A customer has a question or concerns and I hope we can get some opinions on it, thanks
“Hello, I get many conflicting infos. Here’s one I hope you can help me with. Keeping the seeds in water before into the soil. Your email on how-to says 24 hours then into soil. Then on your ‘help page’, if seeds don’t germinate, the solution, you say ‘until the tap root sprouts’ - a few days! I thought too long in the water and they’ll get ‘water-logged’? I’ve been successful for a few years. This last order, I chose the two smallest seeds, 24 hrs or so in water, then into the soil. No tap root appeared, but a little white was showing or so it seems - an illusion of hopefulness!? LoLs! Anyway, that’s the ‘difference’ I see in your directions. Either way or or, the seeds will eventually ‘rise’ keeping the pot warm on mat and just a little water for moisture, or Nature wouldn’t exist, would it, if it needed us around!! Of the two seeds I planted in soil after 24 in water one is starting to pop out and I do expect the other will also later today or tomorrow. Both planted without the root showing, but after 24 in water. I was just pointing out to you that you have conflicting info on how long to keep the seeds in water BEFORE planting them in soil - one place you say 24 hrs evidently long enough, then in another place, the Help area of site, it says to wait till the tap root shows. Just saying…but I thought seeds got water-logged if kept too long in water. Is that true? But thanks for the concern if they don’t ‘pop’ after in soil too. May be hard to dig out, find, to send back! LoLs!”
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I personally don’t germinate my seeds I just bury them and hope for the best. If you are getting different answers, make sure the info is from same people. The way I undersrand is to put in water on a heat mat or alot of people use their cabe box. 24 hrs or so remove and place in dirt. You can also place in a folded moist paper town until the seed cracks and tap root is showing then plant tap root down. The problem is their is no right or wrong answer just different ways that people find works better for them
This is the ILGM recommended method
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Soaking seeds helps soften the protective shell allowing the sprout to emerge sooner. This also makes it easier for the plant to break through the shell without damaging the plant or dying off because it wasnt strong enough to break through.
This is a common practice in legume family plantings such as Bush beans etc. They are soaked for a few days to allow the shell to soften and absorb water before broadcasting in the ground.
Regarding water logged: They (seeds) can rot but I doubt that would happen before sprout.
I was having problems with northern lights germinating. I was soaking 24 hours in water then in a paper towel with low heat. Someone on this forum told me to try one drop of hydrogen peroxide to the cup of water. I tried it and now 2 times in a row the seeds germinated in the water. No paper towel was needed.
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Thanks to everyone who contributed to my post/question/illumination on “Seeds in the Water”! I was just pointing out the different instructions given on the site. After trial and error and more info then available years ago: seeds in room temp water for 24, maybe 25,6 max, then planted in loose soil on a heating pad (hardly mentioned) with close fluorescent. When they pop and grow, a little wind (hardly mentioned) from a fan to make them strong! Later in bloom, another hardly mentioned simple trick - a little molasses in the water!! And now at 70, I’m free, no longer an enemy of the state, thanks to the folks of USA MA! Well that’s getting them started, now when the hell do you 'pick ‘em’!!?? 8 weeks 9, 12!? When the hairs turn dark and shrivel up. No, check the pistils that you can’t see, to see if they changed to a color you can’t tell! Or just take a wild guess around that time!
When they look something like that.
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I just let mine go til yellow leaves around October
I place my seeds in water 24 hour till the crack open them I place them in paper towel that’s moist for another 24 hour until they have a tap root at least 1/4 long
They place seed in soil tap root down be gentle not to hurt tap root
This has work 100% for me using IGLM seeds and about 85-90% with other seeds
With no tap root present when planted it can take days before you see anything
Just mist soil and keep top layer moist once planted
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