hey i was wondering if it was ok to have my seeds ina paper towel ontop of my cable box to keep it warm? also how long should the seedlings root be before i plant it in soil??
best way use toilet paper two bottom layers then wet them place seeds on the toilet paper next take two more pieces a little smaller and places on top of seeds and now wet this cover and put it inside something to block light. aka. a black sock. now place somewhere warm. i usually have a quarter inch to half inch root within 20 hours, normally 14-16 hours.
2-3 days for germination is also normal. I have noticed that some seeds germ faster then others, it all depends...
Yes, this would more than likely be fine. Make sure it is dark too. Wait until the taproot clears the shell. Don't wait to long or you are destined to damage the root in transfer. I would argue that the best way is to put them in your growing medium (rockwool, soil, whatever) and let nature take its' course. If you are going to "pre-germinate" your seeds, I would suggest you don't use toilet paper. Toilet paper tends to shed and this would not be good for your developing seeds. Use paper towels instead. Good luck.
It has always been a good practice to soak your seeds overnight in water to soften the seed for easier germination. Be extremely careful with newly sprouted seeds they are fragile, use tweezers to pick up sprouted seedlings taking care not to damage the rootlet. Paper towels are ok, but they dry out quickly place in a dark warm place and check on them every 12 hours and plant with the grow tip up if possible,just make sure you remove sprouted seed before it gets embedded in the paper this can cause damage to the tender rootlet. The process of germination is usually completed in three to 10 days. Plant in loose well drained soil as soon as the seed sprouts, about 1 in deep and cover loosely. keep soil moist but not soggy.
What? Why in the world would you want to do that? The "grow tip" is the root. You obviously want the root too grow down into the soil. Either way, the plant will correct the situation, but if you are going to try to help it along, don't plant it "grow tip" up. Good luck.
The root will grow down, it makes the plant stronger most grow guides I have read recommend this (ex. The Kale Growing guide) GERMINATION Germinate seeds in sterile soil (for planting outdoors) or a hydroponic medium of rockwool or vermiculite. DO NOT (!) use a Jiffy cube #7 to germinate seeds. Informal tests and experience show these peat cubes do not work well and stunt the plants growth. Planting in vermiculite gives the seedling so much oxygen, and are so easy for roots to grow in, that the plants look large 1 week after germination! Keep them moist at all times, by placing seeds in vermiculite filled 16oz cups with holes in the bottom, placed in a tray of weak nutrient solution, high in P. Rockwool cubes also work extremely well. When the seed sprouts, place the rockwool cubes into larger rockwool cubes. No repotting or transplanting, and no soil mixing! You can germinate seeds in a paper towel. This method is tricky; it's easy to ruin roots if they dry out, or are planted too late after germinating. Paper towels dry out REAL FAST! Place paper towel in a bowl, saturated with weak nutrient solution (not too much!), and cover with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Put bowl in a warm area; top of the gas stove, water heater closet, or above warm lamps. Cover with black paper to keep out light. Check every 12 hours and plant germinated seeds with the grow tip up (if possible) in a growing medium as soon as the root coming out of the seed is 1/16" or longer. Use tweezers, and don't touch the root tip. Transplant as little as possible by germinating in the same container you intend to grow the plant in for a significant period of time. Just plant in vermiculite or rockwool. You will be amazed at the results! 90% germination is common with this method, as compared to 50% or less with Jiffy Cubes. (Your milage may vary.) 5-55-17 plant food such as Peter's Professional will stimulate root growth of the germinating seed and the new seedlings. Use a very dilute solution, in distilled water, about 1/3 normal strength, and keep temperatures between 72-80 degrees. Warm temperatures are very important. Many growers experience low germination rate if the temperatures are out of this range. A heating pad set to low or medium may be necessary, or a shelf constantly warmed by a light may do, but test it with a few seeds first, before devoting next years crop to it. No light is necessary and may slow germination. Cover germinating seeds with black paper to keep out light. Place seedlings in the light once they sprout. Plan on transplanting only once or twice before harvest. Use the biggest containers possible for the space and number of seedlings you plan to start. Plants will suffer if continuously transplanted and delay harvesting. You will suffer too, from too much work! 13 2-liter plastic soda bottles filled with vermiculite/pearlite will fit in a cat box tray, and will not require transplanting for the first harvest, if you intend to grow hydroponically. Transplant them for a second regenerated harvest. Cut holes in the bottom of containers and fill the last few inches at the top with vermiculite only, to start seeds or accept seedling transplants. Since vermiculite holds water well, wicks water well, but does not hold too much water, roots always have lots of oxygen, even if they are sitting in a tray full of water. A hydrogen peroxide based plant food is used to get extra oxygen to the plants when the pans are kept continuously full. The water can be allowed to recede each time after watering, before new solution is added. This allows the plants roots to dry somewhat, and make sure they are getting enough oxygen. Use SuperSoil brand potting soil, as it is excellent and sterilized. If you insist on using dirt from the yard, sterilize it in the microwave or oven until it gets steamy.(NOT RECOMMENDED) Sterilize the containers with a bleach solution, especially if they have been used a previous season for another plant.Quote from this guide.
Don't see exactly how it makes the plant stronger, but to each their own. I just don't see any benefit. Good luck.
To each his own huh? Just about all of the best growers in the world use this method, and have been doin it alot longer than I have so I trust their research. In Amsterdam most of the breeders for the shops use this method. By planting in this fashion the root tip grows down into the soil pushing the sprout towards the surface of the soil where the sprout breaks the ground.Maybe you need to tell Ed Rosenthal, Mel Frank, Jorge Cervantes,(the list is too long to post) that you dont see the benefit.
My apologies for venting, But we need to read and do countless hours of research on growing, biology of this beneficial plant. I don't want the efforts of countless professionals to be thrown to the wind just because we dont see the benefit of what they are writing. Sorry again bout venting.Carolina_Sinse
Look, I haven't been growing as long as any of those guys, but I know what works for me. I don't want to turn this into a big thing, but I can't find an instance where any of those growers talk about planting tap root up. Ed Rosenthal has this to say... Germinating seed | Cannabis Culture Magazine And with Mel Frank in the Marijuana Growers Guide... (Section 7.2) [ame="http://www.scribd.com/doc/2601784/THE-MARIJUANA-GROWERS-GUIDE-by-Mel-Frank-Ed-Rosenthal"]THE MARIJUANA GROWERS GUIDE by Mel Frank Ed Rosenthal@@AMEPARAM@@/docinfo/2601784?access_key=key-7xfkqlrd2n355he96ay@@AMEPARAM@@2601784@@AMEPARAM@@key-7xfkqlrd2n355he96ay[/ame] And this article in High Times by Jorge Cervantes actually supports my point... High Times > GERMINATING AND PLANTING SEEDS "When a seed breaks open, a small, white taproot will poke through. As soon as it does, plant it as described above with the taproot pointing down." I see no mention by any of them to plant with the tap root up. All of them, like myself prefer to sow their seeds directly in the grow medium rather than "pre-germinating". I can rattle of a bunch of well respected growers names too. But before I dole out advice I make sure it is correct. Good luck.