Germination Mishap? Help

[jimgriggs]

I have used this method before and it has always worked. I put the seeds in clean water in a clean vessel and let them soak. Within 24-48 they always kick out a root. This time they cracked open and a root is seen but then they stalled. The root just stayed. I didn't want to soak them any longer. I thought that would deprive them of oxygen. So, I took them out and placed them in soil as I normally would and put them in their humidity dome on a heat mat.

Sites all over the place have different opinions. Some say let them soak until they fully kick that root out. Others say don't let them go in the water past 48 hours.

I've never had this happen before. Should I be concerned? And did I make the right move to take them out of the water?

 

[Phytoplankton]

Not all seeds that "crack" will survive, just the way it is. Hopefully they'll continue to grow and break the soil surface. I think you were correct to remove them from the water, they do need O2. If the dome and heat mat doesn't work, it wasn't meant to be.

 

[Rolling Green]

I feel your pain as seeds are so expensive. If you have had good results previously soaking in water then there is no good reason to change your routine, but I would say that more than 48 hours could drown them.

Not an expert by any means but I have always sprouted mine on wet paper towels and have always had good results this way. Even at cooler temperatures in my house this year these cracked in less than 24 hours except one of these seeds did take 4 days .

 

[jimgriggs]

I feel your pain as seeds are so expensive. If you have had good results previously soaking in water then there is no good reason to change your routine, but I would say that more than 48 hours could drown them.

Not an expert by any means but I have always sprouted mine on wet paper towels and have always had good results this way. Even at cooler temperatures in my house this year these cracked in less than 24 hours except one of these seeds did take 4 days .

Yes, very expensive. I haven’t had all that much luck in paper towels, but then that’s my friend’s favorite method. We all must have this little thing we do to make it work…

 

[TorturedSoul]

I've been known to: change the water, aerate the water, and/or add a small amount of 3% H₂O₂ (it decomposes into H₂O and O₂). And I'm not concerned with waiting on a root tip to appear. The purposes of the soaking is merely to help the seed case to open. Once that happens, the glass of water has served its purpose.

But, as has been mentioned, not every seed that opens survives to become a plant. 21st century medicine, yet some babies are stillborn. There may be an issue that has caused the embryo to die in situ - or it may be alive to begin with, but not have the resources that it needs in order to become a seedling. While they ordinarily do, it's not guaranteed.

Odds are that they'll be fine, though.

 

[jimgriggs]

I've been known to: change the water, aerate the water, and/or add a small amount of 3% H₂O₂ (it decomposes into H₂O and O₂). And I'm not concerned with waiting on a root tip to appear. The purposes of the soaking is merely to help the seed case to open. Once that happens, the glass of water has served its purpose.

But, as has been mentioned, not every seed that opens survives to become a plant. 21st century medicine, yet some babies are stillborn. There may be an issue that has caused the embryo to die in situ - or it may be alive to begin with, but not have the resources that it needs in order to become a seedling. While they ordinarily do, it's not guaranteed.

Odds are that they'll be fine, though.

9/10 cracked to see the root inside. I hope they are all fine. It’d be weird if none of them made it.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Are they old seeds? Or old autoflower strain seeds? Did they open within the same time frame that you mentioned as being your normal experience, or take longer?

 

[jimgriggs]

Are they old seeds? Or old autoflower strain seeds? Did they open within the same time frame that you mentioned as being your normal experience, or take longer?

They opened in the same timeframe but nothing more happened. I am happy to report that once in soil things got better and I’ve got 7 out of 10 going. I’m happy with it.