Best way starting seeds in rockwool?

[Charlie Green]

germinate in paper towl folded up, leave a littel pocket, and moisten the paper towe, and keep moist. leave it in a tupperware contaier in the dark for 3-7 days, keeping the towel moist, and you should see the embryo....

another ethod that ive HEARD works is just to put in a shotglass over night, see what happens ins the seed absorbs the moisture until it pops....thats what ya want..

the paper towel method ALWAYS works....IMO

Yeah i'll stay with the paper and saucers Last time i did the shotglass thing i lost all my seeds :/

 

[Charlie Green]

I don't know where the paper towel method started, I only know that it has been around far too long. I first learned of it over 30 years ago. It's hogwash... does it work? Most of the time, but why risk handling a delicate seed and it's new born tap root when you can simply place the seed in any moist medium and have it germinate? If the seed germinates in a paper towel, which surely can't sustain the seed, won't it surely germinate in moist rockwool?

Please don't tell me God created weed that needed man's assistance to sustain it's self because there is no paper towels laying around in mother nature. LOL I'm sorry, but I have to laugh at the though of all the extra work towlies have to go through. Just plant the seed already, if it's viable, it will grow, because amazingly, it is a weed. It's hardy. The only time the plant has troubles is when we try to care for them.

Actually the extrawork is for not losing rockwools. I know i'd do that but some of the seeds fail and then i need more rockwools.

 

[Charlie Green]

It's done because it gives a higher growth yield. This is a fact. In my horticulture class we were taught this by having to germinate seeds in different ways. Some were just dropped in soil, some rock wool, and others were pre-germinated like the above mentioned method. You get a higher yield because you are supposed to germ more seeds than you expect to sprout, once sprouted, so long as they are properly taken care of, you're all set to go and you already know that your plants are started vs waiting to see it the seeds ever sprout. It's very rare to lose a sprout from transplanting long as you know what you're doing. Also, germinating with the paper towel method let's you already see which plants are growing fastest and strongest so you can do an initial picking of stronger genetics to start with and possibly end up with better plants. I'm a wee bit stoned, so i hope this makes sense...I'll re-read it later and edit if necessary...but I think that conveys what I'm trying to get at.

You are ture grower! that is the way to go! but right now im searching the best method EVER! i need the best rate for the old special seeds! So maybe this question is right way: How to wake up old seeds!

 

[Fuzzbutter]

You are ture grower! that is the way to go! but right now im searching the best method EVER! i need the best rate for the old special seeds! So maybe this question is right way: How to wake up old seeds!

The seeds I sprouted were anywhere from 1-2 years old and 14/20 popped....which I was COMPLETELY not expecting...so I'd say that the paper towel method is one of, if not, your best bet.

 

[skoby]

best way is to leave soaking in a glass for 24 hrs then place between 2 sheets of cotton wool or paper towel, place seeds in between both sheets wet cover between to plates and store in dark area about 21oC and check daily till the white piston starts to show then transfer to rockwook or soil once the seeds have started to grow leave under 18 hrs of light I use 24 but 18 is fine hope that helps