Seed Germination - And the Moon?

[take2hikes]

A guy at the local grow store was telling me about it being advantageous to germinate your seeds during the waxing moon (which we happen to be in now). As this is going to be my first time starting from seeds I'm looking for any and all information.

Also, most people say they use paper towels inside ziploc baggies or tupperware containers for germinating. I have also heard of people soaking the seeds in water until they sink when tapped at which time they are planted exactly how you would a sprouted seed from the paper towel method. Does anyone have experience with this 'green house' method, or any tips in general?

Thanks!

.t2h

 

[Dangerzone]

Re: Seed Germination -- And the Moon?

Hey dude,

When it comes to ganja seeds I find they'll sprout quite happily regardless of the moon phase, but yes, for hundreds/thousands of years farmers have planted their crops according to the lunar and solar cycles, with the optimal time of year being around the April new moon. It just means that when the seedlings sprout they get an extra light boost from the brighter moon as it waxes. As for your bud, so long as the weather is good it'll be fine, just be sure you can harvest before it gets too wet and chilly.

I've always used the paper towel method with no issues, it's easy as pie and has a high success rate. Fold a paper towel a couple of times, get it damp but not soaked, pop your seeds in, close it up and ziploc it. Make sure it stays moist and they'll be ready to plant within 48 hours, just check on them every few hours. The disadvantages to this are that you have to handle the seedlings to plant them, and they can sometimes burrow into the paper towel, both can potentially shock or kill but the risk factor is low enough not to worry about!

Never needed to soak my beans, but a lot of people do. I think its mostly just to soften the shell and make sprouting easier, for those tougher seeds that don't want to crack. There's a related method of telling if a seed is healthy, I think if it sinks it's good but I can't clarify that one

 

[Cloudblood]

Re: Seed Germination -- And the Moon?

Moon phases and the power it holds on planting!

Organic gardeners have for years relied on a study done with moon phases and crops, seeds, and harvests. It is interesting and not just hoopla...check it out.

 

[take2hikes]

Re: Seed Germination -- And the Moon?

Dangerzone, love the name ;-). Ha.

I'm actually growing indoors hydroponically, so the temperature and climate is all maintained by myself. As far as the seed germination goes, very nice. I took it to mean you folded the paper towel over lets say halving it twice, put the seeds on it, and then halved it over again so paper towel was on both sides of the seeds? I was thinking of pretty much soaking the paper towel and then wringing it out. Will this be too much moisture?

I've heard of that method to tell whether the seed is good/ready, and that is it.. seeing if it sinks, and if so it's ready to go.

 

[Dangerzone]

Haha, thanks!

Ahh if you're growing hydro then it should be even less to worry about.. Although the idea of running a hydro-greenhouse grow would be awesome! Yep you're spot on with the paper towels, to wet them I usually turn the tap on low (so its kind of between dripping and running) and just 'sweep' the paper through the water, flip over and repeat if needed. Getting it too wet isn't a biggie but it can risk drowning the seedling so it's best not to get the paper soaked through

@ Cloudblood That is a most excellent article dude, very much enjoyed it!

 

[Hash Hound]

I have tried by the moon cycle and did see a slight advantage.

I have tried all methods and direct in soil seems to give me the best results.

I do notice more smell and stickiness of the buds approaching the full and new moons, just an observation.

 

[take2hikes]

As an update, I used the paper towel method after some thinking. First I soaked them for about 4 hours, and then placed them inside paper towels and then inside of a tupperware container. I decided that for my first time I'd stick with what seemed most popular. Just over 24 hours and 5/6 had germinated, and the 6th had cracked. I planted them all at this point. Less than 24 hours later, most of them had sprouted, and less than 48 hours from the planting all had sprouted (including the one that only cracked).

Currently they are all about 3 inches tall. There are 3 that have already formed basic serrated leaves and look like they will be the "strong ones" of which I will pick 2 mothers. I also ordered another strain to go with the Liberty Haze, Critical Mass. With this strain they are not feminized so I will most likely plant 10 to give me a better chance of giving me a few strong females to pick from. With those I may just soak them for a few hours and then directly plant them.

Any other further advice on getting seedlings to grow as quickly as possible so they can be cloned from is always appreciated. Also, just general info from anyone who has grown either LH or CM would be awesome to hear from. l've been progressively getting better and better at topping and pruning. Tips for getting an entire branch to be one big cola would be great! I have seen many pictures like this of the Liberty Haze, and that would be really sweet - especially for harvest time.


.t2h