I tend to let the papertowels dry out...so I just stick them in a dark coffee mug with a bit of distilled water and set that somewhere dark and warm. I ck two times a day, making sure the water isn't dry. As soon as the seed cracks, I water the cup of dirt (not overly, just the middle) I am going to use and then gently push the cracked seed in so that just a BIT of granuales are covering it. Sometimes I can even still see the shell shining through the dirt..Don't let it dry out, and don't let it sit in water...usually emerges within two days...Hope that helps! My apologies what happened to your friend. :jointsmile: Bree