Old seeds

[kevins4runner]

I have some seeds that are 4-6 years old, and i am having problems germinating them. What is the best method to get em' started. I don't recall ever having this much trouble. I really liked this strain and would love to get em going. I used the paper towel method and have never had a problem, till now. Is there a better method, tricks, to increase the chances ?

[the image reaper]

not really ... keep 'em about 85 degrees, wet paper-towel in an open ziplock ... lots of 'wives-tales' abound, but no real secret tips to be had ... good luck ... :jointsmile:

[Cannabic]

you could try sticking them in a sponge and then putting the sponge inside a zip lok baggy in a warm area

[Rusty Trichome]

For my older seeds, and ones with a tough shell, I soak the seeds in MegaGrow. (gibrellic acid)
I just mix the GA and water in a spice bottle (a medicine bottle would do) and add seeds. I then wait till the seeds sink (usually, I check the next day for "sinkers") then transfer them to the wet paper towel inside a closed baggie, to continue germination. I keep the baggie closed, because at this point, drying-out will kill the seeds, and I replace the ph-adjusted water daily.

[green4money]

good shit

[twoguysupnorth]

some should still germinate anyways. maybe not as many as if they were fresh though. seeds can last for quite a while.

[cody8892000]

Well when i took 2 paper towels ontop of each other placed them on a plate and completely soaked the paper towels then turned the plate sideways to let excess water run off then i put 40 seeds on that paper towel then i did another layer of 2 papers towels ontop of the seeds and soaked it again and let the excess water run off then i put them in the same closet as my water heater (dunno if thats any significance) and i waited 2 days and already about 2 of them had about 1cm long root and 3 others were just cracked i kept watering the plate every 2 days and in a week i had about 15-20 sprouted and another week and 5-10 more cracked and i just got rid of the rest of them--------i watched a video about growing pot and the guy had ak-47 and WW and he soaked them in a cup of water until they sunk to the bottom then put then in small growing cubes

[OLDJIMMYBONES]

this works realy good from stinky

Stinky's Seedling Survival Guide

I know everyone is all big on the wet paper towel thing. I'm not.
There are a couple legitimate reasons for this.
First, to check them, you have to disturb them.
Second, that tap root can SHOOT out. It has tiny hairs on it that can get stuck to the paper towel, and it's tough to plant the sprouted seed without damaging it in this case.

I prefer to do it this way:
Take a glass test tube of the sort that good cigars come in. Put the seeds in it. Add just enough water so that they barely float, but are not covered. Put the stopper back on and lay the tube sort of diagonally on its side in a dim and slightly warm place (a cardboard box on top of your fridge is just about perfect).
The seeds should 'pop' in anywhere from 24 hours to a week, depending upon temps, seed age, and husk thickness.
When you see the tip of the taproot sticking out about 1-2 mm, it's time to plant. The taproot is white, but may have a dark tip. This is normal.

[OLDJIMMYBONES]

heres the link if you want to read the whole thing

http://boards.cannabis.com/basic-growing/127522-simple-noob-instructions-growin-da-dankness.html

[wesley willis]

i've grown 15 year old seeds. my germ rate was a bit lower (3 of 10) and i only got one female, but its a pretty nice strain.

[growbe]

Just popped seeds in soil that were 5 years old and only 50 percent germed. New seeds I get almost 100 percent. I think a lot also depends on how u store them as well. In my case, they were not stored well at all.