I have a pill bottle with some seeds (around 5-10 years old), some which I tried germinating last year and failed. This year I gave it another shot and had the same problem. I tried two ways both years - one batch in damp paper towel and one simply in a glass of water. Both methods gave similar results, unfortunately those results weren't good. In each batch around 5/25 of the seeds grew a tiny dot on the side, but around that time mold started to grow on some of them. About half I put directly in soil from there and the other half I moved to a clean paper towel hoping to see a little more growth before potting them. The ones in the soil did not come up, and the ones I'd placed in the fresh towel went on to rot as well. Initial mold: The ones I tried to save - their sprouts went white/moldy: The furthest I've seen any of them make it: I've been using unfiltered tap water from a deep well. This water has very high amounts of calcium and iron in it (you can see the iron staining the paper towel slightly), do you think this might be a problem? Can anyone offer any help?
Can you get your hands on some bagseed? It is great for a first grow when you are still learning through experimentation. Cheap and effective. Everyone seems to have their own unique germination method, one that works for them. I soak my seeds in water for 24 hours. I then put them in soil in a beer cup. I take some plastic wrap and cover the top of the cup(s), then rubber band the plastic wrap in place. This creates a greenhouse effect. It traps the humdity inside the cup and keeps your soil hydrated. I put the beer cup(s) on a metal tin lid (the kind cookies come in at Christmas). I put that assembly on top of something that generates heat (in my case, my DVR). The heat radiates and transfers to the tin lid, then to the cups and into the soil. The soil should be nice and warm. The location should be dark. In 2-3 days I have sprouts.