Finally got my 5 big bud seeds a few days ago and dropped them in water withing 30 minutes… it took about 12 hours for all of them to sink and at 18 hours or so i moved them to a wet paper towel set between 2 saucers then set on a bowl of water on a heating pad… temps been a constant 80 degrees…so now after 54 hours none of them are showing any signs of opening up…Ive never had a seed get to this point that it didnt start opening and I’m getting a bit worried…this is the first time i have ever ordered seeds, I’ve always saved seeds from buds that i bought so they’ve been less than a year old… Is it normal for a seed like this to take this long and how long should i wait and not see any progress before giving up on them.?
Maybe the heating pad has something to do with it. I drop mine in water for a day, then normally they have cracked open. Then I either put them in rapid rooters or right in the coco I grow in
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I drop seeds in water, wait a day or two until I see the seed has cracked and the tap root is about to stick it’s nose out, then it goes straight into whatever pot I’ll be using to the end.
Only had one failure, it grew a root about 1/2 long and then died because for some reason the root decided to go horizontal instead of into the dirt. No biggie, these things happen
this has always worked for me before…to varying degrees at least as soon as a seed showed signs of cracking open i placed them in a wet paper towel but zero out of 5 are showing signs of doin anything…I put them back in water this morning i"ll try that again before i give up…on a brighter note i emailed ilgm yesterday and this morning i had a reply saying they would resend more seeds…thats about the best i could hope for but its getting really late in the season here…I’m pretty much locked down here at home and didnt acquire and seeds over the winter…I got so desperate that i threw caution to the wind and went ahead and ordered seeds which is the first time i had ever tried that
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ok its been 6 days and i soaked the seeds again 2 days ago…actually this makes 7 days and still no sign of the seeds beginning to open…and on top of that i lost one somewhere lol…anyway after this long I think i can safely say the seeds arent going to germinate 
ilgm said they were gonna ship me some more but im just wondering if its from the same batch…this is my first time with fem seeds and wondering if thats part of the problem…anyway if the next batch dont germinate I’ll just chalk it up to experience and try to go ahead and start looking for regular seeds for next year…
Next time soak for there 24 hrs then paper towel another day no heat pad needed I just put them in a dark spot I’m a bag so Customer Service has already taken care of you then ?
thats exactly what I’ve done … soaked and no heating pad…even had a fan running over the paper towel so i had to spray it ever few hours… that advice was from another seed site…ilgm said they would send more…last time took 11 days so its still several days off… i bought a gallon of distilled water today I’ll try soaking the new ones in that…what do you think about scuffing the new ones i saw a video of shaking some inside a rolled piece of sandpaper that way you dont have to get your hands on them so much…I’m desperate at this point if the next batch dont open I’m SoL this year
When I put them in a paper towel I put them in a plastic bag Ziploc shut it just make sure your paper Towels pretty wet I even sometime put a little extra water into the bag
Once you get them to crack you will be in business and we will be more than happy to help you the whole way through. Very glad that Customer Service was able to help you out and they will stand by their guarantee
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I had the same problem with my first 2 seeds. Both times I tried a variation of the paper towel method and both times failed. Reached out to ILGM they said not to worry and to circle back after I attempt all 5 seeds and they will replace the ones that didn’t sprout. They told me to just take the seed, leave it in the water 24-48 hours and bam a root. I was absolutely mind blown how leaving it in the water longer vs throwing it into a paper towel is what did it for me. PH balanced water, a shot glass, a dark mid 70’s temp closet and about 30 hours later she popped open. Hope you fix your problem!!!
I would avoid sand paper scuff as absolute LAST resort. Any sudden trauma to the seedling could be detrimental to growth. IMHO just not worth the risk. But that’s me 
I know it sucks, I was just there not too long ago, but patience and focusing on the little things and now I’m on early Veg day I think 17 or so from sprout (have to check my journal). And She’s sprouting up and happy as can be! Take this time that it’s not growing to do more research of the grow, stages, your strain specific, soil specific etc etc and ensure you have it all down pat. I’ve learned and changed multiple things just since the start of seed pop. Stuff comes at you fast be prepared and share your knowledge here! It’s an endless ocean of knowledgeable and experienced people here all willing to help you. Just put in the time and effort and it will pay off 
Happy Growing.
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I’ve got 2 ak 47’s that might make it i used the method you mentioned for the simple reason that im afraid the cat might knock something over…those in the plastic bag were soaked overnight then within 24 hours in a paper towel the seeds had a taproot showing…my mother has always swore by planting her gardens by the signs on the calender and they were right that day and the next…I had 5 ak-47 and 3 free hindu kush seeds and all popped a taproot …unfortuntely i think i should have waited another day or so plus the fact she talked me into dropping some of the seeds into the 5 gallon planter…those 6 all died the 2 i have now i started in a plastic cup…live and learn i guess…
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Once you see taproot plant! Don’t wait. They are ready to go in soil or whatever medium you decide to use.
Nor sure if I misread what you said but it sounds like you put multiple seeds in one 5 gal planter?? 1 seed per pot! Most use solo cup method for germination after signs of taproot, then dome it, spritz with water, and transplant as needed up to 3 gal-5 gal pending what kind of strains your growing, auto flower, fem, etc etc. Do A lot of thumbing on topics of the early stages of growing so you fully grasp what’s coming up. The early stages fly at you in lighting speed. The more you understand the easier hope that helps!
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If you’re afraid the cats going to knock it over but your cup with your beans in the cabinet they will definitely pop if you just leave them in the water as @FNG101v2 said
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yeah it was one seed per pot i just meant that i bypassed the starter cup… some say go straight to whatever its permanent containers gonna be others say use a small container to get it goin…I prefer the small cup because to me its easier to control the moisture and move around outside or bring in if its storming etc etc…and hogmaster you should meet my cat lol j/k…its me as well …im getting clumsy in my old age…
but as far as a taproot wont the lenght of that matter as to the depth you plant it? I think i planted those too deep but thats all on me…I’m worried that none of those seeds even cracked open and I’m afraid if my next batch is from the same bunch I’ll have the same problem… I guess only time will tell but i do appreciate the advice…
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Got it! Now I’m following along.
I personally went straight to large container, that was personal preference and worked for me (most suggest against and choose solo cup/ dome method).
Legth of tap root IMO doesn’t matter, I’ve read as soon as you see that puppy start popping out place it in the soil. 2-3 times the length of the seed under the soil. DO NOT PACK IT DOWN. Very gently pat it closed, little sprinkles of water, let her do her thing. Don’t drown her.
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When I see white taproot at all it goes in dirt I had one with a quarter inch tail had one with the 16th inch sticking out and I have it under a CFL into different medium (soil‘s)
24 hrs till there out a few days
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And to add to your depth I just use a pencil and just to barely cover it make a little hole barely cover it done
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