Germination Help

Hi RIU, my first grow's now in flower, but in the time being I wanted to start a new one in my mini veg area. I successfully germinated 1 seed but left it too long and i think it rotted, I planted it anyway and now 2 days later nothing has happened. I tried doing another 2 seeds and no germ at all on these ones...

My question is how long will the planted seed (if its not rotted) take to sprout (didnt time it last time). And will i get better germ results by simply planting straight away instead of germing?

Thanks, Lemon!

The seed that rotted is probably done.
After germination and once planted it will quickly sprout leaves - like 1-3 days.
The point of germing outside of the final medium is so you can control the climate better.
Soil dries out quicker than a paper towel between two plates.
Germinating takes diligence, just DO NOT disturb the seeds.

Yes seed straight into soil cup. I use a heat mat under cup until I see the sprout break the soil. Then put a cfl on it right away. I really dont get the whole paper towel, soaking, or other rituals. Just put it in dirt, water in, and wait.

TheLemon said:

My question is how long will the planted seed (if its not rotted) take to sprout (didnt time it last time).

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There have been a couple recent threads of people pronouncing seeds dead, setting the seedling cups in a dark corner, and finding sprouts two weeks later (in flower due to the darkness), no watering, etc.

You never can know. But, after two weeks I would think it's safe to call it dead.

TheLemon said:

And will i get better germ results by simply planting straight away instead of germing?

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That depends on your soil. Since you've already had a bad experience after putting a germed seed in soil, it makes your soil suspicious to me. What are you using?

IMO, the safest way to germinate is to put the seed in a Rapid Rooter (or Root Riot), and put that directly in soil. The RR gives a uniform texture, dampness plus air. They have a hole already made. It's for a stem (cloning) which I believe is too large for a seed. I turn it upside down and poke my own seed-sized hole.

I soak in 1% hydrogen peroxide (2 parts water, 1 part ordinary 3% peroxide). I used to soak until they crack. I've started soaking just 4-8 hours and then put them in the RR plug. I feel like it gives it a start absorbing moisture, and the h2o2 disinfects any germs on the shell. (Probably just superstitious.).

I put all of my seeds in wet paper towel, put the paper towel inside a sealed Ziploc bag, and I keep it on top of my hot water tank. It stays damp and warm, and everything germinates, usually within 24-48 hours.

I do this with everything. I've got apple trees, an orange tree (from a seedless orange that had a single seed in it), lemon trees, kiwi plants, dragon fruit, cantaloupe, sunflowers, jalapenos, all from store bought fruit and veg (except for the sunflowers). I know lots of people don't like the paper towel method, but I've had amazing success with it. For comparison, I took a bunch of jalapeno seeds, and kiwi seeds, from the same jalapeno and kiwi, planted some directly in soil and put some some in paper towel. Less than half of the ones planted directly in soil actually sprouted and grew. Almost all of the ones in paper towel sprouted and became nice, healthy plants.

To me, this is more than enough proof that the paper towel method is effective when done properly.

I also use rapid rooters seem to work for me 99.9% of the time, although when I first started I used the paper towel method I guess you just have to see what works best for you. All have a purpose just boils down to person all preference.

TheLemon said:

Hi RIU, my first grow's now in flower, but in the time being I wanted to start a new one in my mini veg area. I successfully germinated 1 seed but left it too long and i think it rotted, I planted it anyway and now 2 days later nothing has happened. I tried doing another 2 seeds and no germ at all on these ones...

My question is how long will the planted seed (if its not rotted) take to sprout (didnt time it last time). And will i get better germ results by simply planting straight away instead of germing?

Thanks, Lemon!

Click to expand...

The paper towel method is from second grade in elementary school and some people haven't learned beyond that.

Plant into soil in a small pot with drainage holes and keep warm. 75* is nice. It won't need light until it emerges from the soil. Cooler soil will slow germination and cold soil will halt it. You can expect the seeds to emerge in 3-7 days.

Before you give up on it I just sprouted a couple of seeds that were taking longer than the rest. Sometimes the husk doesn't open up perfectly. What I did was put the seed so that the taproot is down and the seed is just above the soil then I gently pried it apart with a pair of tweezers. It wasn't glamorous, but they don't look dead.