Rwith
Member
I agree, I've used Rapid Rooters ever since I started and I have had 100% success. Very simple to use.
Germinating. I’ve done it for years. Now, I’m confused.
- Thread starter Susanne
- Start date
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
Or stick them straight in the medium. Even more simple. Cheaper too.
Rwith
Member
Yes Sir, I intend to continue this method.
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
Susanne
Well-Known Member
Thanks to everyone for all the information. I learn something new every year. Who says you can't teach an old hippie new tricks? 
......
Even so, I still used the glass of water method, which was new to me last year & when some sank to the bottom, I put them in paper towels. I started them Saturday (for those of you not keeping track during this stupid COVID time, that was day before yesterday
), planted 5 White Widow seeds yesterday, and all but 6 of 30 today. The 6 have popped, but the root hasn't grown out of the seed at all yet & I've had better luck waiting until it does. The ones that haven't come up in the last 2 years have been those I've planted before the tap root grows at least a little longer than (almost) 1/4", where it's still so short it's 'stuck' to the seed.
That's one reason I don't put them straight into the soil...... I don't know what's going on under there
. If they don't come up, I have no idea where it went wrong. Not to mention if they don't, I can get them replaced....If they're underground, I'd feel bad asking for a replacement not knowing if it popped & just didn't come up due to something I did.... something like that anyway 
.
AND, from another thread, these were from ILGM & ALL popped. I've heard reviews that they have had poor luck & I've had pretty good luck, so thought I'd put my stats in here
.
thanks again & happy growing!
......Even so, I still used the glass of water method, which was new to me last year & when some sank to the bottom, I put them in paper towels. I started them Saturday (for those of you not keeping track during this stupid COVID time, that was day before yesterday
), planted 5 White Widow seeds yesterday, and all but 6 of 30 today. The 6 have popped, but the root hasn't grown out of the seed at all yet & I've had better luck waiting until it does. The ones that haven't come up in the last 2 years have been those I've planted before the tap root grows at least a little longer than (almost) 1/4", where it's still so short it's 'stuck' to the seed. That's one reason I don't put them straight into the soil...... I don't know what's going on under there
. If they don't come up, I have no idea where it went wrong. Not to mention if they don't, I can get them replaced....If they're underground, I'd feel bad asking for a replacement not knowing if it popped & just didn't come up due to something I did.... something like that anyway .AND, from another thread, these were from ILGM & ALL popped. I've heard reviews that they have had poor luck & I've had pretty good luck, so thought I'd put my stats in here
.thanks again & happy growing!
Green Refuge
Well-Known Member
I tried a method I saw here where you let the seed float in water without pushing it down. Worked like a charm taproot was an inch or two long within 3 days. No paper towel needed.
insomnia65
Well-Known Member
I would do exactly what you have always done, as above, if it ain't broke why fix it.
Doug Dawson
Well-Known Member
The growers job, provide moisture and heat. Do that in any manner that suits you and the seeds should germinate.
Susanne
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I read conflicting things on the floating/sinking.....
One said make the seed sink.
another said if it sinks, it will drown, so put it in a paper towel....
gets more complicated each year. Like said before, just gonna pretty much do it the way I have been
insomnia65
Well-Known Member
A bit like after a priest or nuns talk..
gets more complicated each year. Like said before, just gonna pretty much do it the way I have been
Doug Dawson
Well-Known Member
That's a good plan. Soaking seeds is just to help soften the shell, moist soil will do the same thing. Seeds dont need to sink to accomplish that. It is true that If left sunk you can kill the seed as they do need oxygen. You can go to paper towel or straight into medium. I use the soak and paper towel method just because I like to see the process happening but in the end it's just extra steps that are really not needed.Yeah, I read conflicting things on the floating/sinking.....
One said make the seed sink.
another said if it sinks, it will drown, so put it in a paper towel....
gets more complicated each year. Like said before, just gonna pretty much do it the way I have been
insomnia65
Well-Known Member
I do exactly the same.
MAGpie81
Well-Known Member
I just tried glass of water trick with 2 year-old bagseed a friend gave (read: not super concerned with how it does).Hi all,
I’ve germinated seeds for years & have been steadily growing good strains now for the last three years. Today, I’m wanting to start germinating my 2021 seeds. So, I thought I’d refresh my old memory on germinating. I used to always do it in a damp paper towel. It worked very well. Last year, I did it in the glasses of water.....Again, they did well (makes me wonder why I’m asking
So, when I searched today & was reading, I saw a ‘new’ way I was unaware of & am wondering why it would work better:
they are saying to:
Put in water (I’ve seen different times)
then, put in damp paper towels.
Why do it twice? Wouldn’t just one way work better? What makes this way better and..
while I’m at it.......opinions on putting in water or using paper towels.....which do you prefer?
thanks!
I originally just set out to see which sink after given some time (indicator they are good, so I read; double-check?), and picked out ones that looked healthy (light- to medium-brown, mottled or tiger-striped, not-white or green... you know!) and put them in one bowl-dish, and the rest in another.
Used little white ceramic shallow-bowls (the thickness may help insulate, depending on where/how you’re keeping it warm).
Just poured some lightly warmed (“took the chill off”) filtered well-water (~6pH) in them then decided to put them on water heater in a closet with ambient temp around 68- 72, but the surface of top of water heater stays ~74.
Decided to leave them overnight in dark to see if they’d sprout and had about a 15% success after 1 night and many more after 2 nights. Mind you this was 2 years old seed.
Most that had sank looked ready to start sprouting.
The bowl with a hundred-plus seeds started to develop some gel.
The one with ten I picked out was still just watery but all had sunk and 4 had noticeable “tails”.
Carefully tipped out the water from both and floaters from the one, and I saved the water to lightly warm and pour over the 15 jiffy pellets I had readied. I put the floater-seeds in a willow/horsetail fermented plant tea (FPT) I am developing.
Planted the sprouts, set in dome tray, let’s see what happens.
Note- made a fresh tea by boiling cutup willow shoots and poured over pellets to soak/sanitize them. Let hydrated pellets cool before planting seeds.
TheDifferenceX
Well-Known Member
Rapid rooters are the shit!
Ukulele Haze
Well-Known Member
There are several different ways to germinate seeds. But, I have not heard of any definitive best method. It really comes down to personal preference. I personally like to skip the soaking and/or paper towel tactics because I seem to get good enough germination rate by simply dropping the bean directly into soil.
MickFoster
Well-Known Member
Last time I looked, Mother Nature didn't place glasses of water or paper towels in the forest for seed germination.
Doug Dawson
Well-Known Member
True and I don't disagree, straight into medium is the most natural way to do it. That said mother nature has a low germ rate and uses way more seeds
The only reason I soak and go into paper towel is because I like to see the seed crack and see the tap root. It is totally unnecessary, just do it for my own enjoyment.
Gemtree
Well-Known Member
Mother nature aint growin that fiya
