germinating seed position misconception solved (with pics)

here's a little experiment I made, following some discussions about how to position your precious seed to germinate in soil

First, let me say that if the seed is mature, viable and not weakened by excessive inbreeding, any darn position you please to place it in the soil will be a proper one. The seed, being a bearer of life is designed to survive many adverse circumstances, and has done so for thousands of years.

Us growers irrational quest to correct nature results in many strange germinating habits, heat mats, placing in between wet paper tissue, allowing unusually long root to grow before sowing, heated discussion on sowing depth etc.

and I'm no exception to this rule.

hehe, I'm for example compelled to place my seed pointy tip down in soil, but I'm constantly being told that it's the wrong way, that it should be placed the other way around.

Here's a drawing from the good old Connoiseur's Handbook of Marijuana by William Drake from 1971, it also tells me I'm wrong!



So, having some of my seeds to test for germination I decided to make an experiment, pictures of my seed germing in 24 hour intervals, Richard Attenborough styleee!!!!

1. Ok, I put a seed in glass of water to hydrate quickly, it sinks and after 24 hours it cracks open, showing a bit of tap root emerging, I bury it pointed end down, at a hefty depth of 2cm (a bit too much but nature will take care of it )



2. on the next day not much is happening, but you see that the root is not going anywhere up Yes, the force of Earth gravitation is at work and will always be.


3. Another day gone, everything as planned.


4. On a next day a notable occurence, since the tap root has travelled down well and established a good hold in soil, it now starts to push up, creating a little bend, that bend is very handy, it will push up through the soil, dragging behind it and thus protecting the delicate colytedons.


5. here we go, on a fifth day, tadaa, plant emerges. It's worth noting that because I buried the seed quite deep, the seed covers are left inside soil. If seed is buried shallow, it will still be having the covers on, when emerging.


6 days from seed to seedling, that's my usual score, without fancy soil mixes and much special care. Once again - tip down, tip up, sideways, doesn't matter, a seed is a seed.

rgds, kov

I did not know that was the improper way that is the only way i have done every time I make sure it is point down. but they always come through nicely.

good experiment when i saw the picture from the book i was second guessing my own technique but i guess it does'nt matter. thanks for the cool photo's

finally the mystery is solved, great post, and pictures are worth a thousand posts,thanks for putting the work into this

Great Post !

You should have tried 3 different seeds started each a different way and see what happens. That would be interesting..

1 down
1 up
1 sideways

Nice pics though

Kov ... I always plant pointed end down ... Nice pics ... maybe a further experiment to see which is fastest( therefore using the least on the energy) although they should all be buried to the same depth...Peace

heh, thanks guys.

Yes I've been thinking about a further experiment with for example 3 seeds planted in different position each.

But, I suspect that the results may be meaningless. Am I going to be able to choose 3 seeds that will be having exactly the same growth pattern? Will I be able to provide them similar conditions?

OK, worth a try, expect some pics in a weeks time.

rgds, kov

Edit: in the meantime, a cool comic-strip from Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. Enjoy!

Great thread kov!

Us growers irrational quest to correct nature results in many strange germinating habits, heat mats, placing in between wet paper tissue, allowing unusually long root to grow before sowing, heated discussion on sowing depth etc.

Click to expand...

Sooo true, i had most success by just placing them in germination soil/seedling raising mix, no presoaking. Easy, efficient, works, no risk of killing it when its most fragile.

mace

Seed position experiment part II - pointy tip up

Seed position experiment part II - pointy tip up

Ok, as I promised, I did another little experiment. I was thinking about germinating 3 seeds, but since the pointy tip down has just been covered, I decided to germ only one seed to plant it pointy tip up.
I think a seed germed sideways is just a simple variation of the above two.

hehe...


Ok, I put my seed in a glass of water on the 15-th, on the 16-th it cracks open, the tap root is barely seen in the crack, I never bother with the paper towels so I just put it in soil pointy tip up.

1. Now that pic came out shitty, so you got to believe me in this.


2. On the next day (17-th)you can see the tap root making its way around the seed an down into soil.


3. day 3, tap root safely working it's way into the soil.


4. day 4, the little bend, for the seedling to push it's way to the top, is already there, so it starts to drag the colytedons, frees them from the seed covers, and leaves them behind.


5. day 5, voila, a little seedling.


So, another successfull germination, in 6 days, exactly like with the seed tip pointed down.

What does it all tell us?

It doesn't matter how you place that seed in the soil Any darn way is good. It is a seed, a huge reservoir of energy, huge trees grow from it. Any stories about seed losing the vital energy due to some incorrect placement is nonsense.

Also, any depth you want your seed at (within reasonable boundaries) is good. Those experimenting with waiting for tap root to grow on paper towel, and then planting the seed with colytedons above soil level also look at a time frame of 5-6 days for the seedling to establish itself in the medium.

So, whatever way it pleases you, just plant that seed and Overgrow The World!

rgds, kov

Great job kov!

Seems like geotropism still is the factor that shapes the root, and germing in papertowles will mess with it.

Cool thread,

mace

nice experiment, the pictures tell it all - theres no wrong way to plant your seed! it'd be cool to see a timelapse of something like this.

The proofs in the puddin lol as always nice thread kov :wink: peace Bm357

nice

nice

nice pics guys.

Nice experiment! I knew it all along.

Happy Growin

Wow, badass show dude! Very interesting. Nice to know.

6 days.. mine sprout in 2 - 3 days. pointy side up.

seeds will always find there way, i always planted mine tip down too, i'm sure in the wild they fall off the plant and go in the ground every direction possible.....i still wonder how my friend has bad luck where his tap root comes an inch out of the soil then dies lol....we planted 50 little seed sprouts of the same strain...i did 25 and he did 25 and 10 of his did that...then i go to his house a few months later and a few more did the same thing? i always rip on him for that.

nice thread, and nice experiment

peace

Yeah, sometimes you just have to prove everything for the naysayers. Perfect example and pictures to prove it.

Seeds are seeds. They don't fall to the ground in a specific way. So why should the seed be planted a specific way? It shouldn't, because it doesn't matter..

Thanks for the experiment photos. Doesn't get much more obvious then that.