Not cool!

[Cannabis Enthusiast]

Ok so a friend of mine gave me a 10 pack of seeds a couple of months ago. He order them from Holland about a year before that. I started by trying to germinate just one at first. Didn't happen...then I tried 4 more, waited a couple of days. Still no luck. I went ahead and just threw all of them in the bag (im germinating using a damp paper towel in a plastic bag btw, sorry forgot to mention that). Its been 3 days and only 4 have popped but just barely.

This isn't the first time I've germinated seeds this way so I know it works.

Is it just because the seeds are so old?

Any comments appreciated.

 

[Nunotmp]

Could be...How long are you leaving them? Some seeds can take up to 2 weeks to germinate..

I place my seeds in a shot glass and place on a heating pad..Ive have a few pop on less than 12 hours but some take about 3 days

 

[Dwezelitsame]

that is not youg but is not to old if stored right i heard of seeds being 20 years old and germing MUST be stored properly

 

[Cannabis Enthusiast]

@nunotmp - theyve been in the bag for about 4 days and i check them once daily

@dwezelitsamewell - they were in a sealed plastic sleeve..is that considered properly stored?

I guess I'll just give it another week and see what happens

thx for the input guys

 

[Snow Crash]

I think the "traditional" germination methods are total crap. Paper towels and plastic bags??? At what point did this become the logical way to germinate?

What I do, like many others who are catching on, is to use Coco Peat. It holds a lot of moisture and air and generally has my seeds above ground in under 100 hours. If your seeds don't germinate doing it your way just drop them down into some coco. Even my old seed stock pops right up.

 

[KuLong]

At what point did this become the logical way to germinate?

It became the logical way since I get 100% germination rate this way. Why do you have such a problem with a sure fire way of germination?

I also use rock wool cubes and only lost 2 seeds that way.

I sometimes just plant the seeds straight into the soil and that works too.

Either way works great for soil grows.

 

[Wezzy]

Generally they come up pretty quick, depends where/how you store them. I germed a lemon skunk recently by soaking in bottled water, then paper towel/cling film trick, then moved to rockwool. The seed had leaves in a few days. Depends on your climate/temp too. But then can take a while to germ too.

 

[Snow Crash]

It became the logical way since I get 100% germination rate this way. Why do you have such a problem with a sure fire way of germination?

I also use rock wool cubes and only lost 2 seeds that way.

I sometimes just plant the seeds straight into the soil and that works too.

Either way works great for soil grows.

You would be the only person who gets 100% germination that way. I've tried Peat pellets, paper towels, rock wool cubes, Rapid Rooters... etc. Nothing works as consistent as coco peat.

I can actually provide proof. Somehow I dropped two seeds into a single square, they still both hatched. The two pictures below demonstrate a 27/27 ratio, and it doesn't involve a pack of brawny, a cable box, a plate, and plastic wrap. Seed+Coco=Win.

 

[TaoWolf]

I think the "traditional" germination methods are total crap. Paper towels and plastic bags??? At what point did this become the logical way to germinate?

What I do, like many others who are catching on, is to use Coco Peat. It holds a lot of moisture and air and generally has my seeds above ground in under 100 hours. If your seeds don't germinate doing it your way just drop them down into some coco. Even my old seed stock pops right up.

Do you just mix the coco and peat together yourself SnowCrash or do you buy it premixed? If you mix it yourself, what ratio do you use?

 

[Snow Crash]

It's actually called Coco Peat. Coir refers to a kind of coco media that has very long fibers. Coco peat is allowed to decomp a little and is then screened down to resemble traditional Peat Moss. It reminds me of wet coffee grounds. Most of the Coco available is Coco Peat, some have a small percentage of Coco Coir inside, but most brands are pretty consistent in the texture of the media.

I use just straight coco. I've used Botanicare. I've used Canna. I've used General Hydroponics. It is the same every time. 100 hours later, 100% of seeds are now seedlings.

Couldn't be easier. Plant it and forget about it. The nice thing about coco is the roots respond very well to the inert and high oxygen environment. Starting in a small amount of coco, allowing 2-3 leaf sets to present, and then transplanting to the media of choice to begin feeding works well.

 

[TaoWolf]

Thanks, I might pick some up next time at the store. It looks very loose in consistency... do you just transplant out of the coco completely before the root structures really develop? Or do they stay in the coco cube when you transplant?

 

[Snow Crash]

I keep mine in the coco. Pulling a new plant out of the media is a terrible idea.

It is a little loose, but no looser than soil. When wet it will clump together, but also crumble apart. Basically, it has the perfect combination of air and moisture. The physical structure of the coco is "spongey" so it can hold on to a lot of dissolved oxygen in the nooks and crannies.

You can transplant into just about any system that involves a planter or netpot with a coco coir basket for the roots to grow through.

 

[1oldgoat]

It became the logical way since I get 100% germination rate this way. Why do you have such a problem with a sure fire way of germination?

I also use rock wool cubes and only lost 2 seeds that way.

I sometimes just plant the seeds straight into the soil and that works too.

Either way works great for soil grows.

100% behind you on wet paper towel. 100% germination. Just sit it over a heating pad on the lowest setting. Pop out in 12 hrs some times. A day or two at the latest.

 

[TaoWolf]

When wet it will clump together, but also crumble apart.

That's what I was thinking - so it's more like when you transplant, there is a clump of it around the root system you keep intact - as opposed to being able to cleanly transfer the whole cube of it together w/ the seedling? I'm a little blazed right now, so sorry if I'm not being clear or getting it. Basically I'm just trying to figure out if it's clean enough to be used w/ transplanting into hydroton in a simple DWC bucket system...

 

[wannaquickee]

who cares how the next person germinates..if it works for you then dooo etttt

 

[withoutAchance]

luv ya snow crash but i too have 99.9% success with papper towel and baggy method,

i will try the coco pop next time for sure

store seeds in dark 40* frigde, not your pocket or draw.

 

[Snow Crash]

That's what I was thinking - so it's more like when you transplant, there is a clump of it around the root system you keep intact - as opposed to being able to cleanly transfer the whole cube of it together w/ the seedling? I'm a little blazed right now, so sorry if I'm not being clear or getting it. Basically I'm just trying to figure out if it's clean enough to be used w/ transplanting into hydroton in a simple DWC bucket system...

The roots will grow into, around, and through the coco as though it were soil.

This might give you some idea:


Most modern Hydroponics systems can be modified to accommodate coco by using a http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/inch-coco-tek-liner-20pack-p-1609.html

These sit inside of a netpot and the roots will grow through the fiber to be exposed to the hydroponic system. The pots themselves can wick up water and keep the coco moist as well. When using a media in a recirculating system you always want to make sure your lines and your pumps stay clean. This is something to be extra careful of when using coco in this manner.

And I do hear you guys on the paper towel method. I just don't think that starting your plants in a paper towel and then having to watch them and keep them warm and moist and then transplant that fragile tap root is a "better" way of going about things. To me, when I think about the risk and effort involved in the paper towel method, then I see how easy it is to start them in coco... I dunno. Just seems like an absolute no-brainer to me. Pot heads have a way of making things much more intricate and complex than they need to be.

When you're smoking it, it's not like you'll be able to tell how it was germinated though. It's a preference thing, and so long as you grow it then who cares, right?

 

[ckckck]

ur problem is tempature imo raise the temps they will crack in no time

 

[princesshigh]

Dont complicate what already works. I use a warm wet paper towel and baggie. Its cold where I live so I put mine in my bed covers to keep the temp. I found if I dont keep them warm, they will not crack. Even tested this theory last time I did this. Put one baggie in my covers the other in my nightstand. Same strain. None sprouted in my drawer,ALL sprouted in my covers. Call me nuts, but its the truth. Good luck!!

 

[theFLAKE]

You would be the only person who gets 100% germination that way. I've tried Peat pellets, paper towels, rock wool cubes, Rapid Rooters... etc. Nothing works as consistent as coco peat.

I can actually provide proof. Somehow I dropped two seeds into a single square, they still both hatched. The two pictures below demonstrate a 27/27 ratio, and it doesn't involve a pack of brawny, a cable box, a plate, and plastic wrap. Seed+Coco=Win.
View attachment 1329550
View attachment 1329556

He cant be the only person with 100% germination rate with that coz iv had 100% rate with paper towels tried and trusted method. Ok if coco works better for you but its a bit far fetched to say he's the only person who has had a 100% rate. I think what people arent doing is after it has soaked for a day and you can see that the seeds have swollen up, you should then put them somewhere warm like on top of your ballast and they will pop in a matter of hours trust me works everytime. Just my thoughts tho. Nice1