Low success rate of seeds popping

horribleherk

home grown
When I cam back to growing from a long hiatus, I went from getting literally anything to germ to absolutely nothing. I noticed I was way to generous with the water. Remember, you just need moisture at this point. You'd be surprised how little it takes in a peat pellet or rooter. Second, peat pellets or roosters, hahaha. Use em. And third was heat, i wasn't using it. Definitely use it and cook em. I've not paid attention and germwd seeds at well over 90 f substrate temp. Not recommended. But to show to always heed on the side of warmer. Same for the water, always heed on the side of drier. After that, my personal opinion is that paper towel looked really wet. Those seed shells seemed to be straight water logged. Could have been the pic or that soak. I soak too, but not until they crack typically. Unless it happens in 12 hours. Warm water also. Keep on heat mat, ended up getting one with a thermo, definitely worth it to me. Then I'd go into pellets or paper towel. I agree if the tails wagging, I'd skip the towel. Go into pellets or rooters once that tail's a wagging. Dome and heat for a day or two after they come up, and then I remove the dome for a couple hours, then the next day, like half a day if they are doing good, then off the next. Super stoned, didn't proof read or think before I typed, so hope that helps. I answered because I feel your pain, and so did my wife when I basically just started emptying my wallet into the trash, hahaha. Good luck my friend, and take care.
Heat mat and not too wet. I'm OCD and it took forever to not overwater from the get go, either plugs too wet or adding water to tray too soon or misting plugs. Now just squeeze plug almost out, then make myself not mess with em. This last time I set some non starters behind door, forgot and four days later had some super stretchy starters. When plug was dried out
I think you people have nailed it I'm gonna take 2 seeds & try a drier approach thanks !
 

coste

In Bloom
My process is counter intuitive to most (except with ancient seeds). Soak 24hr, ~1/2 inch deep into media of choice. Clones are treated similar, just without the 24hr soak. Pretty solid success rates. Paper towel method has always caused me problems.
 

horribleherk

home grown
My process is counter intuitive to most (except with ancient seeds). Soak 24hr, ~1/2 inch deep into media of choice. Clones are treated similar, just without the 24hr soak. Pretty solid success rates. Paper towel method has always caused me problems.
I'm good with clones & have been doing as you suggest which has worked well in the past up until a month or so ago when some seeds cracked & showed white in the crack but when I into the media under dome with heat mat they didn't surface
 

coste

In Bloom
Depending on the age of the seeds, you might try a GA3 soak. I don't have experience with it yet, but ordered some to try and get better germ rates on 7+ year old seeds I have laying around.
 

GCG

CHOOSE YOUR TITLE
Just dont go to dry. Really easy to have paper towel dry out on a heat mat. Make sure your misting or something.
I soak in tiny solo full of water for 24 hrs then dump entire cup onto paper towel. Get seed situated where I want, fold up towel, pick it up from one end and use my fingers to sort of squeegee the bulk of the water out going from top to bottom. Towel stays pretty wet but won't drip much if held up. Then into ziplock bag on top of my T5's. Found my heat mat and cable box didn't work as fast or as well for me. If you notice water pooling anywhere in baggie squeegee again and dump bag.
 

horribleherk

home grown
Just dont go to dry. Really easy to have paper towel dry out on a heat mat. Make sure your misting or something.
I soak in tiny solo full of water for 24 hrs then dump entire cup onto paper towel. Get seed situated where I want, fold up towel, pick it up from one end and use my fingers to sort of squeegee the bulk of the water out going from top to bottom. Towel stays pretty wet but won't drip much if held up. Then into ziplock bag on top of my T5's. Found my heat mat and cable box didn't work as fast or as well for me. If you notice water pooling anywhere in baggie squeegee again and dump bag.
I'm trying this method right now on some bad dawg atomic CBD cross I sitting on a couple of strains one of which I'm wanting to make a cross with using a grape stomper male & hopefully a 2020 seeds arcata trainwreck female
 

Ggrow

In Bloom
Dont think you have to go into the paper towel if you got a lil bit of that tail pokin out. I only put them in a towel if they dont crack open in the 24 hour soak when I do see the tail I move them to soil quick. Much like the lower two in the pic the top one is to long for my taste. I think you run a risk of damaging fine root hairs at that length. Just my opine from the pic not sure about your watering.
This is what I do too. I also add a few drops of H202 for the soak. Usually shows a tail within 24 hours. If not, paper towel till they do.

However, it's a different ball game altogether if the seeds are old and especially if kept in non ideal conditions. If that's the case, a 10% germ rate is considered lucky. Most if not all will not germ or acts weird/mutated/stunted.

Seed storage is important.
 

horribleherk

home grown
This is what I do too. I also add a few drops of H202 for the soak. Usually shows a tail within 24 hours. If not, paper towel till they do.

However, it's a different ball game altogether if the seeds are old and especially if kept in non ideal conditions. If that's the case, a 10% germ rate is considered lucky. Most if not all will not germ or acts weird/mutated/stunted.

Seed storage is important.
I got these seeds 8 months ago & they've been in the house in a drawer I put some in to soak last night they cracked & I can see white but no tail usually when I get the little white tap root I'm good to go
 
This is what I do too. I also add a few drops of H202 for the soak. Usually shows a tail within 24 hours. If not, paper towel till they do.

However, it's a different ball game altogether if the seeds are old and especially if kept in non ideal conditions. If that's the case, a 10% germ rate is considered lucky. Most if not all will not germ or acts weird/mutated/stunted.

Seed storage is important.
Speaking of which. I think that should also be thrown in here as, like you said, seed storage is just as important as germ techniques. I personally, keep my seeds in their pack unless it's just a baggie, then I'll place in these little jars I have that are air and light tight. Then those go inside of a large cvault or this other giant glass jar I have, again, air and light tight. Then those containers are kept in the back of my fridge. Making sure that I don't pull them out to play with or anything. If/when I add seeds, I do it with containers still in fridge if that makes sense.? Glad you brought that up as it is often overlooked I'm noticing.
 
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