New Grower germination method- paper towel or direct into soil

[BR549]

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but what resources are you wasting? If a seed doesn't sprout, I'm not going to dump the soil out of the pot, I'm just going to drop another seed. I feel like I'm missing a key piece of the puzzle here.

 

[autox42]

Space mainly from what I have seen if you have a limited amount of room having g a pot with a seed that isn't going to pop is taking up real estate that could be used on one that will grow. And no worries I like the fact u question the norm lol. Honestly I grow outdoors it doesn't matter much to me over a wasted week. I personally don't pre germ my autos. Right into the soil they go but I do germ all of my photoperiods

 

[Waximus]

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but what resources are you wasting? If a seed doesn't sprout, I'm not going to dump the soil out of the pot, I'm just going to drop another seed. I feel like I'm missing a key piece of the puzzle here.

I don't know that a couple paper towels and an ounce or 2 of water is going to cause global pandemics... lolol
It's just different strokes for different folks, Brother Having just been reminded of Ronin's excellent method, I think I'll give that a try or 2, just for kicks.
The one thing I didn't like about the paper towel method..... IF I forgot that the seeds were there for a day (NEVER happens... well, after harvesting a potent strain, perhaps... ) they will start to grow into the PT, and I KNOW that has stunted a couple of my seeds. IF I leave them a day in the shot glass, they're just growing out 3/8-1/2 inch, and not damaged.

 

[BR549]

Okay. Thanks!

 

[BknBits]

The two seeds I have germinated so far were both done with the shot glass method. The only thing I've noticed that might be an issue with doing that is that if your shot glass is on a surface that picks up heavy vibrations. For example, I noticed the root wiggling pretty violently when I was walking towards my desk, and a little piece of it broke off! We have old wood floors that don't absorb shock very well at all. I went ahead and put it in the soil at that point. That was yesterday, still waiting for it to break ground and hoping I didn't accidentally murder this seed!

But other than that both seeds I have done this way germinated very quickly. Within 24 hours.

 

[briman]

Try Ronin's method! It has saved me many a heartache and money!

 

[HotBunz]

I use a TuperWare(plastic food storage) container. Take 1 paper towel and fold in half and then in half again. Place it in the container and wet it out with water just to the point of it having standing water in the container. Put the seeds in between the folded paper towel and the key part is.....place it some place warm!!!!!!! I put mine on top of my cable TV control box. This provides a warm place without being to hot. Works like magic. No need to soak in a glass of water for 24 hrs or anything else. Since I have been doing it this way seeds have been ready on average at 18 hrs of starting to go into soil. All you need is a tap root 1/8"(3mm) long. Anything longer and you run the risk of hurting it while moving it to soil or other growing media.

AGAIN it needs to be warm. I think a lot of people fail because they are drowning seeds in cold water. Someplace on the net I saw where a fella put 20 seeds in a glass of water....then put the glass in the frige!!! Of course none of them germinated. He was all ranting about the breeder selling bad seeds etc till he told his method!

 

[Fog]

Here you go Fog.
Here's my germination method.
Good luck with your grow.

Thanks ronin looks like a great method , I'll defo keep it in mind for future grows

 

[Chester]

I just wasted 2 weeks waiting for a seed to sprout that I put directly into soil ... It was my second bad seed in 3 years ... so uncommon that I kept waiting and waiting and waiting ... had I put it in a shot glass until it popped I would have known not to waste my time after about 3-4 days ... time is a resource I don't have to waste.

I recently had trouble getting some bean seeds to sprout ... my 90 yr old mother said to me, "Did you soak them Chester, seeds always work better when you soak them" ... of course I thought I knew better ... turns out the trouble w/ my bean seeds was I had the 1 L pots sitting on my driveway in the hot Florida sun ... the surface surely reaches well over 100 degrees for about 1/2 the day ... I was cooking my beans ... I had a pot sprout sitting w/ the beans and it was not growing ... I moved it to where it got sun but not sitting on a hot surface and the plant immediately JUMPED in growth w/ the leaves pointing towards the sky ... I think it was trying to tell me something .... I think I cooked the seed I waited for 2 weeks to pop ...

 

[gardenhackle]

But what's the advantage? I'm approaching my first grow and curious myself. What advantage is there to paper towels or shot glasses over just dropping the seed in the dirt?

In a shot glass, you know within 48 hours if it isn't viable. The advantage is that you waste no time and waste no seeds and with autoflowering, gets your plants all on the same schedule.