freezer seed

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Indoors' started by merle snider, Jan 31, 2004.

  1. Hey people got a question. I have some seeds in the freezer can I take from the freezer and start jerminating them imediatly or do Ihave to wait till they get to room temp.
     
  2. HIGH All, yes wait till they reach room temp...or maybe just germ them now when frozen....me never froze the seeds mmmmmmmm..maybe I'll give it a try.
     
  3. well certainly they get to room temp the instant they touch room temp water. so my suggestion is just throw em into a glass of water.
     

  4. I hope you mean just throw them in a glass of water to warm them up, and then take them out and germinate them properly.

    I came up with this system based on various suggestions and it's pretty basic but I've had great results this way.

    Put a paper towel on a plate. Arrange the seeds. Fold the paper towel over the seeds and moisten it thoroughly. Slide the plate in a ziplock bag and zip it about halfway. Cover with a dark towel or tshirt or something to keep light out. Take it out and check the seeds every 12 hours or so, re-moisten if necessary. Don't start planting each seed at the first sign of germination, wait a bit and plant the strongest fastest ones. You can actually germinate them right up to the point where they shed their husks this way, I prefer planting huskless seedlings because sometimes the husk can cause problems. Plus you don't have to wait for them to push up to find out if they "made it" (in soil anyway).

    IMHO I think the best thing you can do for your grow is selecting the best genetics right off the bat. I would be willing to bet even the best of the best bagseed can turn out better than something you ordered in the mail if you are careless about which seeds you plant (all other things being equal). Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm no expert ;)

    -n2p2k
     
  5. Thanks for the info. I just put them in the ziplock with the soaked towel and im putting the m on top of my computer .
     
  6. ok... it shouldn't be so wet you can tip the plate and spill more than a few drips of water, though... it will dry out a little bit if you leave enough of the bag open, the bag just slows the process down so you can get to it before it dries out completely. The first time I tried the paper towel thing I did it in a bowl, and drenched it, but later i found it completely dry and some not happy looking seeds inside. ;) Just treat the paper towel like soil and you'll be golden ;) paper towels dry out VERY fast
     
  7. I think I did something wrong. I put the seeds in about 4 days ago they havent sprouted. Ikeep the towel moist and its in a place where it stays at 75_80 degrees._Ialso added bleach to the distilled water.
     
  8. Here are a few things that can cause problems:

    1) Not allowing enough air exchange. This means sealing the bag completely when you're not checking them, and not checking them often enough. When you check them and peel open the paper towel (gently) you're exposing them to some air and making some (invisible) air pockets when you fold it closed again. Basically the paper towel idea doesn't offer any benefit if they are essentially as good as under water the whole time. Remember, check every 12 hours. Only re-moisten the paper towel if it starts to get dry. Don't let it get too dry or too wet.

    2) I have no idea what possessed you to add bleach to the water, I would also use tap water for the trace minerals, if your tap water is safe for human consumption (and not green or brown or anything too horrible). Maybe adding bleach is a trick of the trade that I am unaware of, but I would think adding any more than an antibacterially-useless amount would also kill your seeds.

    3) Keep the seeds covered (dark), yes, but it doesn't hurt for them to see the light of day when you're checking on them. In fact I can't prove it but I think it may have helped to tease them a bit.

    4) The only other thing I can think of is the paper towels themselves... there are lots of different kinds of paper towels out there, I use white generic quilted paper towels, but even then, there's lots of different kinds. Perhaps yours are too acidic or something ?_? Highly unlikely though.

    How long were the seeds frozen for? How fresh were they WHEN they were frozen? What temp were they stored at? Maybe the seeds are just dead. :(

    Good luck,
     
  9. I forgot to seal the bag completly I left it open on one corner of the zip-lock. The seeds were stored at 7 degrees for approximatly 2 months. It was suggested that I add one teaspoon of bleach per liter of water to prevent mold or fungus now that Ithink about it the water here is good right out of the tap. Im going to start over again, I have about 15 seeds left,
     
  10. DO NOT i repeat DO NOT seal the bag! You are SUPPOSED to leave it open. in fact, don't zip it at all, just let it rest closed. I can't emphasize this enough, do not get it too wet, and do not let it get too dry (brittle). Spray misters work perfectly, no more than a couple pumps of spray should remoisten if it starts to dry out. You just don't want it BONE dry, but don't keep it soaking all the time. The only reason I suggested to get it pretty moist at first is because paper towels dry out really fast (when exposed) and I didn't want you to come back 4 hours later and find a crunchy paper towel full of very unhappy seeds.

    With this method I have had no germinations in the first 24 hours but 12 hours later the first couple and 12 hours after that a few more and 12 hours after that a BUNCH more and the first germinations were starting to leave their husks... just so you have a point of reference.

    But then, I have always done this with bagseed, not frozen.
     
  11. That's what I did for my first grow... But I like my new method better for 3 reasons:

    1) Wasted soil on plants that never germinate (seeds may be diseased, won't reuse that soil).

    2) Wasted time, effort, and money, growing weak inferior or deformed plants (which are also prone to disease). In the paper towel you can see the sprout, roots, husk, everything... and tell which plants are strong and which are weak (or dead, or will die soon). It's not perfect but it helps. Sometimes the normal looking ones grow up bigger than the stronger looking ones.. but the weak ones NEVER have surprised me so far.

    3) FUNGUS = THE DEVIL. I don't like soaking wet soil sitting around for too long without roots to help soak up the water. Just playing it safe. Everyone's grow area is different, but mine is often humid, and if fungus attacks it would spread fast. So I do everything I can to prevent it.
     
  12. OH GREAT DAY. 4 of them have roots. Its like i gave birth.
     
  13. cool! congratulations ;) You're a mommy :lol:

    i used tweezers to pick them up and place them in their new dirt holes... but if you have to use your fingers be careful not to touch the soft fuzzy root and even if you do use tweezers, be as gentle as you can.. I am still trying to think of a better way to pick them up where I can't pinch them too hard if not careful

    again, congrats :) if you can take a picture i would like to see how your little germination colony goes :)
     
  14. As soon as i can get a camera ill take some pics of my babys. I did use twezzers to pick them up. I just cheked and 2 more have popped out of shell.
     
  15. bleach:
    stops mold and fungi from taking hold.
    only a few drops in a ltr of water.
    do not store seeds with bleach. store them dry and airtight.
    seal the bag:
    thats the whole point of using a ziplock.
    moist tissue is put in and in the sealed bag will stay moist.
    open bag twice a day to stop air going stagnent.
    you shuld be checking twice a day anyway to see if your seeds have split.
    tweezers:
    will do a lot more damage to a seed if you slip than fingers.
    freezer:
    DONT!
    seeds can survive it but it can also kill them.
    fridge is best.
    some people swear by putting them in the freezer before greming them. they say its like winter and makes the seed ready to germ.
    ever seen a snowman in thailand?
     
  16. the point of using the bag is to keep moisture from evaporating too quickly, it will do this whether or not you seal it completely. Even when open it limits the air exchange which limits evaporation. It's a matter of preference

    all in all nice thread synopsis ;) Also props for explaining proper use of the bleach.
     

  17. yeah very nice
    but why wud you want any water to evaporate?
    the only reason is becuse its to wet.
    if the humidity is right then its best its stays that way so dont get it to wet in the 1st place.
    if you let it dry out then you risk not getting to them to check them in time to stop them drying out to much and killing all your seeds.
    seeds that could of cost £100 and you waited ages for.
    if you think that cant happen then do you think you could have a flat tire, a breakdown, get arested, get runover, get drunk, get layed or any of the other things that could stop you getting home?
    letting it dry out is bad practice.
    bad practice costs money.
    why do you grow?
    you leave the bag open if you want.
    i plant mine straght in the dirt. ive had to many flat tires and i like getting layed two much not to
     
  18. Nobody told me to germinate the way I do. And you're both being awfully freaking defensive of your methods. If you don't like mine, don't do it.

    I came up with the idea on my own. Someone else mentioned a paper towel is a useful medium in which to germinate, but that's about it. I found out the hard way that paper towels dry out WAY too quickly when left exposed. I suppose you could fold the paper towel in a bowl and put clingwrap over it, but I like the flat surface of a plate so the seeds don't get disturbed by gravity when I check them. I decided to use plastic freezer bags because plates slide nicely inside them. Air exchange is only in a small slit in the side of the bag, not entire upper surface, which is the direction in which water evaporates. Even in an un-sealed bag, a moist paper towel will stay moist for far more than 12 hours unless the air in your house is so dry you can't go to sleep and wake up without chapped lips. And if you don't believe me, why don't you try it instead of just naysaying.

    Not being around to take care of your plants is a horrible excuse. This goes for all stages of life including germination.

    Bowl of water is out (for me) because I like to germinate until they completely leave their husks, and for that they need SOME access to oxygen.

    I like to germinate until they completely leave their husks because I like to see the characteristics of the infant plants before [potentially] wasting soil on them.

    I like to not seal the bag for the same reason you wouldn't water your plants and then put clingwrap over the top of the pot. Fungus.

    Just because you're an expert grower, doesn't mean your method is the best - it's just the best FOR YOU. Chill, guys.
     
  19. Nobody told me to germinate the way I do. And you're both being awfully freaking defensive of your methods. If you don't like mine, don't do it.

    ... this is a place people come to learn.
    you dismised my method off hand without thinking.
    thats not only narrowminded but could cost someone dear in lost seeds if they lissend to you......

    I came up with the idea on my own.

    ...it shows...

    Someone else mentioned a paper towel is a useful medium in which to germinate, but that's about it. I found out the hard way that paper towels dry out WAY too quickly when left exposed.

    ...yes they do... I suppose you could fold the paper towel in a bowl and put clingwrap over it, but I like the flat surface of a plate so the seeds don't get disturbed by gravity when I check them.

    ...when i do this i use 3 or 4 layers of paper towel under the seeds and 1 on top.....

    I decided to use plastic freezer bags because plates slide nicely inside them. Air exchange is only in a small slit in the side of the bag, not entire upper surface, which is the direction in which water evaporates. Even in an un-sealed bag, a moist paper towel will stay moist for far more than 12 hours unless the air in your house is so dry you can't go to sleep and wake up without chapped lips.

    ...or you have central heating or something else that drys the air....

    And if you don't believe me, why don't you try it instead of just naysaying.

    ...i have. i dont believe you....

    Not being around to take care of your plants is a horrible excuse. This goes for all stages of life including germination.

    ...hey man ive got a life, famaly, things happen, your life must be really boring if nothing ever happens to you. you have my pitty....

    Bowl of water is out (for me) because I like to germinate until they completely leave their husks, and for that they need SOME access to oxygen.

    ....that is a really really bad idea. dont take my word for it. ask the growers on here that you know and respect. if they say that its a good idea then i'll post a photo of me eating my hat....

    I like to germinate until they completely leave their husks because I like to see the characteristics of the infant plants before [potentially] wasting soil on them.

    ...you can not tell what a plant is going to be like from looking at the embero. i think most growers have had slow starting seeds that have made really good plants and vise versa.. soil is cheap compaired to the overall cost of a grow....

    I like to not seal the bag for the same reason you wouldn't water your plants and then put clingwrap over the top of the pot. Fungus.

    ...thats why you open the bag atleast twice a day and the air will b freshend up then. a open bag is more likely to be under attack from air borne spores than a sealed bag. not really the point though. the point is you dont need a lot of water in there, a bit will do it. much safer than having it dripping wet?...

    Just because you're an expert grower, doesn't mean your method is the best - it's just the best FOR YOU. Chill, guys.

    ...im not an expert, never said i was, never will. i have been growing for well over 20 years. iv been to prison twice for it. i know a lot of people personaly that are considerd an expert (phd in botany etc) and we exchange thoughts and we learn from eachother all the time. thats all im tyring to do here, pass on what i know and to help. if that isnt needed or wanted then just say. i wont comment on any of your posts again...

    ...oh and dont tell me to chill untill you have seen me angery...
     

  20. not all seeds are good seeds.
    all pregerming does is sort out the bad seeds and leave you with seeds that stand a good chance of growing.
    important if you are planting straght into somthing like a large nft system.
    i to think its not needed.
    i think the reason most ppl do it is either becuse it shows a result faster than in dirt or they think they have to which is untrue.
    plus stoners like to mess with things and it can be fun!
     

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