Seeds won't germinate....

Seeds keep cracking open but nothing happens after. The tip of the tap root is visible but doesn't grow. They are in paper towel and in a box with a heating pad underneath for warmth. Never had a problem until recently. It's been a few months now and only 1 in 10 successful.

what seeds & soil?

You have to make sure the temperature and humidity stays consistent. Shoot for 76F or so, and make sure they stay wet.

yeah, my guess is it maybe too cold where your at.. i just lost a few beans because of the recent cold snap as well.. try around 80 degrees f or so.. get a heating pad or germ them on top of a cable box or another heat emitting object in your house..

racerboy71 said:

yeah, my guess is it maybe too cold where your at.. i just lost a few beans because of the recent cold snap as well.. try around 80 degrees f or so.. get a heating pad or germ them on top of a cable box or another heat emitting object in your house..

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they have been sitting sitting on a heating pad - not directly on it though. what causes them to pop then die off right away?

this can happen if the seeds are 1 year or older. thats what ive noticed in my experiments. if they don't pop after 5 days, then your probably out of luck.

Step 1:
STEPONE: Day1
Presoak seeds in a glass ofplain (distilled) water for 24 hours. Do not soak longer or they could rot. At first seeds will float on top of the water. As water penetrates they sink to the bottom.
Within a few hours, seeds will sink to the bottom ofthe container. Seeds found floating the following day are probably not viable.
A small, white rootlet often emerges from strong viable seeds.
STEPTWO: Day2 Use a dinner plate or a small container with a grate. A grate lets excess water drain away. If using a plate, tip it to drain off excess water.

Set a paper towel or cheesecloth on the plate or grate and moisten it with distilled water until saturated.
Pour the water out of the glass and place the seeds on the moist paper towels and cover the seeds with three more moist paper towels.
Drain off all excess water and put the moist seeds in a shadowy, warm location (70°-90°F, [21o-32°C]). The top of a refrigerator is ideal. Check daily and keep evenly moist but not soggy. Do not let seeds dry out or let water stand so oxygen is cut off to seeds. Let excess water drain away freely.
STEPTHREE: Days5-8
Once seeds have sprouted and the white sprout is visible, they are ready to be moved into the growing medium. Seeds that do not show a white rootlet now may never germinate. Do not throw them out, plant them. But such seeds might never germinate, and if they grow they could turn into weak plants.
(above has been copied from Marijuana Grow Basics by Jorge Cervantes)

Good Luck and Overgrow the world!

grizzy said:

they have been sitting sitting on a heating pad - not directly on it though. what causes them to pop then die off right away?

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idk, that's kind of odd imo.. usually they will pop, go into the soil than die at the soil line, called damping off.. your's aren't even making it out of the tp by the sounds of it..
have you tried to scuff them first at all with some light sand paper?? i don't really think that's it either tbh as usually when they need scuffing, they don't want to open at all, and it sounds like yours are opening up at least..

have you tried to skip the paper towel all together and simply try and germ one right in some soil?? i'd give that a shot next..

If I had to take a guess... I'd say your paper towels are too wet or too dry... thoroughly wet them then drain off excess, twice a day

Thanks everyone...

racerboy71 said:

have you tried to skip the paper towel all together and simply try and germ one right in some soil?? i'd give that a shot next..

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I'll throw my last few in some soil and see what happens.

Damp paper towels in a sealed tupperware in a cool dark place will always germinate. Check every three days if no tap root seeds are bad. Stop playing with them and just let them do there thing.

jeff1 said:

Damp paper towels in a sealed tupperware in a cool dark place will always germinate. Check every three days if no tap root seeds are bad. Stop playing with them and just let them do there thing.

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thanks tips.

i get about 95% success setting them in a glass of distilled water for 12 hours, then placing them in a wet paper towel in a container on my water heater. I'm sure I don't need to say this but are you putting the tap root facing down in the soil?

Put the seed in a Root Shooter. Put that in your warming tray. Screw paper towels. Unneeded.