Soaking seeds.

[thomas 11111]

I decided to try soaking a bean before planting. It's only been soaking for about 6 hours and it sank already. Does that mean it's ready to plant? If it is left in the water longer will it die?

 

[dman1234]

24-48 hours is fine in the water, i would let it go for 24 hrs and plant it.

 

[thomas 11111]

Thanks Dman. Just didn't want it to drown. Never soaked them before but the ones I have seem to be having a hard time breaking the shell off after they pop up through the soil so I figured I would give soaking a try.

 

[420_Osborn]

I always soak mine..

after 24 hrs most sink...if they dont I dunk them and then they usually sink.

then after another 24 hrs of being on the bottom they sprout a little taproot and once they do that I plant with the taproot facing up.

 

[dman1234]

I also soak for 24 hours, then i plant them if they popped a tap root or not.

i have forgotten about one before and 4 days soaking in a dark cupboard and it was fine, although i would suggest doing this.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I have never in 30 years of growing ever soaked a seed.

 

[420_Osborn]

I have never in 30 years of growing ever soaked a seed.

:holysheep: When's the last time you started a seed? I thought you were a clone from a clone kinda girl!

 

[thomas 11111]

I have never in 30 years of growing ever soaked a seed.

I decided to soak one to soften the shell because I have tried a couple the past couple days of some mazar that I have and they come up through the soil and then loose their umpf and it's like they can't shake the shell and die. Figured I'd see if that helped. Normally I just put them in medium and mist the top once in a while under saran wrap and presto 2 days at the most and they're up. Normally I don't soak. Just trying to adapt to the situation

 

[thomas 11111]

:holysheep: When's the last time you started a seed? I thought you were a clone from a clone kinda girl!

THG is a clone? :giggle:

 

[Hushpuppy]

I don't know about this from experience but I read somewhere that yu can take a small box and put a couple of broken emery boards in it and place a small amount of seeds(like 10-15) close up the box and lightly shake them for a minute or two then plant or soak them to start. The emery board is supposed to score the outer shell of the seeds and make it easier for them to break through. I have not heard of anyone using this tho so I can't say for sure how effective it is...

Thomas, I wonder if yer seedlings were having trouble because the shell was drying out after it pushed up out of the ground, making it to stiff for the cotyledons to throw it.
I personally use the paper towel method for propagation as I grow in coco coir. My Cannabis grow bible says that the paper towel method is very good at around 80-90% success. It also suggests using the Rockwool SBS propagation tray and says it has nearly 100% success rate. The good thing about the Rockwool is that yu can do either seed or clone and let it grow in that until roots start to protrude then bury them in whatever medium yu want to use. If I didn't have a nice cloner already and did more seed popping That is what I would use.

 

[Fizzgig]

I have planted around 500 seeds this way in the past few months (ya!) and can count with my fingers how many didn't take!

(I wasn't expecting that...is why! hahaha)

 

[nouvellechef]

:holysheep: When's the last time you started a seed?

Around 1854. Haha

 

[Johnny Trip]

I have some problems with some seeds popping, do being a bit smaller and greenish then the others count as being immature as a seed ?
Or too brown and black counts as being too "old" as a seed ?
They are ak-47 seeds btw.
I've put em in directly in the soil, about 1 cm deep and I kept the soil moist and fluffy. it's the 5th day and only 2 seeds popped from 8.
I've put some in a wet paper towel and they didn't popped after 24 hours, I'm trying to find out what's the problem with the seeds...Because I don't think it's my germination techniq.

 

[thomas 11111]

I have some problems with some seeds popping, do being a bit smaller and greenish then the others count as being immature as a seed ?
Or too brown and black counts as being too "old" as a seed ?
They are ak-47 seeds btw.
I've put em in directly in the soil, about 1 cm deep and I kept the soil moist and fluffy. it's the 5th day and only 2 seeds popped from 8.
I've put some in a wet paper towel and they didn't popped after 24 hours, I'm trying to find out what's the problem with the seeds...Because I don't think it's my germination techniq.

thread hijacker! just jokin. i have all the answers I need. you go ahead and take over.

 

[xRedkiller03x]

Hey thomas i soaked my seeds and it worked great. all of them cracked after 24 hours, they didnt sink but they still germinated well.

 

[Runbyhemp]

Same as THG, have never soaked a seed. Have never used paper towel method either. I use jiffi pellets or make hole in soil with screwdriver and drop seed in. Works just fine. I do come accross the odd seedling that is reluctant to shed its shell ... I just give it a squirt of water, and that ususally softens it enough to open fully. On the odd occassion I'll carefully remove the shell myself (carefully being operative word)

I like to keep things as simple and as natural as possible

 

[bho_expertz]

I like to user paper towel but you need to have an eye on it so the paper doesn't dry out.

 

[hero4u2b]

I have tried this seed soaking method twice and got a 100 percent pop rate.. It seems to hurry the process of opening the seed.. I put the tap root down thou instead of up.. I like to put them directly into jiffy pellets after and barly cover them and mist mist mist..and keep the little plastic dome that comes with the jiffy pellets over them. Usually within a day or two they are above ground.. Its a faster method than under soil.. Hero

 

[PencilHead]

they come up through the soil and then loose their umpf and it's like they can't shake the shell and die.

What kind/brand of medium are you using? Store-bought? If so, believe it or not, you've probably got fungus gnat larvae attacking the seeds as soon as they pop. Dig up on of the un-umpfish seeds and put a scope on it--it's prpbably full of microscopic larvae. Right now, as with whiteflies a couple of years back, everyone is buying gnat eggs in their soil mixes. Welcome to the fun part of growing.

 

[woodydude]

I think I read it on Mandala's germination guide that when a seed doesnt shed its shell after sprouting it is because the seed wasnt deep enough. hxxp://www.mandalaseeds.com/Guides/Germination-Guide

Green seeds are usually immature.

If a seed is quite fresh, it may not be "mature" so popping them in the fridge for a night or 2 will simulate winter allowing it to germinate nicely when spring arrives.

Peace W