Effect of Gravity on seedlings

Advanced Techniques
#1 
   Hola amigos!!

Recently I recommended a technique for starting seeds using gravity and vertically orientated paper towels to achieve a completely straight tap root from a seedling. Depending on your medium and grow style sometimes you need a straight tap root. This thread would be better if I was already done germinating but I don’t have any pictures so I will have to do it over the next 7 days. I will update as I go along.*

When I germinate a seed I don’t want guesswork. I like to manually be involved in each process to be able to determine what it happening and at what rate. Here is how I germinate seeds;

step1. get really stoned

step 2. I presoak my seeds in water for 12-24 hours. get stoned

step 3. I place all split seeds in a horizontal positon on the top of a wet paper towel that goes into a ziplock. get stoned

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step 4. * you must place the ziplock in a vertical positon in a warm area. * get stoned

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step 5. get stoned because we are waiting for the tap roots to grow.

step 6. prepare your medium and containers, all you will need is a pencil to place a long deep hole in the center of your cup/ pot. get stoned, place the seedling deep, just leave the leafs above ground. get a drink

When I do it this way, I can see what is going on. I don’t like to place seeds in medium and cross my fingers. I also usually start seeds in a Styrofoam cup no larger than 1 liter. I will make a separate thread one day on my method of using Styrofoam for stressless transplants.

Now, for those who don’t know, lets learn about whats going on here.

there are two forces at play, they are called Tropisms. (responses to external stimuli)

Phototropism is the growth response to LIGHT
GRAVITROPISM is the growth response to GRAVITY.

I’m not sure how in depth to go so I will leave it with that, but I if anyone wants we can talk about the role the auxins play with root direction.

-someone help,I don’t know why the boxed letters came up on the post

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:seedling: Germination Laboratory @ MadScientist :seedling:
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#2

That stuff is way to technical for me and besides, it should be about time to get stoned. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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#3

that actually is the main ingredient for the process so, you are on the right road!!!

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#4

Done my friend, that was weird huh? Computers seem to have a mind of their own nowadays!

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#5

thank you sir! :thumbsup:

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#6

At your service, anytime. :sunglasses:

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#7

So this is a good time to make some notes;

  • these seeds will be the control. We will use it against our other tests. All seeds will be green crack x querkle.

  • all seeds will be germinated using the same everything. Will will try to only change one variable per batch.

Conditions,

100% dark
Constant temp ( have to bring the thermometer home still)

Hypothesis;
The control seeds will all curve downward regardless of orientation in the absence of light.
Test seeds A. The tap root will grow straight down in the absence of light.

Seeds.

  • the control seeds were placed in random orientation in respect to the tap root.

  • test seeds A will be places with the tap root facing down.

Update.

It has been 40 hours since i placed the seeds in water to start germination.

Control

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#8

My favorite part is the science cow :laughing: Loves me a good experiment, though, so looking forward to your results.

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#9

Let’s call her “Lola” the germination cow! LOL

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#10

Guys, please send me some of the space-weed you are smoking. :alien:
Seedlings grow on the Space Station, in zero gravity.
I AM interested to see your results tho -Science! :microscope:

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#11

Yes, growing in zero g’s or low g’s is not the issue. It is the role that gravity plays in the direction of the root growth. A plant must produce hormones to move its roots if a obstacle comes in its way. If the concetrations of auxins is allowed to flow freely the roots will grow evenly and straight to a certin point. A root uses these auxins to be like a dam on flowing water, the water will always will look for a alternative route. When a obstacle is found the auxin concentration will be focused causing the root to grow faster on one side than the other thus changing direction.

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#12

You wouldn’t want what i got… HAHAHA!

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#13

Update. Been a min since I started this. Time to follow up. The point here is that transplanting seedings can be make better. Straight tap root.

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#14

You can see how the auxin’s move the root. When the root tip encounters a obstacle auxins will develop causing elongation on one side, thus, deviating the root to be able to continue down.

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#15

Smallest six month old plant I’ve ever seen, and largest seedling I’ve ever seen at the same time. There’s gotta be an award for that :joy:

This is definitely best practices for older seeds, that may have less energy to devote to random growth.

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#16

Hahahahahahaha. I kinda forgot about this thread

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#17

You got stoned @Viva_Mexico :joy:

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#18

I use gravity to germinate seeds too @Viva_Mexico, maybe we are onto something here… :wink:

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