Rubbing seeds on the sides of match boxes.

[Adamant Caesar]

Hey Frozenguy- not to sound like I know what I'm talking about, but I believe you could over water a seed, in the case that it gets suffocated, since they still need air...right? Has anyone tried a dish with an airstone in it with a bunch of seeds to keep air circulation in the water? [at least till they crack] Or does that just sound stupid?

 

[h.h.]

What do you mean?

If you mean you are getting 100% germ rate, so am I. I use soil for convenience as the paper towel method is very time consuming. Takes more work then soil germination. I like to keep it simple.

If you are having trouble with soil, but paper towel is working for you, I can almost guarentee you its one or a combination of two things.

1.) Your soil is drying out too fast (you didn't cover it with plastic, didn't give it a good enough initial watering, planted seedling too shallow; should be 2cm deep)
2.) Your temp is too low

There is no magical power of a paper towel. Its just easier to saturate. I think people dont saturate their medium enough for germination. I have found you cant over water a seed; a seedling yes, but not a seed.

Usually it's the warmth thing or sometimes a slow sprouting seed. With towels I pick the ones I want to pot so they all start out the same. I can also put them next to my water heater for warmth.. All in all I have better germination and no problems in planting. I know others that have better luck potting direct. There are a couple of tricks to doing it either way successfully. Direct in soil is the way nature does it, but in nature hundreds of seeds are distributed. They don't all make it.

 

[Frozenguy]

Hey Frozenguy- not to sound like I know what I'm talking about, but I believe you could over water a seed, in the case that it gets suffocated, since they still need air...right? Has anyone tried a dish with an airstone in it with a bunch of seeds to keep air circulation in the water? [at least till they crack] Or does that just sound stupid?

Well I consider a seed to be a seed, not cracked with a tap root. I've never tried keeping a seedling under water after it cracked and a tap root emerged..

But once it comes above the soil, I un cover it, and the top of the soil starts to dry off and the seedlings tap root will chase it down.

I dont water it immediately once emerged, I wait several days.

The only reason that airstone in water germing idea probably wouldn't work is because after a day or two, the plant wants to push through and get the leaves up to some air.. But, I've never heard/seen it done and experimenting is great.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

I have only been around for a day or two...and I really want to be like you guys that have 100% germination rate. It's gota be just good juju. 100%...wow...that is amazing.
Especially 1000's of seeds and still 100%
That really is special..ya know?

 

[RetroGrow]

The problem with the paper towel is it dries out faster then soil, doesn't buffer temperature as well as soil, requires transplanting within the first 48 hours of tap root development which doesn't sound good to me (especially because 80% of the people, if not more, who perform this method do it barehanded). Also, light can penetrate a paper towel, I'm sure some/most of you cover it up with something opaque, but a lot dont. And when you go to transplant, again you are subjecting the tap root to climate changes, friction, finger oils or other contaminants, and light..

Wow! With all those "problems", it's hard to imagine how any of my beans have ever popped in paper towels!
First off, the paper towel is kept in ziploc bag, so it can't dry out.
Second: When I use this method, I don't leave the seeds laying around in the paper towels. I put them in my medium (coco) within a few hours of popping. I don't use bare hands, but a plastic spoon and a dental pick. And by the way, a little light on the root does not hurt it. Another urban myth. Have never had a problem with it.
"Climate change"?
Give me a break....

 

[Frozenguy]

I have only been around for a day or two...and I really want to be like you guys that have 100% germination rate. It's gota be just good juju. 100%...wow...that is amazing.
Especially 1000's of seeds and still 100%
That really is special..ya know?

I know you didn't quote me, but seeing as how I made comments similar to those, I figure I would elaborate. I said I was getting 100% germ rate, which is true. 100%. I however did not get 100% over the course of 1000+ seeds.

I dont get your comment about you only being here for a day or two.

Wow! With all those "problems", it's hard to imagine how any of my beans have ever popped in paper towels!
First off, the paper towel is kept in ziploc bag, so it can't dry out.
Second: When I use this method, I don't leave the seeds laying around in the paper towels. I put them in my medium (coco) within a few hours of popping. I don't use bare hands, but a plastic spoon and a dental pick. And by the way, a little light on the root does not hurt it. Another urban myth. Have never had a problem with it.
"Climate change"?
Give me a break....

Yeah, if you read my posts, I said it worked. I know it works.

But, I just like to do everything perfect for my babies..

You know if you shake your plants every day, they will still grow. Maybe/probably the same. So why dont you start doing that?

I just like to eliminate unnecessary possibilities for error.

I'm not saying these things cause measurable error, but it doesn't mean I can avoid them.

And, I said it takes a lot of work at the end of the day to do it properly, like you said with your dental pick and plastic spoon.

I just like to do things simple. Plant in soil, cover and your done. Set it and forget. Plants up faster and not touched by human hand in any way.

Whatever though. Spend that time fiddling with your seeds.
I think people do it for the most part because it feels "advanced" when it reality it is quite unnecessary

But yes, I admit, it does work when done properly.

For the bolded type: Can you show me a link that says light is ok for roots that are meant to be buried underground?

I'm pretty sure those tap roots dont want to see light, but I could be wrong because well I don't know for sure. But I've never seen roots thrive in light.

 

[Snype]

im with ya doc. i stick straight into a smalllll cup of soil. have 100 percent germ ratio. unless the seeds where not ready yet, or just weak seeds in general....

How is that 100% if some of them didn't pop? And then you choose to come to the conclusion that the seed was not ready or weak. Forgive me if I mistook what you said but how would you know in the first place if the seed was weak and to not put it in the soil to begin with but if you put them all 100% in soil and some didn't come out ever then that doesn't equal 100% germ rate.

Put it this way, if you had only one seed of some of the best bud around and you couldn't get anymore in life, I don't think you're sticking it right in dirt. You'll be on this site trying to learn what kind of sand paper to use!

 

[DocLeaf]

We do agree that folks should stick with what works

RE: tissue / paper towel

The main disadvantage of this method of germination is that the tiny folical root hairs get damaged when transplanting from paper into the actual growing medium... especially when using cheap tissue / cheap paper towels.

Put it this way, if you had only one seed of some of the best bud around and you couldn't get anymore in life, I don't think you're sticking it right in dirt.

Yes. We would ,, and do

There is no need to bury seeds into the soil. Viable seeds will germinate on top of any suitable growing medium and root themselves down naturally.

This is the BEST way to test seed batches for germination rates.

How to plant seeds by Growdoc : http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=10876

Personally we do not touch the seed again after sowing

Hope this helps

 

[Snype]

If I find an real columbian gold seed, you better believe that I'm using the sandpaper. If I got plenty of seed I go with the paper towels. I agree that you can put the seed right on the soil but some seeds won't take because they aren't as viable but the matchbox you will get better results on seed like that.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

If I had a 40 year old seed that I wanted to pop...I would prepare a peat puck with a very light nute solution along with 30mlh2o2/gal water and the seed would be placed just at the top of the puck with caruncle facing up, and only half the seed in the medium. Peat kept moist from a bottom feed and that's that. By doing this, I give the seed every opportunity to germinate. And with the caruncle in the proper position, the emerging root is headed in the right direction.
I know a person who does it opposite..and places the caruncle in the down position, because he feels that allowing the root to push the seed around the other way helps the shell halves to come off better..and I tend to agree....but I have seen them get confused and almost kill themselves trying to upright. But helping a shell off is something we should also try to avoid if we can.

Some folks scream about bad seed germ rates, when they are using paper towels that have chemicals in them including bleach and colorings.
Also, disturbing a root can damage thousands of micro hairs on the sides of the root.

I talked about 100% because 100% is nothing but bullshit talk, no matter how long you been at this, or how many have been popped. If a person has 100% germination rate, they aren't growing pot. Or not near enough of it....

 

[Snype]

If I had a 40 year old seed that I wanted to pop...I would prepare a peat puck with a very light nute solution along with 30mlh2o2/gal water and the seed would be placed just at the top of the puck with caruncle facing up, and only half the seed in the medium. Peat kept moist from a bottom feed and that's that. By doing this, I give the seed every opportunity to germinate. And with the caruncle in the proper position, the emerging root is headed in the right direction.
I know a person who does it opposite..and places the caruncle in the down position, because he feels that allowing the root to push the seed around the other way helps the shell halves to come off better..and I tend to agree....but I have seen them get confused and almost kill themselves trying to upright. But helping a shell off is something we should also try to avoid if we can.

Some folks scream about bad seed germ rates, when they are using paper towels that have chemicals in them including bleach and colorings.
Also, disturbing a root can damage thousands of micro hairs on the sides of the root.

I talked about 100% because 100% is nothing but bullshit talk, no matter how long you been at this, or how many have been popped. If a person has 100% germination rate, they aren't growing pot. Or not near enough of it....

I would use the matchbox and a solution of H2O and SUPERthrive in paper towels if I had a 40 year old seed but your method is interesting. And I know that some paper towels have chemicals in them and I only use ones with now color or chemicals. I think most people know that but common sense isn't too common these days.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

I've used paper towels to germ before. Hell, Ive tried it about any way you can think if...even by mistake! Nothing is ever set in stone.
But something else you paper towel advocates need to consider is that it is possible that the towel itself, even white ones with no coloring, can throw the pH of the water used to germ off. (shrug) Not sure how much common sense would tell us this. I am also not sure how certain we can be that we are using "hypoallergenic" paper towels.

And I know that some paper towels have chemicals in them and I only use ones with now color or chemicals.

lol...just how would one go about confirming that?

 

[Snype]

I am also not sure how certain we can be that we are using "hypoallergenic" paper towels.
lol...just how would one go about confirming that?

Hoosier, I'll call the company that makes them tomorrow for you Ok and give you the details here since I have nothing better to do. Funny thing is you're saying all this stuff now about chemicals and whatnot and you're probably using tap water.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

lol...it's not me that is wanting the information. I was just curious how you got it?
I absolutely use tap water. Works great!