Trouble popping seeds

Think I might do an experiment I have a huge bag of seed from back in the day like im talking 10 years old should be interesting.

Just use Rapid Rooters.

Xcoregamerskillz said:

I love how there's still a million ways to do this. I say, do what works best for you. If a method everyone uses isn't working for you, try another. From everything I've seen here, there's no 1 way to do anything.

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Amen brother

MickFoster said:

Just use Rapid Rooters.

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I'm definitely going to give them a shot. I'm growing autos and everything I've read says plant them directly into the soil they're going to be growing in. Do you thing I could plant the seed into a rapid rooter and then use like a countersunk method to put the rapid rooter into the soil as if they were one?

Budsonwheels said:

I'm definitely going to give them a shot. I'm growing autos and everything I've read says plant them directly into the soil they're going to be growing in. Do you thing I could plant the seed into a rapid rooter and then use like a countersunk method to put the rapid rooter into the soil as if they were one?

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Yes. I put seed in rapid rooter and countersink it in my coco mix in an air pot propagation container. I have used different methods over the years and this is the most consistent - almost 100% rate with viable seeds. Seeds in nature are not pre-germinated, nor are they handled when they are in such a fragile state.

Budsonwheels said:

So I germinted my seeds. All 6 popped with half inch tails. I used the moist paper towel method and sprinkled some mykos on em. Well I plopped themy in my soil, knuckle deep. Tail down. Soil is not too wet or too dry. It's been 4 days. Should I give theme a little more time or inspect?

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make sure they don't dry out but don't go goofy on the water. I would hand spray the medium at this point. I will do this a

AimAim said:

All I want to know is why anything other than "seed-in-soil can be improved upon". Oh, yes you can see when they sprout, and then you feel good. Burn one and chill. Start ordering expensive nutes right now.

Pic attached is of raw juvenile root. Those almost microscopic root hairs are what you are ripping off when you wrestle them in and off of paper towels and try to plant an already sprouted seed. They do not like that. Luckily they are a tough plant and persevere despite human effort at improving their life biology.

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cool pic

Putting into soil alone is not consistent, it's harder to regulate the temperature>moisture.

The paper towel method is much easier to keep at a constant warm/damp day and night until roots first pop out and immediately put into the damp soil then, covered by 1cm or so top soil. They won't all pop together so you move them as individuals. It's a much more consistent ''start'' imo because you remove a few days of variable conditions if germinated entirely in soil, not everyone has the perfect conditions for that. But even after paper germination the direct close light on top soil is a bad way to keep it warm . Turning off all intake/out take fans (and circulation fans) then using a small cfl 5 to 8 inches above for basic light with a heater/thermostat for the main ambient heat source is safer. The first seeds out of soil may stretch some and need a little support due to light distance but it's far better than having it too close and killing off the slower ones by drying out top layer. Close light = spray top layer of soil 3 to 4 times a day to keep top surface damp, but then you may flood the soil a few inches below. Light further away is spray once or twice a day. Less chance of flooding under seed and less chance of missing a spraying due to life.

Just onions

For what it's worth I was thinking of doing a "mini grow journal" w/pics on getting from seed to seedling, first 2 weeks. Just the simple method I have used to get 95% success for many, many years. Old fart, will be 60 this year, ouch! Going to be popping about 80 seed for myself and 2 other guys, probably start about mid-April.

I'm going good to be trying wet Rockwool with seeds in it under a ziplock

AimAim said:

For what it's worth I was thinking of doing a "mini grow journal" w/pics on getting from seed to seedling, first 2 weeks. Just the simple method I have used to get 95% success for many, many years. Old fart, will be 60 this year, ouch! Going to be popping about 80 seed for myself and 2 other guys, probably start about mid-April.

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Your method is similar to mine, but I go with soil temp at 77-78f. Far superior! lol

Too damn simple for most folks here. Only stoners would torture their seeds with love prior to sowing. Imagine how long it would take to plant an acre of corn if you had to soak each seed and put it in a paper towel before transplanting to the field? Fucking insane!

Quick update. All but 2 of the 6 have survived and have sprouted! I inspected them and for some reason they never popped through the soil. I believe I may have planted them a little too deep. Hopefully we have good luck from here on out. In my defense I have fat fingers

Budsonwheels said:

Quick update. All but 2 of the 6 have survived and have sprouted! I inspected them and for some reason they never popped through the soil. I believe I may have planted them a little too deep. Hopefully we have good luck from here on out. In my defense I have fat fingers

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Lol, same here. Good thing Rockwool is pre-holed