Best way to start hard to pop old seeds

Advanced Techniques
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Have some seeds of some smoke my father got for 35 years I think a columbian strain of some sort have tried to start seeds numerous times and have never had any pop the guy it came from past away 10 years ago just found three seeds need suggestions on best way to start them one of the top three strains I would like to have in my garden

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Try scuffing the seed edge on a piece of sand paper or emery board then soak in water with some h2o2 and some fresh de- skinned aloe as aloe has 87 minerals for 24hrs then wet paper towel in the water solution place in a bag and keep warm around 75f on a heat mat.

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I always give the seeds a good long rinse in a metal strainer under the sink, rattling around the seeds. Then add a 1/8tsp of sugar, I use coconut sugar, and a few drops of kelp extract to a shot glass of distilled water and soak for 12hrs. Rinse with 50/50 mix of distilled water n 3% h2o2 and then place in paper towels.

That’s what helped me get better germination rates with sams ancestral skunk that was supposedly 30yrs old and known poor germ rates

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Here you can find more info about this subject … :sunglasses:

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Thanks for the tips every one SmknCanuck I am very interested to try the aloe have never heard that in 20+ years of growing will let you know how it goes

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gibberic acid works also the light sanding like mentioned above, also i have been having luck using
root riot, i put the older seed in and see what happens, a while back i was able to pop a few seeds that were over 10 years old that way, i was very surprised it worked and will do so again

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Scuff the seam especially… I actually scrape the seamed edge with a razor blade and then slice it lightly to help break the seal…

Drop into good water and stir every few hours… in the morning if not sank to the bottom already, a quick stir and it should. If not, stir it and keep check until it sinks and stays down…

Into damp, not wet, paper towel and then into a baggie, seal so paper towel doesn’t dry out… place inside oven mitt and toss on top of microwave for 2=3 days… in 3 days they should at least crack open and show tails… now usually I’d bury the seed at this point and wait…

However, with older seeds your better off watching them in the open… place back inside paper towel, dribble water onto paper towel if needed, back into baggie and into mitt…

check every 24hrs, what your hoping for is the plant will grow it’s tap root out a bit and shuck the seed shell off itself, if not, well then, at this point it’s operation, milton bradly style… haha… crack open the seed shell and pry it off the plant without damaging the little thing, then plant with head barely breaking thru the soil… walla…

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Good luck in your seed popping quest man, I’ve been dealing with the exact same problem for the past month or so. Some great advice can be found around these parts, but there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on the single best method.

Things that I think are important:

  • some form of scuffing/sanding to help moisture penetrate the hard shell
  • hygiene and anti-microbial agents (H2O2 and/or aloe)
  • gibberellic acid can help, you can get it in pure form or use kelp
  • steady temperatures!

I used to germinate in the paper towels after the initial soak, but didn’t have much luck with that method lately. Going to try direct sowing into jiffy pellets this time. If that doesn’t work, direct sow into a starting soil mix with EWC for humic/fulvic help is my last resort. I don’t want to do it because I plan on growing in coco, and soil start would make transition to coco more difficult.

Oh, also I got a few suggestions on freezing the seeds over night. Also, lunar cycles play a role:

Plant flowering bulbs , biennial and perennial flowers , and vegetables that bear crops below ground (such as onions, carrots, and potatoes) during the waning of the Moon—from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. As the moonlight decreases night by night, plants are encouraged to grow roots, tubers, and bulbs.

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I had some old I think kc brain seeds and after about 3 weeks in constantly soaked (ie a tray filled with water) rock wool and they eventually sprouted

think it was Kristal paradise

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Yeah, I am replying to myself ( :crazy_face:), but the quote I pasted above of course does not apply to our beloved plant. Cannabis is an annual flower, so this is the correct one:

Plant your annual flowers and fruit and vegetables that bear crops above ground (such as corn, tomatoes, watermelon, and zucchini) during the waxing of the Moon—from the day the Moon is new to the day it is full. As the moonlight increases night by night, plants are encouraged to grow leaves and stems.

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I SUSPECT this is true since marijuana seeds and they are annual, and I’m assuming the medium providing the support like roto rooters can supply water, and seeds germ faster in light from my research, but they were in plugs, but grow lights might dry the seed out

After all marijuana drops seeds drop from the calyx naturally when reaching after maturity, but there generally isn’t a lot of light for most seedlings

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Bravo everyone this is some damn good info!! :pray::pray::pray: