Skipping the germination and going straight to the soil

If a seed turns into a seedling, it has germinated. That's the definition of germination. Does not matter what the method used. I get why people use some of the other methods but if you have a viable healthy seed and give it warmth plus moisture it will do it's thing.
 
I say start them in peat pods for best chance at germination then put them in your medium. In a Dome with heat mat under the tray keeping things 70 degrees in side dome. I've had 100% germination on the only two times I've germinated seeds. These are Autos that why they are going straight into pots. If they were photoperiods I'd be putting them in solo cup or something comparable.
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The next Day I put my autos in their home.3F4E4293-DA09-4742-AFD6-54E7300AF82D.JPG
 
Everyone has their own way at success germinating seeds. Personally i like the paper towel method because you have a bit more control and can see what the seed is doing. I find sometimes when you plant the seed before germ you can 'loose' it in the soil when you water it goes deep down because the new soil is soft. I tend to soak the seeds in a cup of water with a pinch of h202 usually overnight. Generally they will crack by then. When they sink they are saturated and then i put em in papertowels till the root emerges then into a rapid starter plug until i see roots then into a small pot. Thats my method. 99% success id say. But again its all about your comfort level and experience maybe a diff way will work better for you.
 
Humans are a curious bunch. We tend to over think and over process everything. We tend to think we can reinvent the wheel as well.

Pretty sure seeds have successfully started and grown in the ground (aka soil) for millions of years....
 
I've been planting direct to media for ages but recently some hi-CBD beans just wouldn't come up so I tried the paper towel in a baggie up in the warm cupboard above the fridge with 5 Nepali Temple beans and in less than 48 hours were all cracked with tails so into 3" pots they went and and 48 hours later they are all up and basking 16" under the 400mh. One is even a triploid.

Last night I put 5 more different hi-CBD beans in the paper towel and have them up in the cupboard with the ones in media that still haven't sprouted.

I like the idea of being able to see which sprouted and only plant those that have rather than wondering what's going on under the surface with difficult to sprout ones like the first ones. Think I'll put a dozen of those in paper towel and see if I can get any to sprout. I was warned they had low germination rates but 10/10? Were free so can't really bitch and I have about 150 left.

Before sprouting via any method I put the seeds in a pill jar lined with sand paper and shake around for a few minutes. Seems to help.

:peace:
 
Another thing people need to think about regarding germination rates is the age of the seeds and how they were stored. Proper storage is important. Most breeders don't date their seeds so you have no idea how old they are. The older the seed the lower the germination rate. Some like ACE put dates on their packaging so you know how old the seeds are.

I guess I don't have any germination issues because I'm typically using fresh seed stock of my own creation. Many here know that one of my primary goals is seed reproduction and preservation of landrace genetics. I have found that the initial stock I acquire from various sources does not always have the high germination rates as seed I produce myself. That is likely due to old seed stock as much of the stuff I have purchased are not the popular strains and may have been sitting around for some time. Which is why I'm rushing through a backlog of genetics to produce more seed of the various strains I have acquired. But if stored properly seeds can easily last 5 - 10 years without much effect on germination rates.

Here's an Ethiopian from a seed run recently. I cut it down but left some at the bottom intending to reveg. It was just left in the backyard.

Here it is after a couple weeks outside. Seeds that fell out of the plant just sprouted on their own without being buried or anything. Now this was a plant taken from a tent and placed outside during the summer when temps were good and the seeds did not sit overwinter outdoors. But it still is an example of good seeds needing nothing but to be in/on soil to germinate and grow.

ethiopianseed1.jpg
 
Severed Tongue said:
Humans are a curious bunch. We tend to over think and over process everything. We tend to think we can reinvent the wheel as well.

Pretty sure seeds have successfully started and grown in the ground (aka soil) for millions of years....
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Very true but look at the ratio of sprouted to non sprouted seeds in the 'wild'. Its about strongest genetics surviving in the wild. The whole point is not to reinvent the wheel but to fine tune it to perform nearest to 100%. The first wheel could have been made of stone but im pretty sure my rims are aluminum and rubber treads ;) of coarse seeds will sprout in the soil but if you want to be efficient you need to take some more steps to ensure youre closer to that 100% mark. And some seed packs can be 250$/pack so 12 seeds at 250 is 20 bucks a pop. Personally id rather not bury my 20 and hope for the best
I am def not arguing that seeds wont sprout in the soil thats foolish to even think that im just trying to get to the best possible percentage of sprouts and strong seedlings. Soil can contain pathogens, bacteria or fungi that an established plant wouldnt bat a pretty eyelash at but a vulnerable seed sprout may succumb to it leaving you frustrated and asking questions on a forum about starting seeds...just sayin
I used to be the same and start seeds in soil but after loosing a few in the early days i decided to use the method i mentioned and ive never had a seed fail since then. Even sometimes when you get a seed that just doesnt have the vigor it should if you baby it it will sprout and do fine once established. And if someone is having issues with sprouting then being extra cautious is def no sin.
Im.not saying this is the be all end all way im just saying this has given me a 99.999% success rate so im just sharing my exp
 
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Jjgrow420 said:
Very true but look at the ratio of sprouted to non sprouted seeds in the 'wild'. Its about strongest genetics surviving in the wild. The whole point is not to reinvent the wheel but to fine tune it to perform nearest to 100%. The first wheel could have been made of stone but im pretty sure my rims are aluminum and rubber treads ;) of coarse seeds will sprout in the soil but if you want to be efficient you need to take some more steps to ensure youre closer to that 100% mark. And some seed packs can be 250$/pack so 12 seeds at 250 is 20 bucks a pop. Personally id rather not bury my 20 and hope for the best
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So true Brother..... You won't see me throwing seeds in a pile hoping for them to germinate. I have found my most sure way and it's up to everyone to pick a lane and ride it until you are stoned. I sure see a lot of people having a hard time spouting. Alls I'm saying is I have found what I think is the best most sure way for me. Any other way would be risky for me.
 
707Patrick said:
So true Brother..... You won't see me throwing seeds in a pile hoping for them to germinate. I have found my most sure way and it's up to everyone to pick a lane and ride it until you are stoned. I sure see a lot of people having a hard time spouting. Alls I'm saying is I have found what I think is the best most sure way for me. Any other way would be risky for me.
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Agreed 100%
 
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