Do you have to soak them in water before you plant them, or will they just grow if u plant the seeds?
Printable View
Do you have to soak them in water before you plant them, or will they just grow if u plant the seeds?
no you dont have to but its a good idea to.... you dont wanna plant a seed and just sit there and hope it sprouts....well you could i guess but why not just germinate so you know it already sprouted.....:thumbsup:
The idea behind soaking them is to soften the outer shell.
It's best to germinate them using the paper towel method and planting them when you have a tap root that is about 3/4" long. You plant them with the tap root down to the depth about equal to the first joint of your index finger. Then gently cover it with the top soil and sprits with water to moist the dirt.
Happy growing :)
yes i would agree it's not a def needed thing but it's better off cause you know that the plants are viable and that th root in going in the right direction after you plant it, plus i'm impatient and the extra 4-5 days it may take for it to grow if i just plant it doesn't fly with me
GG23
i have always planted direct into the soil 1/4" below the surface...even direct into the outdoor garden. i believe in the less the seed is handled the better especially when they're in seedling stage. paper towels, glasses of water, etc only adds another unnecessary step and adds nothing to the outcome.
Alright thanks all. Youve been a great help. I didnt germinate my needs this time, but I put ten seeds in the pot only wanting 1 harvest out of it. So I'll think Il be alright
Just put 1 seed per container. Otherwise they'll compete.
They're already planted. I hope they dont all die, will they?
Shoot. If you just stuck them in there today, I'd dig them back up and re-plant in cups. You have a couple days before they sprout. Just avoid handling them after you see more than 1/8" of taproot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cnorris14
wait until they have begun to develop adult leaves (like 2-3 weeks after surfacing) then gently cut around the seedlings with as thin of a knife as you have around. after cutting a complete square or circle around them gently lift them out with a spoon and place in the waiting hole at one plant/pot. this where super-thrive comes in and will help them through any stress caused by transplanting.
another way to avoid the roots getting entangled with each other is as soon as they break the surface place plastic playing cards (or whatever is thin and water-resistant laying around) and place them appx 1" from the seedlings going as deep as the pot they're in now. when developed enough they can be easily transplanted...but no matter what ya do they will need to be moved into invidual pots or very large containers if you insist on growing them together. roots from a 4 month total grow can easily get as large as basketballs so keep that in mind when beginning a grow.
Either way works but I recommend you germinating them before you plant the seeds.
just put them in the soil about a 1/4-1/2 inch down and water them. keep the soil moist for the first few days. they should all sprout after a week. works great everytime.
orange, just curious...WHY? have you tried it both ways (natural and artificial)? what are the benefits?Quote:
Originally Posted by orangeman
I just started a new grow and soaked my seeds overnight in distilled water with 4 drops of superthrive per gal. I always soak them before putting them in moist paper towels inside of plastic containers to germinate. 90% + of the time I have tap roots the next day and can put into dirt then or by the second day.
Doesn't take long to germ most seed if it's good quality seed and you soak them to soften up the shell. The superthrive will also help as the seeds soak up the water. It kind of jump starts them. By the way if the seeds are still floating by the next morning just touch them with your finger and they'll sink. At that point they're ready to germinate in paper towels or whatever your chosen method is. If they still continue to float after a long soaking you can bet they're not viable seeds. This has been my experience over the years.
You'll find that for the most part seeds and even newly sprouted taproots are not so delicate that you can't handle them. It just takes care and a light steady hand. I use a pair of jewelers tweezers to pick them up and plant them. Just don't squeeze them and it's no big deal. I've never lost a seedling yet.
Find what works well for you and don't be afraid to try new things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zandor
Zandor, this may be the first time I really disagree with you, unless your 3/4" taproot is a typo ... as fragile as the taproot is, I strongly urge no more than 1/8" - 1/4" maximum exposed ... if that is your method, I suggest you have been very lucky so far ... whatever works for ya, but newbies would be best to get them in the soil sooner, I think ... :smokin:
here's a little trick i use for that many seeds. dixie cups. just poke 4 holes that would trace a square on the bottom, then plant 1 seed in each. just wait until they are about 2 inches tall. then chose the best ones or one, and easilly transplant that dixie cup shaped soil-root mass into a larger pot.
I recommend germinating because some one who is new or some one who doesnt know what they're doing will probably be discouraged when their seeds doesnt pop up out of the soil. Since most new people who dont read think they should water their soil, but it doesnt need all that. The soil would just need a simple spraying of water until they pop up. But instead of wondering what went wrong just germinate them (and have patience!) and if the seeds are good you will see a small taproot emerge within a few days. That is the benefit.Quote:
Originally Posted by m.g.
I just plant em. They r plants after all stick em in some muck n they will grow
Yes I too think 3/4" a bit much.
Most importantly this will affect the direction you place the root, up or down. After first emerging the root does a 180, so at a venerable 3/4 of an inch it has already done the turn and needs to be planted face down, where as a brand new sprout needs to be planted with the root pointing up.
Of course as a "weed" it will likely recover from any injustice visited upon it during this process and therefore "It is all good"
Quote:
Originally Posted by the image reaper
All due respect but it's not a typo...Using teasers or some other way to pick up the sprouted seed is fine. They are delicate yes but you don't touch them and you place them gently down in a hold large enough as not to damage them.
The only reason I prefer to let the tap root grow a little longer is because of the delicate nature of the cycle of life at this point. By the time the tap root is over 1" long the shell begins to open and the cotyledon leaf starts to form. I have found that they sprout a little faster that way is all but by only a few day's. Moving them with a 1/4" tap root is just as good but I have noticed the seedling rate decline by a little bit when they were moved out of the very warm clean environment early is all.
I may be giving new growers to much credit but I hope not.
After all we are only talking about a day maybe two at most between a 1/4" tap root and a 3/4" tap root.