Paper towels dried during germination. Are my seedlings going to die?

kagenical

Well-Known Member
Honestly, I might suggest starting anew. Damaged seedlings can take weeks, if not a good month, to recover... By that time, you could be halfway through a straight 12/12 grow.
 

apollo19

Active Member
Quick update:

I was surprised to see one seed germinated and popped out of the soil a few days ago. Already, this seedling, with only the beginnings of it's first set of leaves, is taller than my 4 other plants (these 4 have been in soil for 4 weeks, have 3-4 sets of small leaves, though growing)! This one is ~2" vs ~1-1.5" tall for the other four.

The other 4, though short, seem to be growing pretty well. Very thin stalks, but thick, full leaf growth.

One of these four has a slightly crooked stem (comes ~45 degree angle from the soil). I thought this would straighten out over time, but it seems to be perfectly content like this!

Anyway, seedlings are doing ok, but the shock caused by temporary drying seems to be delaying stem growth. Anyone ever experience this?
 

SomeCanadianDude

Active Member
germinating seeds in paper towel is stupid, when the taproot pops out there are little white hairlike spikes on them, and when your using paper towel those can be easily damaged, it'll still grow but you'd get better results going straight into your growing medium. but still, glad to hear they survived.
 
I have always used a red solo cup, soil I'm going to use, and a zip lock bag over the top. Ad a lil water cover the cup if it is in the light, and let mother nature do the rest. My theroy is that starting seeds in a paper towel, they are required to be transplanted. Very lil transplant, but a transplant non the less. Just like a transplant of a matured plant, it can have some damaging consequences.
 

Lysergic25

New Member
BUMP .... so fallowing a long line of noobs before me I went with paper towel method and it dried out they where only dry for 4-6 hrs max and NONE of the seeds had popped yet so no taproot at all as soon as I found them I re wetted paper towels and put them into a Ziploc baggie am I screwed??
 

koda7225

Well-Known Member
Thats why i dont use paper towel method, besides the fact of messing with it extra times (handling and transplanting more then needed)

Get some rapid rooter plugs, put the seed about 1/4" down, take a piece of the plug off the bottom and cover the hole LIGHTLY so the seedling can push it out of the way, mist with water (decent but not soaking the first time, mist your humidity dome cover and let go untill the rapid rooter plug starts to look dry then mist lightly, and at this time you may need to mist the dome again. Wait till they pop up and have first set of true leaves and decent roots, transplant plug and all into medium you will be growing in, veg 2-4 weeks depending on space available and how well they veg, then flower for the 8-12 weeks they need

Periodic mistings may be needed as the plugs start to look dry untill transplant time.
 
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