Start seeds in a paper towel or rock wool?

So how do you germinate your seeds for bubbleponics? I've read that you should start them in a damp paper towel, or that you should just start them in a rock wool cube, I've even read that you should let them soak overnight in a cup of water and 1/4 strength nutes.

The 3rd option just sounds like a bad idea to me. So how do you seasoned "ponic" growers like to start your seeds?

I put the seeds in a bowl of water overnight , then in paper towels in a ziplock . when they pop out direclty to the rockwool on a tupperware , and stay in there till they have roots then I use ebb flow with clay

widow84 said:

I put the seeds in a bowl of water overnight , then in paper towels in a ziplock . when they pop out direclty to the rockwool on a tupperware , and stay in there till they have roots then I use ebb flow with clay

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you should do that

I start my seed in papertowels. When they crack they go into RW in the res with water only until they have 4 true leaves or two nodes (little round ones the seed uses to break out of the shell don't count they die a week or two into the grow). Some start the seeds right in the rock wool with good success.

Both will work but if you are new to hydro, do the papertowel method. I soak my seeds in a cup of 5.5 ph water only until the seeds sink to the bottom of the cup. They will float for anywhere from a couple of hours to about 1/2 day ( I do it overnight). I remove them within a couple of hours after they sink, use the water only to wet the papertowel placed on a styro plate, put the soaked seeds on the wet papertowel and fold it into 4ths. I then cover with a bowl and put the plate on my computer router for some gentile underheat and within a day or two I have cracked seeds with 1/4" tails that I insert in a working BP system. I put a new hole in the rockwool ( the preexisting holed is too deep and better used for clones - turn the cube over to the no hole side and make your own - I use a tweezers). When I plant a cracked seed I insert it only deep enough to cover the top of the seed. You'll see a fine shoot within days and it's off to the races from there.

Lots of ways will work but so far I have 100% success rate with this method. Had three bagseed grows and two with Barney's Farm LSD. This time I'm doing LSD, Sannie's Jack and Subcool's Pandora's box all from seed.

I throw my seeds in 1 1/2" presoaked rockwool starter cubes, and three days later I have spouts. I have tried the paper towel method and the cup of water method, and in both cases it took just as long or longer with these methods than it does to just plant the seeds like nature intended. Also, with the other two methods you run the risk of damaging the freshly germed plant when you plant them.

I like to check out the tail before I plant it, if you catch my drift.

I like to check out the tail before I plant it, if you catch my drift.

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I catch your drift In my case, I may waste a starter cube or two because a seed didn't sprout or whatever, but no big deal, the cubes are a couple of cents each and I have plenty of seeds, so in my case I just plant more than I'm going to need and throw out the weaker ones. But I can see the usefullness in many situations where pre-germinating is advantageous.

Good info, thanks

when germinating in rockwool seedlings tend to "push out" of the substrate and sorta lay out on top of the cube. so what you do is start in a paper towel, wait til the seed cracks and has about a 1/2 inch of root sticking out. carefully put the seed root down ofcourse in the hole in the rock wool. if you are worried about the root curling up in the towel stand your moist towel up between 2 paper plates, gravity will keep the root from curling. good luck!

Well since I decided to go w/ sure to grow media instead, Ill just be starting the seeds off directly in the STG cubes. There will be a grow journal w/ pics, Im still a few weeks out from buying everything I need.