Germinating Older Seeds

Discussion in 'Advanced Growing Techniques' started by TheGiver808, Dec 16, 2013.

  1. Anybody know any techniques or tips when It comes to germinating older seeds?

     
  2. i just do it how i normally do..soak em in a cup for a couple days till they pop (the warmer the faster they go) then plant them shallow and pull the seed off when they pop out...just did some 3yr old ones and they popped just fine...still have never lost a plant (knock on wood)
     
  3. Agree, germ as you would younger seeds. Either they are viable or not, if viable they germ. Older seeds can remain viable for many years if stored properly.
     
  4. Thanks for the feedback guys. Much appreciated!
     
  5. Fulvic Acid will help with germination rates of older seeds. I suggest BioAg FulPower for a true quality product and not hydro store bottle with a pretty picture on it.

    J
     
  6. I got my new seeds last month, I germinated two with no problem using shot glass method after 2days they sprouted,
    after a month I tried germinating again the same strain, with no success I tried shot glass , paper towel method and direct to medium.
    They crack open then that's its, after a few days they smell like dried peanuts.
    What could be the problem? Fungus or bacteria, or they just don't like our weather here. Around 80 to 90f and 70%rh
    What can I do?
     
  7. #7 GoldGrower, May 5, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 5, 2015
     
    Don't ever soak seeds, they drown too easily. However if you are trying many methods with no success it could mean that they are already dead. How are they being stored?
     
    Try spraying a few sheets of paper towels with tap water. Don't soak them, only slightly dampen them. Fold them over with the seeds lined out in the middle and place in a plastic bag and roll down the top sealing the bag and trapping the paper towels. Hang the bag upright and keep it at 25℃. If that doesn't work then they are already dead.
     
  8. These seeds are coming up to 8 years old and always germinate perfectly fine. How they are stored is very important
     
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  9. Yeah. I store them at room temp here at the tropics around 90f. But at night It goes down to 75f due to a/c,
    I planted all of them no use storing them I just hope some of them germinate. I planted them straight to medium.
    Rockwool and soiless mix. Just wasted 80$ worth of beans. Lessons learned.
    Thanks for the help
     
  10. Cannabis seeds will drown if you soak them longer than 48 hours without rinsing. However,  soaking cannabis seeds for less than 24 hours is perfectly fine as long as the water you use has a ph of around 6.5-7.0. Distilled water ph's around 6.8-7.0 depending on how long the water is exposed to open air.
     
    I sprout thousands of industrial Cannabis sativa (aka: hemp) to make highly nutritious hemp sprouts for use in cooking and raw recipes. I also grow high CBD medical cannabis to treat my auto immune disorder.
     
    Cannabis seeds grown a few at a time actually takes longer than a handful of cannabis seeds soaked for 12-24 hours. I believe this is due mainly to the synergistic effect of shared heat and amino acids of germinating seeds.
     
    Normally, when I grow a few high CBD or high THC strains, I do a 12 hour weak kelp tea to help aid in early Glomus mycorrhizal bonding. The weak kelp soak does not help speed seed germination, it's for the benefit of the beneficials! If you are not using organic beneficials, then it's actually better to use plain close to neutral ph water.
     
    Also, if you are a sprouter like me, the left over water from the initial sprout soak is loaded with fresh sprouting aminos. The sprout water just needs to be shaken or stirred vigorously to aerate and then used as a germination medium for older, harder to sprout seeds. This is the freshest and cheapest way to get make a cannabis germination medium. Use bulk hemp seed for making delicious, CBD rich sprouts for salads, smoothies, stir fries and tacos, then use the leftover water from the hemp soak as a germination aid to your more expensive cannabis genetics.
     
    My hemp sprouts 2 days after soaking and washing:​
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    My hemp sprouts at 5 days, shells mostly shed and ready for eating:​
    [​IMG]
     
  11. #11 GoldGrower, May 17, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 17, 2015
     
    You have inspired me to learn more about spouting. I tasted my very first alfalfa sprouts this morning. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I love it. The first sprouts I tried to grow were hemp seed. But I must have done something wrong, they germinated and died unfortunately. But I also have alfalfa, mung bean, and corn sprouting

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  12. true story
     
  13. Will the BioAg Humic Acid work Jerry?
     

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