seeds in papertowel not poping?

[DIRTHAWKER]

I put 3 afghan and 3 hiway delight in papertowels 6 days ago and still they havent poped.. my earlier grow all poped in 3 days ..what gives?

 

[Growtegery]

add more water over top. Also make sure you switch out the paper towel because they can get mold growing in them. I had two seeds that wouldn't pop so I helped them by gently cracking them on the seem with a pair of tweezers. I wouldn't do that unless its a last resort though. You might want to think about popping them in a glass of water too. If they float they still haven't absorbed nearly enough water.

 

[DIRTHAWKER]

Thanks man.. ive been keeping it moist.. if they dont pop in a few days ill try cracking them.

 

[Ratty696]

You dont need to use papertowel at all. Just put them in a glass of water until they pop then you wont do damage to the roots pulling them off the paper towel.

 

[lorrie1]

Starting seeds in a paper towel is not an ideal way to germinate your seeds. It can be done this way but I wouldnt recomend it, as touchng the seeds afterwards can cause them trauma and they will die. Give it a few more days, Sometimes they can take up to about a fortnignt to sprout. Good luck.

 

[Seamaiden]

I'm sorry, but my experience and I disagree on the paper towel being not ideal. It works just fine. What I'm finding is that certain strains just don't have enough energy already stored to give them "power" to make that root go. A small bit of warmth, scuffing up the seeds BEFORE trying to germinate, and a very dilute nutrient solution are ways to help seeds that don't quite have it. If they haven't even cracked, though, that's a problem.

I did an experiment recently based on something someone mentioned about soaking first. He said that you soak them overnight, the ones that sink are the ones that will sprout. So far that has been 100% accurate for me.

 

[reefcouple]

Seamaiden nailed it.... the soak method has been foolproof for me.....

 

[KushKing949]

I've done both for my first grow, 3 with a paper towel and 1 in a glass of water, 4/4 germ rate.

Both methods work just fine. Both ways were easy..

 

[misshestermoffitt]

With gourds you soak them for 24 hours, then nick the outer shell before planting. I wonder if that would make a difference here?

I think I'll try that, anyone else wanna try to compare results?

 

[Seamaiden]

That would help the water get into the seed hull, somewhat like scuffing with sandpaper (but maybe easier?), I would think.

 

[GreenSurfer]

I'm sorry, but my experience and I disagree on the paper towel being not ideal. It works just fine. What I'm finding is that certain strains just don't have enough energy already stored to give them "power" to make that root go. A small bit of warmth, scuffing up the seeds BEFORE trying to germinate, and a very dilute nutrient solution are ways to help seeds that don't quite have it. If they haven't even cracked, though, that's a problem.

I did an experiment recently based on something someone mentioned about soaking first. He said that you soak them overnight, the ones that sink are the ones that will sprout. So far that has been 100% accurate for me.

Good stuff Seamaiden...

 

[Walter Bellhaven]

i didnt have paper towels, so i germinated mine in toilet paper (lol). worked fine.

 

[reefcouple]

as long as the TP isnt the fluffy kind with flowers, the seeds may all turn out male

 

[Ratty696]

With gourds you soak them for 24 hours, then nick the outer shell before planting. I wonder if that would make a difference here?

I think I'll try that, anyone else wanna try to compare results?

After 24 hours of soaking mine already pop and have been planted. I dont see what people think the papertowel is need for. It doesnt do anything but get tangled with the roots.

 

[DIRTHAWKER]

WELL,, after a week in the papertowel and no results i put them in a cup of water,, they all sank.. hopefully that will do the trick.

 

[Ratty696]

make sure they are in a dark place.

 

[Blackdog420]

i alway's put my seeds between two thick layers of paper towels inside a flat, sealable tupperware container..with your water..put one teaspoon of bleach per glass of water for soaking..that will stop the mold..then put in a dark place on a warm heating pad...never had a problem...

 

[Seamaiden]

That's a LOT of bleach for such a small amount of water. If mold is really a terrible problem, methylene blue is another product that can be used and is very gentle. It does stain, though, so be careful and don't bite the bottle (don't ask me why).

 

[Ratty696]

dont use papertowel and you wont have to worry about mold.

 

[reefcouple]

sometimes ya just get "bum seeds"

i put mine in a shot glass of water, i check them every couple hours, when they sink i plant em.. i dont use a paper towel and i dont leave them in the water for 24 hours... they usually sink within 6 hours... if they haven't sunk in 6 hours, i shake the glass, usually they sink at that point... my germination rate is very good, the ones that dont germinate are most likely "bum seeds"