Seed germination without paper towels.

[Mr Burns]

Just a quicky on germination without tissue paper.

A food grade container, a black cotton rag but not forgetting seeds & water :)

Boil wash the black cotton and then dry.

Cut two pieces out which will sandwich the seeds in the container base.

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15550&stc=1&d=1213227770


Soak and wring out the two pieces several times. Put both layers in bottom of tray and then flash the whole contents under a slow running warm tap until you know there will be run off.
Tilt the tub to drain but don't wait for it to drip.

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15555&stc=1&d=1213227983

Acclimatise the tub & seeds by placing them together in the area they'll be left to germ.
Insert seeds. Cover over with second piece of cloth, close the lid and leave the fook alone for at least 5 days :2cents:

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15552&d=1213227760

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15553&d=1213227760

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15554&d=1213227760

[CB]

do the tap roots grow into the cloth?

[becky420]

thats cool and so is your keyboard..:)

[Mr Burns]

do the tap roots grow into the cloth?
Never for me CB. They seem to throw out between the layers. Even when raising the seedlings away from the cloth there's no apparent attachment I'm not claiming this to be 'the' superior way to germ seeds, but personally I was never happy with the paper towel method. It seemed just too 'airless' and 'mushy' at such a critical stage for plant development :shrug: Then again, perhaps I'm one of them stoners that thinks too much :goofy:

thats cool and so is your keyboard..:)
LMAO. Thanks Becky :hug:

The keyboard is a Saitek which I am led to believe are targeted for heavy duty gamers. I'm no gamer but I need things around me that are Burnsy proof ;)

#######

I'll look on these beans in 5 days with no peaking between now and then. So far I've had 100% germ rates with Dutch Passion, Paradise seeds, Mr Nice and my own cross. Hopefully I can add GreenHouse seeds to the list.

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15578&stc=1&d=1213281328http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15577&stc=1&d=1213281130

[majestyk5]

thats after your usual 5 day wait?
and if i may, why do you wait 5 days? i check mine every 24. also i seem to have better luck if my tap roots are less than half an inch.

i also meant to say something about the keyboard. before this hobby, trying to mod computer stuff was mine. looked at a few of those kinda boards. never got one

[Mr Burns]

thats after your usual 5 day wait?
and if i may, why do you wait 5 days? i check mine every 24. also i seem to have better luck if my tap roots are less than half an inch.
Them examples were 'roughly' 5 days majestyk sorry if I misled :o See how these do and compare.
I wait until the slowest one had at least an inch of growth regardless of those with more. You can see in them pics that some even threw their shucks between the cotton.
I try and hit them into the next medium all at the same time, rather than pot up what's big enough and have a straggler take the knock on effect of being the runt of the family.
Seeing how you ask about the 5 day wait, lets take a look at 26hrs into germ....

:bananna: 16 outa 16. Don't you just love it when a plan comes together :mmmm:

As for leaving for 5 days, I'm as guilty as anyone rearing plants. I can't but help meddling with seeds in a manner more akin to 'pestering' them, so I give em 5 days before I look. Normally :gthumb:

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15582&stc=1&d=1213302168

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15583&stc=1&d=1213302168

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15584&stc=1&d=1213302168

[Shadows]

One day I'll give this method a go again. I've had too good of luck sprouting them in the medium tho, to worry with extra steps. Im glad this works for you man and hopefully with this tutorial I'll be successful with it.

last times I've tried it ended in
1- seeds dried out
2- seeds got moldy

[Mr Burns]

ND I'll report the temperatures of the space I keep them in.
I'll get a thermometer in there tonight and see what the highs and lows are over a 24hr period 2thumbs

[majestyk5]

yeah bro i am just trying to soak it all up. still pretty green at this. 10 months
those would go in the ground in the morning. here.

[Fing_57]

I tried that way and the tails went into it in under 24hrs

got tired of zip loc's so I'm useing a shot glass now
works just fine with less trouble for lazy me ;)

[CylonBud]

yeah bro i am just trying to soak it all up. still pretty green at this. 10 months
those would go in the ground in the morning. here.

Same here but I have learned to wait a bit longer about 1/4 to 1/2 inch taproot. :D

[Mr Burns]

yeah bro i am just trying to soak it all up. still pretty green at this.....
Well Kudos on questioning the 5 days (if you were) cause they'd have probably gone too far seeing as I'm accustomed to waiting 5-8 days for getting to this stage 2thumbs

Here we are another 24hrs on and a total of 40 hours since the start.

Temps were between 24C/75F & 29C/84F.

They'll be going into Coir pellets tomorrow ready for the rockwool cubes :)
I'll add photos till vegging so these can be followed to harvest.

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15604&stc=1&d=1213387547

[Mr Burns]

Another 24 hrs and 64 total.

I used peat pellets this time round instead of the Coir.

http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15613&stc=1&d=1213449267

[CezarCronic]

I love that method 100 times better then paper towels , first the black color takes care of the light and fabric holes moister longer them paper .

I 'll try that one some time ;) very good :greatjob:

[Mr Burns]

Just done some more.

After 2 days: Serious seeds 5 from 6 & Sensi Seeds 6 from 6 :)

[Mr Burns]

Another 3 days on and 5 days in total.

White Russians 6 from 6 & the Sensi SK#1 5 from 6. The one Sensi SK that hasn't germinated yet still goes into a coir pellet.

[Mr Burns]

The single seed that never popped, the SK#1, has now popped inside the coir pellet. So a full house in the end but I have to admit to having killed a single White Russian when potting them into the pellets.
I did have a cringe moment when I heard something snappy and the yellow circle must have been it.
The red dot shows the SK#1 that came through.

So, still 100% success rate 2thumbs

[CylonBud]

White Russian and Skunk#1 top stuff! You are in for a treat with those mate. :D Good luck to them for the rest of the grow. :kewl:

[Fing_57]

Another 3 days on and 5 days in total

why are you letting them grow 1"- 2" tails before planting?

[Mr Burns]

Fing I want them to shed the seed husk before putting under lights. Before I waited this long I found the odd seedling was having trouble expanding the husk off and probably because of the lamp heat drying the husk up. I tried spraying the husk but nothing would work it off except fingers and I'd rather not have to handle seedlings that way.

I understand some may never have had this problem and I suspect this happens with me because of low humidity at this stage. I'll always use this method now because of the very high germ rates and the ease at which you can inspect germination by pulling the top cover back.