Seed straight into soil

charliboo

Member
Hey guys, I've currently got a couple of plants growing which I germinated using the paper towel method. They're 2 weeks old and doing pretty good. I decided to try potting straight into soil for the third plant, just for the hell of it. It was a white dwarf seed I'd been storing in the fridge (airtight, silica, etc.), potted it in a 7.5ltr pot using John Innes #2. I watered the soil thoroughly before planting the seed. I've got it sitting inside my grow cabinet, it's been there for 4 days now and no signs of sprouting as yet. I was just wondering what the usual time for seeing a sprout was after potting straight into soil?
 

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
i would say you should be seeing something between about three days and up to a week or so.. if you don't see anything in two weeks, i would pretty much right it off as a dude..
 

charliboo

Member
Thanks guys. I think I miscounted, it's more like 3 days without seeing a sprout. I've rewatered the pot a couple of times, nothing major. I was afraid of adding too much, but the soil drys quite quickly in the grow cabinet under the lights. Maybe I should leave it outside of the cabinet 'til it pops? (If it pops!)
 

canefan

Well-Known Member
Potting straight into soil can be tricky if you are not use to germing seeds in soil. Not trying to be a smart ass or anything but knowing the proper moisture level, temps and such makes a big difference in the time it takes to germ a seed. In the paper towel method you have basically a water layer wrapped around your seed along with a good heat supply. Doing this in soil you have to keep the top of the soil very damp without soaking the soil underneather in order to speed up the moisture soaking into the seed hull.
Easy solution which makes this much like germing in paper towel. Take you starter pot, rapid rooters or whatever, but for this example soil in a starter pot. Place your medium in the pot tap down until firm without making it too hard this will help retain a bit more moisture, make a hole to drop you seed in with pencil or something small and round. Gently cover 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch deep, mist the top of the soil until nice and wet. Then to keep your moisture and humidity up just like paper towel method, place a clear plastic top over it with a couple of holes in it for air exchange. This is just like a dome that will help retain heat and moisture, keep the surface damp until sprouted 3 - 7 days usually depending on the thickness of seed shell, temps, moisture and things.
Good Luck and Merry Christmas
 

Kerovan

Well-Known Member
If the seeds are good and fairly fresh, 72 hours and it should be above ground. Not sure how old your seed is, or if refrigeration harmed it.
 
Thats cool, I popped 9 seeds into 18 0z party cups, placed them under 4 cfls with 5k spectrum and 100 watt equiv.
They all sprouted at the same time without any problems. Makes me wonder why the whole paper towel method if this has been working for me 100% of the time.

Just dig an inch of half and inch down, throw seed in, cover, water and leave under cfl 24/7 and it should pop up in 3-7 days.

I read alot of threads with people who want to position the seed to were the crack is facing upwards. I just threw them in and it worked.

Just my experience.
 

Kerovan

Well-Known Member
Thats cool, I popped 9 seeds into 18 0z party cups, placed them under 4 cfls with 5k spectrum and 100 watt equiv.
They all sprouted at the same time without any problems. Makes me wonder why the whole paper towel method if this has been working for me 100% of the time.

Just dig an inch of half and inch down, throw seed in, cover, water and leave under cfl 24/7 and it should pop up in 3-7 days.

I read alot of threads with people who want to position the seed to were the crack is facing upwards. I just threw them in and it worked.

Just my experience.


exactly. It's the only method I use with fairly fresh seeds also. But I only put them 1/4" down. 100% success.

the only time I use paper towel method is when I am using 4+ year old seeds. Some of those are dead by that time so I don't waste the soil or space in case some don't sprout.
 
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