IcMn667

All the guides I've read using the paper towel method mention putting it on a TV, refrigerator, or something with heat. Do you have to do this? If you don't, will it just take longer to germinate or will nothing happen?

tokkas

Before using the paper towel method, I usually soak the seed for 24 hours first. What I've found though, is by presoaking the seed then putting it somewhere warm like on my computer monitor, the seeds seem to germinate faster, usually within 48 hours. Other times without using any heat while using the paper towel method , such as it sitting in a cool closet, the seeds didn't seem to pop as fast, but after 12 days they had all popped. Heat just seems to help them germinate quicker.

pearl

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Rhino1973

Same here.

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old_greg

Hi Rhino, I believe heat is one of mom nature's triggers to tell the seed it's time to come out and play. I like the wet paper towls in a zip lock baggy on top of my External Hard drive. Other than when i've had seeds that wouldn't crack by any method, it works very well..

Another thing I have started doing is placing the seeds in a plastic pharmacy pill bottle lined with 150G sand paper, Shake the seeds around in there gently for about a minute, The Sandpaper will score the shell, helping them pop quicker.

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dankmaster

The better quality of seeds you have (breeder being best, bagseed being worst), will be more forgiving in relation to your germination rate.

Breeder seeds don't take much coaxing to pop... but my bagseed germ rates are below 10% consistently.

There's a large range of temperature and wetness that will work... just seems like it's larger for better seeds.

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1st hydro grow (DWC) - Nirvana Big Bud + Bagseed (complete)
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Hydrohut grow (DEAD)... Hut killed all my plants and it has been donated to the trashman
Current veg: Apollo 11, Alpha 13 (space bud), White Widow, various bagseed and Doc. Chronic strains under 400W MH and 400W HPS

Seed to bud in 6 days! New technique!

megatrich

Bagweed is often compacted for import, crushing most of the seeds. If the bagweed wasn't compacted the germination rate can be good, but god knows how the stuff was dried, cured or how old it is?!? That's just another reason to grow your own.

IcMn667

I would've probably gone with bagseed, but I've never gotten a bag with seeds in it. I decided to spring $25 for nirvana northern lights, and the Doc delivered very quickly. Finding out that bagseed could have crappy germ rates, I'm glad I spent the money.

fresh mary

I'm using the paper towel method now. It's inside a small metal bowl covered by a bigger metal bowl on top of my cable box. It's been about 2 days and still none of the seeds popped (about 8-10 of them), but they are bagseeds so I don't feel too badly knowing these pop less. I also ordered some seeds; nl x big bud from the doc and am awaiting these in the mail.

Question -- Does it hinder/hurt the germing process if I lift up the bowl and paper towel to look at it more than once a day, or often? I've looked at it about 10 times in 2 days.. maybe I should try putting the seeds in water first..

Nelson Mutz

Nope, and yes, put the seeds in the H2O...

Plastic dixie cup with distilled/rain water. Add beans. Place on top of water heater near hot outlet pipe/hose. Germination within 24-36 hours. Works every time for me.

Nelson