The Seed Cracker

[Shmavis]

Hello fellow cannabis enthusiasts! (And especially preservationists.)

First, I want to thank Lester Beans for his thread and mention of cracking seeds, and that someone made a device to aid with this. And big thanks to Thailer for following up with details.

I have never been too keen on the idea of scuffing. Can’t remember now the member here who recommended using nail clippers to clip the very end of seeds to help with germination, but I liked it. And cracking even more so. I have more than a few packs of seeds in the vault that may not be viable. Here’s a short list off the top of my head without actually looking.

G-13 IX
Dutch Dragon
Thai Tanic
Schnazz #2
Peacemaker
Ancestral Skunk #1 (known to have around 10% viability)
Thai Lights
Exile
G-force
Afghanica
Bubble Gum
BOG Bubble
Papaya
Sweet and Sour Cindy
Critical Romulan

I ended up buying “The Seed Cracker” to hopefully improve the possibility of getting these older, questionably viable seeds to pop. I have other projects and fresher seeds I had wanted to be popping next but I really need to shelve those plans to work my way through these seeds to see if anything can be saved from them. I will pair them with similar lineages when possible. For example, when I try to pop Thai Lights I will follow that up with Thai Tanic if results are poor. So maybe I get two girls from TL and only one plant, a male, from TT. I will toss some pollen around. Likewise, Afghanica and Exile will pair as both are basically Afghan Skunks (Afghanica more so than Exile). And Bubble Gum with BOG Bubble, etc. If I have a high germ rate - 70% - or above on any pack, I will work with those first before popping a similar counterpart. My goal is to try to produce fresh seed stock from each, but depending on viability it may end up as crosses that attempt to stay within similar familial lines. I have two packs of G-13 IX and will start with it. Depending on the results, that may be it until July. If no luck with G-13 I will try to start the Thai crosses next. All this will be to gear up and get practiced before July, when I plan to try to pop 75 AS #1 beans. This will tie me up for some time as I work my way through these packs. I will use this thread to document the results.

The Seed Cracker cost $55 and $10 shipping within the US. For an additional dollar per letter, up to 16 letters can be stamped on it and/or for three dollars a cannabis leaf. Kind of pricey. Especially when you consider that you could get this from Amazon for less than $15.

Mill out a nesting bed right in the center, mount it to a board or something else so as to fix it into an upright position, and get cracking. Looks like it would work… ?

Here’s my Cracker:

When I was looking around online to see pics of it I found this video of it in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eVVs5JY1Vo

I am going to get some GA3 to see if it improves chances. I plan to prep five beans of G-13 as shown in the video using GA3. The other five I will prep with a variation of Chimera’s method as well as soak after washing. I found the claim in the video of gravity aiding by taping the baggie to the cupboard door to be, questionable. Anyone think that makes sense? I suppose it couldn’t hurt and would also allow excess solution to drain away.

Back in a few weeks when things get underway.

 

[Weird]

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=micrometer&t=ffnt&iax=images&ia=images


micrometers

 

[Shmavis]

Nice, Weird.

 

[thailer]

finally i can watch some old beans and see how well this thing works!

 

[Buckeyebandit]

Subbed

 

[Lyfespan]

thought these were already being made by someone?

 

[Mikell]

That's the guy, no? Looks like woodshed.

 

[GatorGumbo]

As far as I can tell, that's not Woodshed's. I think his is only $35, too.

 

[Lyfespan]

As far as I can tell, that's not Woodshed's. I think his is only $35, too.

woodsheds doesn't have plastic construction

 

[Mikell]

I thought he started making those on his 3d printer.

Hold the phone I'll check IG.

It's both.

 

[Shmavis]

Unless there's two dudes on IG going by the handle Woodshed and selling The Seed Cracker, it's from him.

A friend handled the communications so I did not talk to him directly but was sent screen shots of pricing and colors - clearly from Woodshed. I don't know the history and may be way off with this but I read something about a guide being added to later models to better hold the seed in place. That may be the plastic piece. Because as best I can tell if that were to break or just be removed, it would still function. Within hours of paying, my friend sent me a pic of shipping confirmation complete with tracking number. Impressive turnaround.

Thankfully I can afford toys for my favorite hobby. Plus I just like the idea of supporting a fellow head - especially one with a bit of ingenuity.

Just hope cracking ups the likelihood of germinating...

 

[UFOpilot]

https://www.marzkreatiek.nl/img_shop/.klein/groot-086208.jpg

Hope the picture works.

I always use one of these as a seedcracker.
With this one you can apply just enough pressure to crack
and not to destroy the seed...

 

[dork]

I just ordered one. He says it patent pending. 55 bucks plus shipping isn’t bad for a patent pending product those patent lawyers ain’t cheap.

 

[GatorGumbo]

Yea, it's a good thing to have. Glad he's letting it take off a bit more, almost a must have for the home grower.

 

[yesum]

https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=499747&stc=1&d=1563237117 This was $2.40 shipped. A cheaper alternative to some other seed crackers. ebay

 

[FlaDankster]

Critical Romulan by Classic Seeds?

Gave the 6 i had left to a buddy few months ago,all 6 popped for him.I had them for 7-8 years.Some nice plants in there.

 

[need4weed]

https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=499747&stc=1&d=1563237117 This was $2.40 shipped. A cheaper alternative to some other seed crackers. ebay

Do they work ok?

 

[Shmavis]

https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=499747&stc=1&d=1563237117 This was $2.40 shipped. A cheaper alternative to some other seed crackers. ebay

Nice! Cheaper yet would be to use some pliers that are lying around the house.

Critical Romulan by Classic Seeds?

Gave the 6 i had left to a buddy few months ago,all 6 popped for him.I had them for 7-8 years.Some nice plants in there.

Yes. From Classic Seeds. The pack has a date with '14 as the year. Would think there'd be no problem with seeds of that age but they were bought at discount pricing through RGS with the acknowledgment that germ rates may be low (due mostly to storage practices, I believe). And have since seen reports of poor rates with the Classic offerings. If nothing else I imagine they have a better chance than others. We'll see. Thanks for the confirmation of nice plants to be found





I haven't made much progress with this. I have way too much on my plate to focus on this and realized this early spring. My goal is to be finished with the home improvement projects I have underway just before Labor Day as I will be out of town the week of and hope to return and buckle down on this when I can devote proper time and attention.

I did crack and try to pop five G-13 IX and more or less used my usual germ method. I have also acquired some GA3. The plan was to do the next five at 50ppm of GA3. That is how I will start when I resume this in early fall.

I do two or three runs a year starting late summer/early fall and take the summer off. I often make seeds. After sorting out the immature/non-viable looking seeds I always throw them outdoors in the same spot to see if anything pops up in the spring. I also throw out seeds that don't germ. This last winter I threw out a lot of Golden Temple Kush seeds I had made. When I did so it was the dead of winter and remember there being a lot of snow on the ground at the time. Come spring I didn't see anything. Then after 18 days in paper towels with no germination from the first 5 G-13 seeds, I also threw them out there...

I have my first outdoor grow underway this year. The plants I have outdoors are in the same area I often throw seeds. The other day when tending to them I literally stopped mid-step when I saw where my foot was headed:

From all the seeds I have cast out this is the first time I have found a plant growing. Can't be sure that it's not a GTK but given I didn't see any signs of life in early spring I think (hope) it's more likely that one of the later thrown G-13 seeds is what I see here. Little pissed at myself that I didn't throw the G-13 seeds elsewhere so I could be sure...

Plan to take a cut when it gets a bit bigger. Somewhat hoping for a male as I have a HashPlant S1 growing that might make for a nice cross — if it's a G-13.

Back early fall to get crackin'!

 

[yesum]

I had to take a dremel to the contact points and lower them a fraction of a millimeter. The smaller notch is the right size now and I can get to crackin!

I am sure the screw type seed cracker is better but for the money this is fine. I used needle nose pliers before and it worked but the seed tended to want to slip out too much.

 

[Shmavis]

Finally!

Finally!

Hadn’t been having much luck. Went 0/4 with G-Force; 0/10 SSSHD x G13; 0/15 G13-IX. Had a bit of excitement with G13-IX. Ten of them went into the germination machine and after eleven days I found this:

Unfortunately it hasn’t made it above ground yet - hopefully it does. Six days have passed since the dirt nap. After four days I sprayed the surface with 50 PPM of GA3 in distilled water. One week ago today I sterilized, cracked, and soaked one pack of Thai Lights and one pack of Thai-Tanic. Half of each pack was soaked in my usual solution at double strength and the other half of each in Neptune’s Harvest per label instructions (a first). Then each half-pack soaked in NH went into the germination machine and the other half of each into paper towels/baggies as usual. After five days I saw only one seed of Thai-Tanic splitting the seam with a taproot visible. It is among the five that were not put in the germination machine and was soaked in my usual solution. I will wait a bit to see if it emerges more before putting down for a dirt nap...

Next I planned to start on the Afghan/Skunks. But started thinking about Schnazzleberry #2. I bought the pack from Seedboutique in early ’16 - same purchase as Thai-Tanic. It was one of the last packs. When was the Joint Project? ’05 or thereabout, I think. They’re obviously old seeds and no longer available. I have Schnazz #3 & #4 as well and thought if I could get a couple to pop it would be nice to use them in some way with 3 and or 4. And we’ve all been made aware that they may not have been optimally stored at Boo/Bay. Thinking I would see little action, I didn’t clean or sterilize these. Just threw them into a cup to soak. Planned on cracking them after the soak. Let them soak for 24hrs. Pouring the solution out to crack them I noticed four had already sprouted tails. So I didn’t crack them and just put them into paper towels/baggie as usual. About twelve hours later:

Much to Chimera!


Hopefully more than a few will break ground!

I had to take a dremel to the contact points and lower them a fraction of a millimeter. The smaller notch is the right size now and I can get to crackin!

I am sure the screw type seed cracker is better but for the money this is fine. I used needle nose pliers before and it worked but the seed tended to want to slip out too much.

That makes sense about slipping with needle nose. Now that I have gotten some experience with the cracker, I really like it. The seed nests nicely and there’s a great deal of control with applied pressure. Biggest headache was trying to crack when the seeds were wet. Sometimes I cracked after sterilizing before soaking and sometimes after soaking. Wearing gloves or bare handed, the seed just wants to stick to my fingers - making it a pain to get into the nest to crack. I found that after sterilizing it was best to let them air dry before cracking. No issue with a dry seed.

Hope your cracking is going great!