How do I germinate seeds in soil?

SmokeyMacPot

New Member
Here is a method of germinating seeds that does not resort to paper towels or plastic bags, and the risk of rot these methods bring.

Place seeds in a bowl, and fill the bowl with room temperature tap water.
Cover the bowl with card or newspaper and place in a cupboard overnight (12 - 15 hours).

Saturate the soil in your prepared pots with water, then create a small circular depression in the center of the pot. Place each seed in its own pot, in the center of the depression, pointed tip down. Cover the soil over the seed, so that is no more than 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. Repeat with all seeds.

Leave sown seeds for six hours in darkness, then switch on your lights and leave them on.

The latest time I used this method, I got 100% germination, and seedlings began erupting from the soil within 2 days. All viable seeds should germinate.

Author: Captain Beefheart
 
I'll have to try this, ive been using the paper towel method, and I almost always get a tap root but I plant it and it never sprouts, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong... Is it possible that I am germinating in a place that's too warm and am cooking them? Cuz I can smell the seed when I open up the paper towel... Help?
 
I am trying to start 5 Nirvana Northern Lights Fems. I soaked them 12 hours then put them in vermiculite in peat pots. Covered the tray with plastic wrap. Misting them every other day. 8 days now and nothing. How long should I wait before I give up?
 
I see yer buddy the Cap'n uses the same method I used to,Smokey. Saturation of the soil is a real key with this. When using it outdoors my method was to fill the hole I was going to plant in with with water,let it it drain into the soil. Then I'd plant my soaked seeds in the saturated ground. Like the Cap said,the germination rate is very good and quick. I normally saw sprouts in 3-5 days if soil temps were right.

Thawk,the paper towel method was developed back in the days when all weed had plenty of seeds. It was as much a method to check for the percentage of seed viability for the batch as a method of proper germination.

If you're getting a long tap root you're missing the window to get them planted and thriving using the paper towel method.

If you're dead set on the towel method,have your planting pots ready and prepped before the seeds head to the paper towel. You want an nice light planting medium so that root will have somewhere friendly to go once you make the transfer.

Now,check the seeds in the paper towel every few hours. When the seed hull is just starting to split is the optimum time to plant them carefully point/splitting end down in your pot. I like to get them in the ground before the rootlet is more than a 1/4 inch long. It's a pain in the ass until you get it down.

In these days of paying for seeds, you're better of using the method Smokey's bud the Cap'n recommends. If you do it right it's almost foolproof. Save the paper towel method for checking the viability of bag seed you run across.

Hash Hound,I'd say give them another week. You never know how old the products seed suppliers sell are. If the seed is more than a year old and hasn't been stored right you can get delayed germination or none. The older they are generally the longer it takes them to germ,if they still can.

BTW,check your soil temps. I've never done the indoor thing but I always waited to plant last two weeks of May outdoors so the soil temps were well over 65 degrees fahrenheit for good takeoff.
 
I think I solved a few of my problems just from reading these posts. lol. A lot of things i should have considered before i planted my seeds. DAMMIT! :D
 
I'll have to try this, ive been using the paper towel method, and I almost always get a tap root but I plant it and it never sprouts, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong... Is it possible that I am germinating in a place that's too warm and am cooking them? Cuz I can smell the seed when I open up the paper towel... Help?

Yea too warm of a place, it has to be a place mold can thrive in but dont add to much water cause you can get mold it has happened to me before white fuzz. And make sure its always damp, I like the paper towel method never fail on me, never tried the water bowl on but some people go from that to paper towel?? i dont knw why
 
I don't mean to necro an old thread, but this is a linked on the "everything you need to know" sticky. My question is, after you saturate and plant, when do you water next? I saturated my soil yesterday and will plant my soaked seeds today. Do I then hold off adding more water until after the seeds sprout and soil drys?

Yea cause over watering can kill a plant especially a seedling I always stick my finger some where in the soil near the plant if its dry like a tip of my finger I water again. But yea over watering is a common mistake of new growers so wait til soil drys check everyday.
 
I just wanted to follow up a little on this, I've attempted to germinate 8 seed bank seeds using this method, and it wasn't as foolproof as it appeared it might be (maybe I'm the fool!).

Like I said, I had 8 seeds. One didn't ever sink in the water, but I planted it anyway, so I was hoping to have 7 of 8 successfully germinate. It has been over a week and I only have 3 sprouted (3rd one I saw for the first time last night, maybe I'm just impatient?). I think where I may have gone wrong is in whether or not to water, and how? At first I assumed the only watering should be the initial saturated soil, but as I passed the first 3-4 days with nothing coming, I began to think that was an incorrect assumption on my part. I started adding a small "dribble" daily hoping i could correct that mistake? I have sense switched to using a spray bottle to mist them, as to just moisten the top bit of soil. Should I be doing this or no? I guess what I'm saying is some clarification on how to handle water in the days following planting but before sprouting would be helpful.

Actually, if anyone has tips for how to handle watering immediately after sprouting, that'd be great too. Specifically, do you apply the "let the top inch of soil become dry" or "lift rule/comparison to non-watered pot" procedures immediately after it sprouts? Or to you want to have it grow to a certain size before you start doing that?
 
works for me every time - thoughly wet soil a few days before planting and let it drain well. it will still be moist but not soggy. then plant the seed no more than 1/4" deep as described by Smoky McPot. no water after planting. if the surface of the soil becomes a little dry, use a mist bottle to dampen the area. i use the mist bottle for about a week and a half and then start watering as necessay. GL
 
Actually, if anyone has tips for how to handle watering immediately after sprouting, that'd be great too. Specifically, do you apply the "let the top inch of soil become dry" or "lift rule/comparison to non-watered pot" procedures immediately after it sprouts? Or to you want to have it grow to a certain size before you start doing that?

I can't speak on who's idea is best only from my own experience. When I started out, I used a spray bottle, spraying every other day unless still moist then I would hold off til soil dried. I would use fingers or use the lift pot method.
 
Just took seeds out of soak, and planted in temp soil pots for (6) hours of darkness.
four strains : J. Herer - J. Diesel - Church - Super Cheese Auto
~ goodnight ladies...I'll see you in six hours ~ Thanks for the germination heads up Smokey MacPot :thumb:

:Namaste:
 
when you say leave the lights on..." Is that ON, until the stem pops through the top of the soil? Or ON for another 18 hours after that to start the Veg phase...and business as normal. Sorry, I am a little confused. :peace:
 
Thats the method that I use Smokey,and I also have a 100% success with that method..I love it...It's so simple!!!!:tokin:
 
I put my seeds in water for 12 hours (didn't see anything different), then put them into soil. I have had them in for 3 days and just turned on the light (I thought they needed to germinate in complete dark) but have seen nothing yet. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for any help anyone can provide.
 
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