I've been soaking mine in a small vessel of water for about 24 hrs under a coffee cup, or until I see signs of the seed opening. Then I've either put them in a folded, dampened paper towel between two saucers for a couple more days, or just plant them, and let 'em rip. 90% success rate with all methods. And this is from seeds I've gotten from known strains when I bought it and like cracker jacks, find a prize in every oz. No need at this point to buy from foreign dealers. I guess I've just been lucky!!