so up until my last "experiment" i have used the paper towel method to germinate seeds. the following is my technique; 1. boil water to "purify" it(kils bacteria and evaps some dangerous chems) 2. dip sheets of paper towels (usually 2) and then let them drip so they are not over loaded but are still wet 3. fold into quarters and (fold in half then half again) 4 seeds go in between the final 2 "layers then into a tupperware container 5. celophane(sp) held over top of tupperware with rubberband maintaing moisture levels and allowing easy access so i have always had 100% germ rate with this technique, usually within 3-5days. recently i decided to try something a little different and just put themin moist soil and let them go from there(trying to avoid handling te seed and root this time). i was hoping to find a no maintenance method to do this so i; soaked the soil then let it sit for 24hrs put in seed misted the soil with a spray bottle when it seemed to be drying out niether of the seeds germed. i left them for ~3weeks one poked out a <1/8" taproot which continued to rot inside the shell as far as i can figure after diggin em out and examining them. seed two only cracked open and never grew anyting out. so i guess my question is; Can anyone see any obvious oversights in the way i tried this or anything i could try and do to make this work. ill probably just continue to use the paper towel method for my serious grow purposes but im always trying new experiments and love to learn so any input is appreciated! sorry for the long winded post ZERO
The most common reason for seeds not sprouting in soil is overwatering. Your rotted seed is a result of just that. Stick with the paper towel method, its pretty reliable. And you really don't have to go to all the trouble of boiling water, etc. Keep it simple!
what timmeh said i dont boil water, i just run it through the brita and into a cup for soaking. a drop of superthrive is added. the sinkers after 12 and 24 hours are placed in moist towels in ziplocs. no fancy folding. the best looking roots are the ones that hit the dirt
instead of misting the soil when it dries out you should just moisten the soil, plant the seed, put a clear plastic baggie over the soil, and then wait about 3-5 days and you'll see a sprout. make sure you plant the seed at least a 1/4" down and any more than 1/2" down is unneccessary. also you don't need your light on until it sprouts because the light will just dry the soil faster. oh and make sure there is no fertilizer in your soil. it's also possible that you could just have dud seeds. keep it 420 mauphuckah
the soil has nothing in it just plain soil and perlite. the seeds were just some bagseed form sime fire cali bud i got so its not a big loss i was just confused as i thought this was a solid technique. they probably had to much water. they were nice and rotted when i got to em only reason i boil the water is cuz i livein the city now and the water is terrible, chlorine flouride, nasty shit plus the Ph is around 9 and boiling it brings it down quite a bit(evap of chemicals) when i used to live out in the country and had well water it was beautiful. no effort artesian wells ftw Pretty much gonna stick with the paper towel method as its tried and true(plus i just dont like the idea of throwing my seeds in a cup of water to fend for themselves or drown lol)