Seed Germination Help and Advice. Your experiences?

[TastyTrichomes]

Hi All,

I was hoping to hear peoples various ways of seed popping.

Do you use:

1/ Paper towel method

2/ Root riot cubes method

3/ Direct into media (coco, soil, rockwool)

4/ A combination of methods?


Also, when it comes to old or stubborn seeds, does anybody have any hints and tips?

Ive got a pack of soma amnesia haze seeds, which after reading in the forums, im kinda worried about not giving them the best popping chances.

Ive read we can soak the stubborn/hard seeds in seaweed water.
What kind of dilution rates do people use? IM considering this as a pre soak method for some older seeds ive been gifted.

So far any seeds ive popped i just put them in normal tap water, left for 24hours, then popped them into root riot cubes, then let them grow out by themselves.

Any help and advice on seed popping would be appreciated.

 

[Easy7]

I like rapid rooters as the seedlings are very fragile. I just put the root riot or whichever brand in the soil, place the seed in and put a tiny chunk of the rooter in the hole over the seed. Keep moist and bingo!

 

[snuggles]

i put the seeds in a glass of water and leave them to soak over night.
then i put them in damp paper towels.
usually after 2-3 days, after they have sprouted, i put them in seedling soil.
greets

 

[Cannavore]

soak and sow

 

[Pinball Wizard]

soak seed 24 hours (36 hours for seed older than 3 years)

Drop seed 1 inch deep in a beer cup of 66% perlite/33% vermiculite. (well mixed)
Wet it & wait. Maintain 80 degrees temp.
100% germination

Try it...or don't try it. I don't care.

 

[7thson]

I get better results using the paper towel method but you know how that goes.

 

[Granger2]

Paper towels add an unnecessary step that increases risk to delicate seeds/sprouts. Good luck. -granger

 

[MJPassion]

Lately, I've a preference for the paper towel method. I can see the seeds as they progress and feel like I have a little more control over the environment directly surrounding the seeds. I lost a few varieties this starting season due to heavy soil and my mistake of over watering so switched up to towels.

I place the seeds in the paper towel, folded in 1/4 then saturate the towel & place in a zip lock bag & let it sit overnight. The following morning, I dump out as much water as will then squeeze out a little bit more.
Then I check the seeds every few hours to see their progress.
As soon as I see tails popping through the shells I transplant to moist soil about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.

 

[mojave green]

Sow and grow!

 

[aridbud]

Saucer of filtered or distilled water- no paper towel- maybe 1/3 c. water. White paper towels have bleach (making them white). In saucer, add 1 TBS food grade hydrogen peroxide, seeds in saucer. Once root tail shows (generally 24 hrs.), carefully transplant into moistened medium.

 

[stoned-trout]

I have tried every method and product.. rapid rooters,rockwool ect and direct into soil is best for me.. I SIFT/SCREEN my seedling soil so when wet it makes good contact with seed and is light and airy...yeehaw.. I fill cup or container with soil, wet with water and let settle,, go back make tiny hole and put in seed,, then go back with tiny amount soil to cover and mist with a sprayer I use a 1 gal...keep moist an that's it...couldn't be easier.. I use small cups and sterilite trays..i used to presoak seeds but then they stick when trying to drop in hole ..I drop 2 seeds in or just do a few more cups to compensate for seeds that would of floated...I have found no advantage using rapid rooters or similar or rockwool over a good soil mix.....using small cups gives a decent room for roots before need transplant ..fuck the paper towel method .. I hated that

 

[hicksticky]

Ahh the seed poppers age old question.....
I've tried most and favor some..
Soak in plain water 24hr+, till they sink and crack,

then usually place in paper towel for another 24-36hrs until a tail starts.... now I skip this stage if the seedling pops a tail in the water...showing great vigor.

Place in soil about 3/4" below surface, water lightly (try not to pack the medium down).... and wait.

As far as hard to germ/ old seeds.... what I've come to do is scruff the seed with a nail file or sand paper LIGHTLY, and soak in a diluted solution.. I use "life cloning solution, rx green" @ 1ml per cup of water... I find while you might get old seeds to crack, the membrane that the seedling use as nutrition is broke down, dried, or non existent.

Hope this helps, good luck OP.

 

[Mrs.Ping29]

I sow direct I take the seed and press it into the soil put a crumble on top and spay. For older seeds soak in a mix of water molasses and a drop of super thrive . Scarification will also help before you soak for 24 hrs. There is also a hot water method but don't recommend it cause you can kill your seeds if you don't know what your doing.

 

[TastyTrichomes]

thank you all for your kind responses.

Im guessing i got it wrong about seaweed helping seeds to germinate.

 

[MJPassion]

Not at all TastyTrichomes.

I've seen kelp recommended for starting seeds but that was typically for old seed. Kelp add some nutrients & hormones to the solution that potentially give the seedlings a boost of energy.

 

[WelderDan]

Paper towel. A single select-a-size paper towel fits perfectly in a sandwich size zip lock when folded in half. Fold towel, put in bag, add seeds between the two layers and enough water to dampen the towel. Zip it up and place on the cable box, top of fridge or other warm place. Towel wont dry out, and you just hold it up to a light to see if it sprouts.

Even if you leave it in there too long and the roots grow into the paper towel, just cut or tear around the root and put it in your medium. I've been doing this for years and I don't loose seedlings due to root damage, be it straight to hydro or any other medium.

 

[TerpeneDream]

Once you guys transplant the sprouted seedling to soil…Do you put them under 24h light? No light? 18/6?

Thanks

 

[TastyTrichomes]

Once you guys transplant the sprouted seedling to soil…Do you put them under 24h light? No light? 18/6?

Thanks

hi m8,

i just recently popped a batch of seeds, after starting this thread.

I first put them in darkness, to encourage them to 'come out looking for light', if that makes any sense., lol. Usually within a day they are pushing themselves out of the soil, and trying to get rid of their shells and protective covering. Once a few popped above the soil, i put the light on.

Then I put mine under a 18/6 light schedule via a timer, and hoped for the best. If you put them under 24hour light, what i would advise is to keep an eye on them depending on distance and strength of light.

The Light can dry the top layer of soil quite quickly, depending on the strength. I started mine under a 110W t5 light. I noticed every two days the soil was pretty dry . But i keep my light really close to them as i didnt really want stretching leggy seedlings.
I just checked them twice a day, to help remove the drying seed shell, and that protective layer holding the first set of tiny leaves.

Have been feeding only water, as i read somwhere that a seedling has enough food in itself until it gets to a few sets of small leaves. Plus the soil must have a little strength, even tho its a 'seedling mix' soil .



Hope that helps .
What seeds ya got popping? Would love to hear/see how it went for you.

All the best, and have a happy and safe weekend.

 

[larry badiner]

ive had good results germinating seeds in rockwool cubes under two 1ft fluoro light.

 

[JohnKimble]

Does oxygen help seeds sprout faster? Because I've found a way that seemed to sprout Mj beans in 12 hours. Put the seeds in a glass of water with an airstone bubbling it and a few drops of h2o2. 12 hours later tap roots are out, put them into soil.

I've tried it without the airstone, 2-3 days go by and no tap root..