Seed popping comments

I do see lots of posts on cannabis forums making the unsubstantiated claims that planting directly in the desired media is “better”, without any qualifiers or proofs of such claims. Yet when I seek a cogent understanding of the best way to pop seeds, I see that the USDA suggests popping seeds in a sterile environment and then later transplanting to the final grow media, I would personally consider the scientifically-based suggestions rather than random unsubstantiated comments from non-scientific cannabis bloggers. Just my $0.02

https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/stuttgart-ar/dale-bumpers-national-rice-research-center/docs/germination-procedures/

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Believe I responded to quite a few of your questions back in the day too, eh?

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Based on the VERY sophisticated procedures in that link you posted on a hard to germ specie… me thinks folks (many who have never grown anything before) using a damp Bounty “Choose a Size” paper towel is a bit different my friend. :wink:

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Not as different as you may believe. The example in the document shows removal of the shell, which leaves the embryo fully exposed. Paper is made from wood pulp, and wood is a base component of soil. Paper comes sterile, and can be planted with the seed if one fears not being able to remove a seed that has grown into the paper fibers. It is all good… I am sure there must be a slew of online reports of failures from starting seeds in paper towels that would back up these claims, I just cannot seem to find many of those using Google despite being able to find a large population of success stories. :v:

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I have had the tap root push itself thru the paper towel. Simply tear around the root. Leave the little paper attached. The root does not care. The paper goes away and bothers nothing.

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I like to put my seeds, covered on a tray, on straight, damp goat poop or worm castings (like @JohnnyPotseed does) over a seed germinating pad. It works great. When I don’t have any fresh manure ready I use the paper towel method. I put the seeds in a damp paper towel and inside a ziplock bag then I wrap that in a dark wash cloth and put it on top of one of my small LED lights for warmth. I have only had trouble with one strain popping and that was my attempt at growing a straight C99 from @JustSumTomatoes . I tried every seed in the pack but not one popped and I know they were good seeds. I think the shell was harder than iron or something. lol It was extremely frustrating as I was really wanting to make those work out. Normally, I have zero problem germinating seeds. I’m talking dang near 100% poppage!

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I’ve run into several seed batches from various strains that seem much harder to pop than others. I made a small seed scuffing box lined with sandpaper and I put the seeds in there and gently shake it around for a few minutes before in put them into the paper towels.
Seed scuffers aren’t new tech and are easily made. I gently scuff then into a weak everclear alcohol/h202 solution to clean them and then into the presoaked paper towels. I just use my tap water which comes from a 75ft well on my property so it’s loaded with minerals. Seeds seem to like it. :wink:
here’s my seed scuffer


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I too scuff my seeds, after soaking 10m in a 10ml hypochlorous to 1 gallon of water solution to sterilize their surfaces.
I then place my seeds in a vial with a weak peroxide solution and leave them there to germinate till the tails are sometimes like an inch or more in length… I think the little seeds are pretty robust and don’t really need to be pampered, in nature they are eaten and digested before being dispersed and they still thrive. :sweat_smile::v:

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I know a feller that scuffs each and every seed. He has a pill bottle with a rolled up piece of fine sand paper coiled up in it. Swears by it, but I will stick with what I know unless it starts failing. Hehe.

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Yeah, I tend to stick to what has always worked for me too. With all the trouble I had with the BMR seeds I tried many things I don’t normally do. Scuffed them, manually cracked them, used H202, higher temps, lower temps etc… In the end went back to my old ways with the Blue Kush and bang, all but one sprung to life.

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You do not need to scarify cannabis seeds. With “normal” sowing techniques they will take care of their own and germ fine.

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carry on noobs

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Awe, cut the guy a little slack. He seems like a good ol’ boy.

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I can tell you without a doubt, he is not…

I yell at my plants until they achieve a plant erection from the punishment and then they get the hose.

THEY LOVE IT.

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Enough with the name calling, I don’t want this shit in my thread. There are many trails that lead to the same watering hole, no need to act like this because folks don’t all choose to take the same one.

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image 0.

DD, this is the latest point in time to plant your seeds, NOT when the radicle is 2" or so long.

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I appreciate that but my seedlings are doing fine man. I have never let tap roots get as long as that before. I just wanted to see the dam things after 3 packs of shit seeds and 2.5 wasted months. They are happily in their first pots now and thriving.

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I’m glad you’re over the dud seed phase it was getting boring

From what I’ve seen here you’re too good of grower to mess with that crap

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Thanks brother. I got this flaw you see, when I get my teeth into a thing I have a hard time letting go. That said, there has to be a time so here we are. This grow is going to be great, I can feel it.

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