you can pour that off and replace with fresh water. but by 48hrs if you haven't taken the seeds out you will want to change the water out of there, it gets a little disgusting and probably undergoing some sort of decomposition cycle by then.

That's basically all I have ever done.

 

[LostTribe]

That's basically all I have ever done.

This thread is about ADVANCED seed germination techniques not old granny methods!

In Vitro Germination is necessary when dealing with extremely old cultivars and for seeds which are hard to come by. It has been used for quite some time by orchid farmers with great success! IE to prevent lines from becoming EXTINCT!

If you had a "super plant", one that you just couldn't afford to chance loosing to poor germination, then it would be recommended by some. But your idea of loosing something might not be as great depending on your skill level and the actual cultivar you are working with.

 

[matt11]

Whatever happen to the good old fashion damp paper towel method? I always get a near 100% successful germ rate. And the ones that don't crack I chalk up to bad genes/genetics.

 

[highsociety420]

Here's my smorgasbord of [advanced?] seed germination techniques:

1 - Seed scarification (scuffing)

2 - 12-hour pre-soak in a solution of:
- pH neutral water (chlorine & chloramine free) (1 Gal.)
- Gibberelic Acid (75 ppm = roughly 1/8th tsp/gal)
- Wright's Liquid Smoke - Hickory (contains karrakinolides) (7.5 tsp/gal)
- L-Glycine Amino Acid (synergistic interaction w/ karrakinolides) (1/4 gram)
- L-Aspartic Acid (1/4 gram)
- L-Glutamic Acid (1/4 gram)
- L-Phenylaninine (1/4 gram)
- L-Lysine Amino Acid (1/4 gram)
- OptiFlora PreBiotic Complex (contains fructooligosaccharides, Vitamin E) (1 tbsp)
- Dirt M.D. Activated Liquid Humic/Fulvic Acid (1/4 tsp)
- Botanicare / Fulvex Trace Mineral Extract (1/4 tsp)
- Botanicare / Liquid Karma (1/4 tsp)
- Microbe Life / Nourish-L Liquid Organic Rare Earth Humus Conditioner & Cypress Lignin (1/4 tsp)
- Flora USA/HB-101 (1/2 tsp/gal.)

3 - Fresh banana peels in the enclosed germinating environment (produces ethylene)

Spme links in re: Karrikinolides:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21280622
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0095109

Dude, it will cost

 

[MarkMyWord]

Seed germination with Barley Extract (100% enzymes)

Seed germination with Barley Extract (100% enzymes)

One or two drops in a shot glass or 1oz. of distilled water in warm dark cupboard and check for cracking or a tail every 6 hours.

 

[ICRSN]

Solo Cup with moist greenhouse potting mix. poke hole about 1/8 inch deep. place seed in hole with scalloped (opens) end down and dimpled (hinged) end up. Cover with 1/8 inch mix. give spoon of water. wait about 2 days and we have seed germination.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

Keep all seeds in a refrigerator dry in zip locks they keep 3-4 times as long as at room temps, frozen even longer.
10 years is long at room temps. Also do not make seeds in just 4 weeks use 10 weeks for a better seed that lasts longer.
-SamS

So let me get this straight, 70 days from pollination to make the best seeds?. Any difference between indoor and outdoor times?.

Anyways, I keep hearing that overdone is better than underdone in the case of seeds for germination rates. I know I having some problems pulling seeds based on the color.