Why my seeds don't sprout?

[SmokeyTheGrower]

I germinated my seeds.I put them in water for 18 hours,and then the paper towel method.The taproots were 3-4mm long and that's when i planted into soil.But nothing green pops out.It's been 3-4 days and still nothing.Why????

 

[GIjose]

Your genetics bro. Some are slower than others.

 

[AdaminCO]

I germinated my seeds.I put them in water for 18 hours,and then the paper towel method.The taproots were 3-4mm long and that's when i planted into soil.But nothing green pops out.It's been 3-4 days and still nothing.Why????

Are you using a heat pad?

 

[Chris Scorpio]

How deep u plant them

 

[HorseBadoritz]

I germinated my seeds.I put them in water for 18 hours,and then the paper towel method.The taproots were 3-4mm long and that's when i planted into soil.But nothing green pops out.It's been 3-4 days and still nothing.Why????

Why? you haven't been patient enough... 3-4mm is pretty short. I give mine to at least 25mm, so there's that.

How deep did you plant them, that makes a difference.

And, bottom heat around 80°F helps immensely.

 

[SmokeyTheGrower]

Why? you haven't been patient enough... 3-4mm is pretty short. I give mine to at least 25mm, so there's that.

How deep did you plant them, that makes a difference.

And, bottom heat around 80°F helps immensely.

I plant them 1 inch or less.And i use the sun's heat.Still nothing pops up.Should i be worried?

 

[rhetorrikz]

Not too wet around the seed ? Seedlings like it on the dryer side but with enough moisture to get the root growing and looking for more

 

[SmokeyTheGrower]

Not too wet around the seed ? Seedlings like it on the dryer side but with enough moisture to get the root growing and looking for more

No.Everything is right.Temperature is warm,soil is wet,i don't know why they are refusing to sprout.

 

[Treeibus]

I have a technique I use... you mentioned using the paper towel method. I do the same except I don't soak my seeds, I get a paper towel and spray it down with water (getting it fairly wet) then place my seeds evenly on the paper towel. then fold the paper towel loosely and place it inside a zip lock bag.. then before I zip the bag I blow the carbon dioxide from my lungs into the bag puffing it up then zip it close (all plants and seeds love carbon dioxide) then i put the bag in a warm dark place, the bottom drawer of my dresser for 4-5 days ... this technique is very effective they should be sprouting out of the paper towel ... then I start the seedlings in foam cups till there tough enough to be planted outside then I cut the foam cup away from the plant and put them in the ground... I have had a lot of success using this method... hope this helps you in the future buddy

 

[rhetorrikz]

I had a problem germinating older slower seeds using rain water, they germinate better for me in tap water with chlorine in it , im from a warm climate and it keeps the bad bacteria away but most good seeds will get right on with it before any bad stuff can take hold , what about the soil your using , it might be too hot for seedlings?
Best thing you can do is try a bunch of bagseeds a few different methods to find what works best for you. Maybe try a rockwoll cube or rapidrooter plug.. they are inert sterile and simple

 

[Chris Scorpio]

1" is pretty deep, way deep

Should be 1/4" deep

 

[Nunyabiz]

Yep, if they are actually an inch deep they're probably dead.
I usually do about 1/8th to 1/4"

 

[multiVortex]

I've switched up the last couple times, and it seems to be much improved for me.

Here is my setup and what I've been doing that has so far been 100% success.

Equipment:

1 heat mat
1 temp controller (set to 78F)
1 seedling tray w/dome
1 riser that fits in the tray
1 wicking mat
1 short, square tupperware type dish (it's about 3" square, and an inch deep)
4 plastic shot glasses


Initial prep:

Set seed mat on a flat, safe surface. (I use the countertop in a spare bathroom, but whatever works.) Plug the heat mat into the controller, and set the controller temp to 78F.

I fill the shot glasses 3/4 full with pH'd water that is about 60% RO, 40% tap. Then I put those in the tupperware dish, and fill that dish with pretty warm tap water. Not full hot, but in the 95F-100F range, give or take.



Seed prep:

I take each seed, and put it in a milk jug cap, cover it with sand paper (I have a couple pieces I use only for this), and give em an easy shake for 15-20 seconds.

Then I take the seed and put it into one of the shot glasses. (Each shot glass is labeled to identify the seed.)

Repeat for additional seeds.

From there, I place the dish into the (dry) seedling tray and put the top on. I run the temp sensor through one of the dome vents and put it into the water of the dish (not one of the shot glasses). I put a box over the setup, and leave it. I then check it every 12 hours until they crack and the tails start to come out.



After seeds crack:

Once seeds have cracked (should be within 36 to 48 hours tops), they go into a rapid rooter.

First I take the dish out of the seedling tray, and set it aside. I put the riser in, and then put the wicking mat on top and over the edge to the bottom of the tray. I then fill the tray with pH'd water with a very light feed in it (mega crop at 1g/gal) and make sure to get the mat good and soaked. (The mat will wick up water and keep the rooters at a consistent moisture level.)

I take a rapid rooter, and put the flat end down. I then take a pair of gardening tweezers (they're curved on the end, and the curved end is just under 1/2" long) and poke a hole in the top of the rooter. I then dunk the rooter into the seedling tray water and wring it out lightly. Not completely, but maybe to 80%. Then I dump the shot glass onto the wicking mat, and gently grab the seed with the tweezers. I then place the seed into the rapid rooter, and it ends up just over a 1/4" deep in the rooter. I put a little piece of rooter over the top of the hole. I then take the label from the shot glass and put it on the mat so I still know what is what.

Then you wait. Give it a few days and things should happen. On occasion it might take a tick longer for a seed to jump up, but they will. (If it's been 2 weeks, the seed died.)


Here's a pic of a couple sprouts I have going at the moment:

You can see the mat (it's sitting on the riser, but covers it) and the seedling tray. The dome is off since they've popped.

The mat keeps the rooters at just the right moisture level, and since they've already cracked, it usually won't take long to pop up. I usually have sprouts within 2 or 3 days at most.


I used to use peat pellets, and before that just a damp paper towel. This has definitely been the best overall for me by far.



The biggest thing with popping seeds is finding something that works for you, and you can repeatedly have success with.

 

[HorseBadoritz]

I plant them 1 inch or less.And i use the sun's heat.Still nothing pops up.Should i be worried?

Maybe! They may have been under developed when you buried them so deep, so might just need a bit more time. They could rot, too. I'd sit tight for a little longer, then carefully, very carefully dig them up and check them out.

 

[JWPcinders]

1 inch seems to deep. Dig a little of the dirt from around them without damaging them and just fluff a little back on top. Keep them on a heat pad and in a dome to lock in moisture. I bet theyll pop in a day or two

 

[Treeibus]

I germinated my seeds.I put them in water for 18 hours,and then the paper towel method.The taproots were 3-4mm long and that's when i planted into soil.But nothing green pops out.It's been 3-4 days and still nothing.Why????

i try to wait till the seedlings are at least 2-3 in long that way when i plant them the sprouts are already sticking out of the soil

 

[Treeibus]

This is what they look like 24 hrs later ... I'm surprised they have took off so quick

 

[corinth]

I germinated my seeds.I put them in water for 18 hours,and then the paper towel method.The taproots were 3-4mm long and that's when i planted into soil.But nothing green pops out.It's been 3-4 days and still nothing.Why????

Hey so im new to seeds to but all mine popped but bro u gotta leave em ina moidt towel with plastic around it so it dont dry out. Give it over a week and itll have roots lol put that seed root n all in dirt and your ok bro.

 

[corinth]

Hey so im new to seeds to but all mine popped but bro u gotta leave em ina moidt towel with plastic around it so it dont dry out. Give it over a week and itll have roots lol put that seed root n all in dirt and your ok bro.

I kept it next to a lamp so it stayed a tiny bit warm

This is what they look like 24 hrs later ... I'm surprised they have took off so quick

Exactly what mine look like lil bit bigger

 

[SmokingWings]

I plant them 1 inch or less.And i use the sun's heat.Still nothing pops up.Should i be worried?

The number one problem when planting seeds does seem to be a tendency for most of us to plant them to deep. Rule of thumb I came across a long time ago was to plant the seed at a depth of about 4 times its size. So, about an 1/8th inch. Up to 1/4 inch since the seed has stored energy to get the cotyledons up to the surface but certainly not enough to push up an inch.

I do not use any sort of wet paper towel method. I just push the seed into the soil mix, push a bit of soil over it so that the seed is about 1/8th inch deep. So far, with fresh seeds under 5 years or so, the germination rate has been about 9 out of 10.

Have had a few that died after the 1st or 2nd set of true leaves but that is in my survival rate and not germination rate.