MtRainDog
Well-Known Member
I hear you, just could be a bad batch of seeds too, definitely happens. Cheers!
Germinating.
- Thread starter Larf_Man
- Start date
When floating on top of the water they may have more air exposure than being wrapped in saturated paper towel that is sealed inside a plastic bag? No idea, just conjecture.
Larf_Man
Active Member
Yeah that’s a good call.
DOCTORDOOB
Well-Known Member
Brother I am 41 and grew my first plant when I was 21, and even though I have learned a lot, and even was at a point I felt I couldn't learn much more, I quit growing for simply 3 years and now that I am trying again I am having similar struggles as you... I know it sounds repetitive and annoying because you feel like you know how to do it and everyone is repeating themselves, but it's the truth! If you hold anything that was meant to be alive and not meant to be under water, under water, it drowns. We all see the paper towel is too wet because the shiny glare, if it was wringed out, it would be matte in color. Not shiny! The thing is, you can only get away with the paper towel being that wet ONCE, at the very beginning, but it has to dry out pretty quickly from not having too much water. The problem is your paper towel is so wet when you close it, no oxygen or air can get in. You probably already know all of that and heard it a hundred times before. But the thing is time's change, and maybe the way your seeds need to be germinated needs to as well. Not trying to sound all weird, but nothing is normal these days. I keep doing the same thing... It's annoying and I feel like I know better, but I am running through 100+ seeds right now. So trust me, you would think I'd be a pro by now, even sprouting seeds in the past. But in the past 30 days I have gone through 150 solo cups, 3 rolls of paper towels, 100+ seeds, (my wife is annoyed lol) and I have only had 17 pop and start growing. And as my luck would have it, I woke up to my cat eating three of them!
Now I'm down to 14, need about 50, and have to start more. But the ones that do sprout are in a paper towel that almost feels dry to the point the seeds keep rolling away when I open it. You gotta make em search for water but have it there if that makes sense....
Drop That Sound
Well-Known Member
Paper towels just aren't a good seed germination method. Even if it works most the time, and is perfectly moist (at the optimum field capacity & magical air/water ratio). Not a good practice IMO.
Some brands potentially contain trace amounts of PFAS forever chemicals, which could be systemically toxic or effect the germ rates. Especially when using them for off label uses as such. More research\regulations is needed!
They can pickup and harbor all kinds of air born pathogens or whatever pollen/spores that might be floating around the house, or your fingers. Basically acting like a petri dish that you expose to open air for days at a time, and kept at the right temps for incubating said spores. Almost like when you do a home mold test, exept the papoer towel is the food source/medium. No two places are the same air quality, so just because it works for some..
You won't see successful cultivators using paper towels straight off the roll in plant tissue culture or mycology, etc. They usually sterilize them in some foil first with steam or an autoclave, to prevent any possible contamination. They wouldn't need to if they were clean enough as is.
One bad seed could quickly spread something to the others, and loading a bunch in a towel is like putting all your eggs in one basket.
I would at least use some from a fresh brand new roll that hasn't been sitting around, just saying..
Some brands potentially contain trace amounts of PFAS forever chemicals, which could be systemically toxic or effect the germ rates. Especially when using them for off label uses as such. More research\regulations is needed!
They can pickup and harbor all kinds of air born pathogens or whatever pollen/spores that might be floating around the house, or your fingers. Basically acting like a petri dish that you expose to open air for days at a time, and kept at the right temps for incubating said spores. Almost like when you do a home mold test, exept the papoer towel is the food source/medium. No two places are the same air quality, so just because it works for some..
You won't see successful cultivators using paper towels straight off the roll in plant tissue culture or mycology, etc. They usually sterilize them in some foil first with steam or an autoclave, to prevent any possible contamination. They wouldn't need to if they were clean enough as is.
One bad seed could quickly spread something to the others, and loading a bunch in a towel is like putting all your eggs in one basket.
I would at least use some from a fresh brand new roll that hasn't been sitting around, just saying..
MickFoster
Well-Known Member
Yet another "trouble germinating seeds in a paper towel" thread. 
OP.......you start a thread to ask for help and every reply has said the same thing, yet you still question it.
Rapid rooters for the win..........can't remember the last time a seed didn't sprout.
I'm moving on.......good luck.
OP.......you start a thread to ask for help and every reply has said the same thing, yet you still question it.
Rapid rooters for the win..........can't remember the last time a seed didn't sprout.
I'm moving on.......good luck.
Larf_Man
Active Member
I did not ask for help. I was simply showing some seeds that only cracked.Yet another "trouble germinating seeds in a paper towel" thread.
OP.......you start a thread to ask for help and every reply has said the same thing, yet you still question it.
Rapid rooters for the win..........can't remember the last time a seed didn't sprout.
I'm moving on.......good luck.
