seeds For those who start seeds in Ziploc bags...

[InsectMan]

Question for those who start seeds in plastic baggies, does this look too moist to you? I put them in yesterday but I've already had to blow air into them twice due to them deflating. Also, due to the heat mat, the condensation looks a bit much as well. Is this all normal and they should sprout within 7-14 days? I'll also be keeping these indoors so that's why I'm starting out a bit late haha.

 

 

[Bhuter]

I don't keep them inflated. I fold the seeds up in a paper towel, spritz it with water until completely moist, put in the bag, then just fold the bag over. I don't seal them either.

 

[InsectMan]

I don't keep them inflated. I fold the seeds up in a paper towel, spritz it with water until completely moist, put in the bag, then just fold the bag over. I don't seal them either.

Thanks for the reply! Think it would be fine if I fold them over right now?

 

[Bhuter]

I don't see why not. I guess it depends on how you fold your paper towel. I fold it so it only takes up half of the bag...that's where I fold the bag over. I don't know if they can get "too" moist...except for maybe if they're molding. But I'm constantly looking in the bags because I'm impatient. Lol. So there's enough air exchange to prevent that. Sometimes I have to re-spray the paper towel.

 

[InsectMan]

I don't see why not. I guess it depends on how you fold your paper towel. I fold it so it only takes up half of the bag...that's where I fold the bag over. I don't know if they can get "too" moist...except for maybe if they're molding. But I'm constantly looking in the bags because I'm impatient. Lol. So there's enough air exchange to prevent that. Sometimes I have to re-spray the paper towel.

Gotcha, thanks! I just put a piece of dry paper towel over them just now. The bags are deflated and they stay open a bit, but every day or so I'll blow some air into them. Probably twice a day since I'll be checking them lol. Hope they sprout within a week haha. I put seven seeds or so in each plastic bag so I'm oping for at least 2-3 seedlings of each variety.

 

[Bhuter]

Sounds great! Good luck and I hope I didn't make it too confusing.

 

[CapsaicinAddictKathryn]

  Good luck, and, yes, the setup sounds good!  You could dampen the paper towel a bit to be safe, but it'll probably soak up the condensation from the bag and become damp that way.  (Also, a lazy trick for keeping seeds warm without a heating mat, if your house isn't too cold yet - you can leave them on top of the fridge...that worked for me in a room that was in the upper-60s-to-lower-70s Fahrenheit.)
  Extra note - since I see from the labels that you're sprouting habaneros (good choice!) and scotch bonnets, don't worry too much if they don't sprout within a week, or even several weeks.  My orangeish-yellow habaneros took around three weeks to sprout at the earliest, and other seeds began to sprout after I dumped all of them into a soil tray.  (Some Thai hot chiles sprouted within a week, though, so checking on them is smart!)