Ok got this notice that my seeds will be arriving on Tuesday. You can only 4 plants in Virginia. Like I said, I’m experienced gardener but first time growing marijuana. So, I’ve read a lot of stuff on here but I got one major topic/concern/question….whatever. I don’t do paper towels, that’s out. Never germinate in water either but that makes sense. So, I read 72 hours, and 4 days. One website said up to days! So at what point do I say enough! Put the seeds in soil, photo them, send to ILGM and say I want my money back! Lol. Please advise!!!
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Most seeds pop up in less than 5 days. A few will take 10, anything past that the percentage of failure is higher.
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I soak for 24 hrs and then plant it in damp (not soaked) soil.
Others soak them longer waiting for the seed to crack and see a tail (root)
ILGMs guide is good. Many follow it with good success.
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Is it something personal about paper towels? What works best for me is soak for 24 in h2o with a little peroxide. Then, you know what is coming, to damp paper towel between two plates. heavy light proof plates or better yet, put everything in a paper bag on top of the satellite / cable box. When the seeds are soaking, I also put the container in a paper bag and put it on the cable box. It provides the perfect temp. When the tails are developed into the starter pot.
Some advocate direct into the pot.
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Thanks. I just read this post for “Flying High”, that got my attention. He flat out said that prolonged soaking will drown seeds. He suggests 24 hours with an distilled H2O and H2O2 soaking medium. Then lay on peat moss pellets. I like the idea of this. 5 to 10 days just doesn’t seem the way nature would have intended it. And of course I’ve read and watch the videos. There is conflicting information there as well.
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prolonged soaking will drown just about ANYthing 
they say no more than 36hrs here (Bergman, he’s been doing it for a few minutes or so 
) They also, would RIGHTFULLY be in a position to deny refund/replacement if you don’t at least follow THEIR instructions/suggestions for THEIR seeds you’re expecting them to guarantee? Not trying to be a D* but i’m sure it comes across that way, i just speak a little blunt, lol. Good luck with your grow, obviously a Virginian too And you’re at a WONDERFUL place for asking questions from a multitude of experts, documented grow journals, Bergman’s Grow “bible” , and a wealth of knowledge/information residing in the forums. Welcome to the site/forum by the way also.
EDIT* the BIGGEST thing i’ve taken away from all of this thus far, is to BACK OFF of thinking/over-thinking it it IS a weed afterall and in nature, without us, would do it’s thing with no supplements/nutrients added artificially Since backing off mine and only adding when i see it may be showing signs (of needing water, or lighter color leaves change i give the N heavy nutrient, then alternate with VEG nutrient/cal-mag, back and forth) and when to defol it when so bushy i can’t hardly water without possibly damaging something and i can’t see the soil beneath too well so it CAN’T be drying out as well/evenly with the rest, etc
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Then you’ll learn more interesting stuff (i crash coursed with mine to try different methods/results) like LST, super-cropping and lollipop trimming, etc, HST, main-lining and a plethora of tactics/techniques to improve overall health/yield throughout the entire grow cycle. Here’s a link to my journal. Read it if you like (or not, lol). Been a wild ride and although just a couple months now, SEEMS like FOR-evahhh! 
still have the whole flowering process to get through, THEN, the fun task of ♪ trim triminy trim triminy trim-trim-thetree ♫
^^ learned LOTS here since joining in May, such as mine AREN’T autoflowering, so wrong topic thread section (D’oh!! ), and about lighting, cooling/rh, etc etc, pH and PPM, all the things that may or may not matter to an individual grower (indoor or out)
Patience is key to germination. I have my best luck placing directly in the moist medium. No soak. No paper towels. Circle up, pointy down.
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I have 2” rockwool cubes. I soak the cube in 6.0 ph water for 1 hour, then set it on a wire rack to dry for 10 minutes. It’s pretty damp still by then. The soak phase is where you’d add your stimulants - root powder or solution, Great White, CloneX, whatever your pref. I haven’t done that yet, just plain old ph’d tap water so far. I had to get a chopstick and make my own hole because the pre-cut hole is too deep (nearly 1.5” down). I like my seeds around 1/2” deep. Then just drop the seed in your rockwool, place it under a dome if you’ve got it, place a heat mat under the dome if you’ve got one, and turn off the lights. Forget about it for 24 to 48 hours, then come peep in on the progress.
That’s my Gelato auto about 36 hours after dropping it into the rockwool.
What budz said. Straight in to moist soil in a solo cup with holes punched in the bottom. I put a ziplock sandwich bag over to help keep the soil moist. Works every single time.
Hey, I like your method. Never used rock wood before, coming tomorrow from Amazon. 24 to 48 hr….so if nothing happens by then, place in medium anyway….right? I got great white too. Gonna add when soaking rock wood. Anything else? Oh, I plan to move outside when ready. I’m pretty good with soil. I’m using worm castings. No one here has mentioned it, but I use in my garden….great stuff.
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I like that too but I do favor a pre soak. Just makes sense to soften up the seeds.
Ok Virginian, this ain’t about money, lol. Anyway, how you doing and thanks for the reply. Yeah I live here now but I call Seattle home. I do need some help here, if not just to bounce some ideas around. Once I get the seeds to pop I’m good to go. I’m an expert gardener. Got on now an it’s awesome. I use worm castings all the time. Haven’t seen it mentioned here but I love the stuff.
One question for you. Lighting….only use lighting when the seeds are in the soil. Right? Once I grow leaves and strong enough I’m moving them outside on my deck. Got a roller bench there to manipulate sun exposure . So put under light when in soil….yes/ no…lol
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Fellow Virginian too!!! I didn’t see if you ordered auto or photo (I’m a newbie) but wouldn’t it be too late in the season for photo?
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I would get them going under a light and as most here would suggest a dome (cut off plastic water bottle is what i use) for 10-14 days at 30" or so under the light (and i’ve got mine dimmed to 75% power , depending on output of your light, don’t burn her up!! ). I like the roller bench to utilize full sun potential all day idea, awesome! In my outdoor raised planter box i built and have some in, i used Pro-MIX BX with mycorrhizae and worm castings, and compost/manure all blended to get them going and they TOOK off I’m using worm castings in some compost tea i’m brewing at the moment now too
Following along in your progression, and again welcome to the forums
QUITE late to start them outside for TOTAL outside grow. they’d be short and immature in size compared to if they had the full veg season like some have but they’d still bud and at least you’d have SOMEthing Could also , once developed 2nd or 3rd node set inside under light, put them out for few weeks and low stress train them to be short and bush and then bring them BACK inside and veg them til mature and flip’em to flower inside finishing it as inside grow
Yeah, I don’t presoak my seeds, just be sure to soak the rockwool before you use it - it’s naturally really alkaline so if it doesn’t get pre-treated It’ll murder your seeds.
I got feminized seeds. I’m in southern Virginia and I’m going to grow outside as long as I can. I got 2 nice growth lights and my room is mirrored, use to be a workout room, but don’t plan on setting that up until late September.
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You know I’m having second thoughts about rock wood anyway. Never use the stuff. I got little round cardboard seed planter. I’m going to pre soak them in a solution with nutes….great white, some worm castings, bit coco and organic potting soil. I got some other ideas about technique I’ll share at a later date….if it works. I think it willl…it’s logical!
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I purchased a dome setup and will use a ceramic heater or hot plate to provide alittle warmt. You don’t need light until it breaks the sow. That way in nature. I don’t see the point of lighting a seed under soil….that does not compute! Lol
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