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Part 4.A - Seeds, Germination and the Seedling Growth Stage - Germination

Germination using soil

Contributed By kosh

Always germinate your seeds directly in soil...by having to burst through the soil they need much strength so it will serve them well through out their lives. If you start them in a paper towel,then upon germination, put them in the soil...the seeds are like 'what the fuck is going on?'...one minute it was easy to grow and then the next they are struggling in the soil.

Be nice to your seeds...they're ancestors have started life in soil for thousands of years so give them what they're familiar with...maybe long term studies of either method of germination could establish that seeds germinated on paper towels as opposed to directly in soil do not perform as well.

I am sure, by shifting the seeds at such an early stage from paper towels to soil will cause chemical changes within the plant,which is probably just wasted energy. How dare you people turn these innocent life forms into test tube babies!!

Contributed By Sureshot

Mix a little bit of soil, 40% perlite and 60% soil (loam and worm castings) and place this into your starter pots. Pack this soil gently with your fingers (not to tight) and give it a small watering (so the soil is damp). I do this before I put in a seed and then leave it for 24 or so hours so that the soil has settled and when I plant the seed it will remain where I plant it and not drop 1/2 an inch when the soil is first watered.

This is however a step that can be missed out and just something I do for consistency. The first really good bit. Planting a seed.

Make a small hole 3/4 of an inch deep in the surface of your soil in each of your prepared pots and into each place a seed. Cover this seed over with soil and VERY GENTLY tap this down. Water sparingly so the soil is moist but aerated and not sodden.

I keep my newly planted seeds and their new homes on a heating mat to keep the soil warm but this is only necessary if you live in a climate where ambient temperatures are low.

Now some will say you should germinate using a paper towel before planting a seed but I say bollocks to that, the only advantage of paper towels is that it's easier to avoid over watering and you can check visually on the progress of germination.

Some will also say that you should soak you seeds for 24 hours before planting them to separate the good from the bad (the good sink and the bad float) but again I say bollocks. Nature doesn't provide cups of water, it provides soil. If it's good enough for nature, the greatest power that there is, it's good enough for me.

What I DO do is to keep my seeds stored in a cool dark place (a box in the fridge) so that when they are planted and get watered it's equivalent of a spring shower after winter. I get 90% or more germination rates with viable seeds.

After 48-72 hours all that are going to germinate are likely to have popped their heads above the soil. Those that don't in this time period can be kept a while but I write them off after a week. If it doesn't germ in a week I don't want to grow it anyway.

>For the next week or two these babies are in their seedling stage and are pretty delicate. The crucial things to look out for during these stages is over watering, heat and fertilizing too soon. Your plant does not need to be drowned and the soil should be slightly moist no more, conversely your seedling cannot hold much too much water so you do not want them transpiring (water exchange through foliage) too much, to avoid this keep them under flo's and avoid undue heat.

Germination using cheese cloth / tissue

Contributed By Mister_Anderson

Here's what I do First get a small cup fill with neutral ph water. Add rooting stimulant (small amount) and super thrive (very very very small, less than one drop). I soak the seeds for 24-48 hours. Then I place the seeds between two paper towels, I saturate the towels with water and place it into a big ziploc bag. I place the bag on my computer monitor (keeps it warm and speeds to process up A LOT!!!!!!!) In 24-48 more hours you have a tap root sticking out. Whole process can take 24-96 hours, maybe more depending on seeds.

Contributed By Dandaweedman

My preferred method of germination is a spin off of the paper towel method. If you don't know what that is don't worry about it. This way is better. The J-cloth won't dry out, and you don't have to change the water. It holds enough water that soaking the seeds should not be necessary. The warm water softens the seed pod.

First a material list:

Seeds of course
A J-cloth (generic is fine but make sure it is not the anti-bacterial kind).
A baggie (zip lock type)
Access to warm water.
A plate.

One strain per package please, we would hate to mix them up. Take the J-cloth and rinse it with warm water... not hot, but very warm. The original way it was folded is perfect for our needs.

The way the J-cloth is folded is a rectangle, place the seeds in a row on one of the narrow ends about 1"- 2" away from the edge. Fold the J-cloth over the seeds and use your hands to gently crease the cloth. Then one more fold and crease, and roll the rest up.

This way the seeds should stay in place with clumsy handling (a certain amount anyways) Drip some fresh very warm water on the cloth (both sides) and place it in the baggie. Blow a little air in the baggie and close it. Write the date and strain name on the baggie if you are starting more than one strain.

Place the plate somewhere quite warm; I use the top of the refrigerator. Small heating mats can also be purchased. After 2 days check the seeds to see if they have cracked and the little root has shown. If the little root is ¼" or more, place it into the container you plan on using for the next stage of the plants journey.

Root sideways or down, gravity should assure the root orients itself properly. But it has failed me twice as of this post. Then I had to dig it out gently and re-orient the seedling.

What temperature should I be germinating my seeds at?

Temperatures should be over 80f but less than 90f. Some like to use a heated propagator to keep soil moist when germing in soil, other use the tops of computer monitors (for example) when germinating in a zip lock bag with a cheese cloth.

Where can I get a heating mat?

Heating mats are expensive but cheap heated propagators are available at most garden centers (Click Here), alternatively, heating mats can be bought from stores that sell lizards and reptiles as pets.