this may have already come up but when i searched i found the results weren't what i was looking for but. Im germinating seeds (paper towel) and im wondering how long i should let them germinate?
Until they germinate. Germination is not the process of sticking them in paper towels, it is the process by which the seed "wakes up" and begins to grow into a plant. Specifically, there is a part of the seed interior called the radicle, which around here we commonly call the taproot, and germination is when the radicle extends through the seed coat. Once a little white nubbin sticks out of the seed shell then germination has occurred and it is time to move it into a grow medium. If you leave it in longer that taproot will just grow into the paper towel fibers.
my frist plant's seed was in the fibers of the paper towel and i had to pull it out, which may have caused its (what seems to be) awkward start but i just had a few seeds germinating and i just took some out after looking at them and none of them were in the paper towel fibers and hopefully they'll grow better