# Basic water and soil germination



## high before and after (Mar 9, 2010)

The way I do it is buy or distill my own water, preferably filtered water from a creek that has vegetation growing near it or rainwater- we don't get acid rain around here, but anyway- put the prepared water in a cup. Not shocking the seeds with wild temperatures is important. 

Prepare your growing containers with premoisted soil or soilless mix, EDIT: You should by premium soil for your germinations especially when your seeds potentially cost tens of dollars each. 

Water to the point where water runs out of the bottom and the top is fully wet, and put it in a warm place, like a cupboard or box above the refrigerator.

Buy the finest grade sandpaper you can find, the black-colored ones that are used as wet sandpaper, and *very lightly *scrape the seed over it using your fingernail to pull it along, but be careful not to scrape horrid chunks off the husk- just enough to enable water to wick into faster while keeping the structure of the seed intact.

Put the seeds in 75-78F water, I have a cupboard an inch off my refrigerator whose environment is perfect for this, and keep it there for at least 4-6 hours or until the seeds sink to the bottom of the cup. There is a risk that seeds will drown if in water too long, which is why I don't like to keep it in water longer than 4-6 hours. Once the seed sinks it's out of the water and onto the soil.

Then, put the seeds into pre-moisted soil and cover it with dry soil the thickness of the seed, which is about 3-5 mm of soil and using a misting spray, moisten the top of the soil and cover the pot with plastic to reduce evaporation- you don't want to water the pot for at least a few days after the seeds have sprouted, or it'll get knocked about.

Put any seeds that have sprouted into the light, invest in a germination pad but make sure the pad isn't too hot- cover the pad with some millimeters width of cardboard to act as a heat buffer to tone down the heat to at least 75F.

I prefer this to the paper towel sprouting method, since there is a risk the seedling taproot will dry out if the plate dries out, and some wiping papers might have bleach on it which will kill the seeds.


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## loolagigi (Mar 9, 2010)

i like the sandpaper!!!! thanks

"I prefer this to the paper towel sprouting method, since there is a risk the seedling taproot will dry out if the plate dries out, and some wiping papers might have bleach on it which will kill the seeds."

what plate are you refering to when using the paper towel method?  i use a clean paper towel and a zip lock bag.  and where does this bleach come from?  thanks


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## high before and after (Mar 9, 2010)

I just checked my latest germination run, seems like the cupboard a inch off the top of the refrigerator isn't as hot as I would like it to be- only 68F :/

Have to go pick up a lamp with a bulb to warm things up inside...

We had a cold snap hit around here, should explain the 10 degree difference...

Germination pads are great but it can get too hot, hence the buffer cardboard.


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## loolagigi (Mar 9, 2010)

hey bud, still looking for that bleach answer....


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## high before and after (Mar 9, 2010)

Sorry, I only saw the first sentence, I've read that some paper towels have been bleached white with chlorine bleach. Re: The plate I refer to is just like a dinner plate.

hxxp://www.care2.com/greenliving/paper-towels-and-napkins-vs-cloth.html

"Next up, bleach. Gleaming, bright white paper towels and napkins don&#8217;t get that way naturally. There are several methods of bleaching paper products, some far better than others. The one to avoid is Elemental Chlorine (chlorine gas). This is the worst of the bunch, and is responsible for the release of chlorinated compounds like dioxins and furans, which are powerful carcinogens and mutagens. These chemicals can adversely affect immune systems and reproductive systems and are dreadful for aquatic life and wildlife. Bad, bad, bad. Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) process may be okay&#8212;this method employs a chlorine derivative such as chlorine dioxide rather than chlorine gas, and is not the best choice, but is a cleaner process than the use of elemental chlorine."

-from the source

Looking back on it I think it's how I lost some (more like all) of my seeds a few years back, I put them on paper towels that were bleached, unfortunately. I just wish society didn't see it so important to have white paper towels, yet they're everywhere.


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