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seeds My first germination test!

compmodder26

compmodder26

So just wanted to share my excitement with you guys. I'm as green as it gets when it comes to growing anything from seed. I've never done it before. In January I plan to grow 5 varieties of peppers with 10 total plants. I thought it would be a good idea to perform a test before I got down to serious business in January. So I decided to test germinate a few bhut jolokia seeds and some Pi 1441654 seeds. The hottest place in my house is inside my desk where I have an old computer that is used as a file/print server. It has a door so the only ventilation is through the back where a 5"x2" hole is for the wires. I haven't put a thermometer in there to actually see how hot it gets but I can definitely tell it is warmer than room temperature. So I decided to test out the paper towel in the baggie method. I did this on Friday afternoon. I checked just a few minutes ago and 3/5 Pi 1441654 have hooks already. 0/5 bhut jolokias have hooks, but I didn't expect them to germinate in 3 days. So only time will tell if the bhuts like it.

Pretty happy though to get hooks in only 3 days.

:woohoo:
 
Ugg after second glance, it appears that the Pi 1441654 baggie is developing mildew (smell and a bit of black on one of the seeds and surrounding towel. So I've done up another baggie that I've pre-treated the seeds with a hydrogen peroxide solution. So we'll see if this keeps any mold from forming.
 
Hehe, scratch that bhut jolokia count in the first post. 1/5 have germinated in 3 days! Woohoo :woohoo: ! I was under the impression that bhuts take a long time to germinate. This method/location looks very promising. Wondering how my HP test will do now.
 
I had to throw out the Pi 1441654 baggie as all the hooks were covered in mold this morning. I looked at the bhuts that weren't treated in peroxide and noticed some mold forming on the towel, not near the seeds (yet). No new hooks for the bhuts.

So I have one question, is it okay to soak the whole paper towel in the hydrogen peroxide solution to keep mold from growing? Or would that be detrimental to the seeds?
 
I have had no luck with rhe paper towel method (just me as I know it works for others) I take a solo cup with lots of holes in the bottom fill with soil and plant a couple seeds in each cup, and leave then by a window and behind my plasma TV. And I have had 90% success!
 
spongey600 said:
I have had no luck with rhe paper towel method (just me as I know it works for others) I take a solo cup with lots of holes in the bottom fill with soil and plant a couple seeds in each cup, and leave then by a window and behind my plasma TV. And I have had 90% success!
Click to expand...

I seem to be having excellent success in germinating. I just need to be able to combat the mold. So I guess there's not better way for me to find out if I can germ in a HP soaked towel than to try it out for myself eh? Gonna set up another baggie right now.
 
like you i'm new to starting peppers from seed tho i have started all kinds of vegetables from seed over the years. my guess (and that's all it is) is that the mold is due to poor air circulation in the desk drawer.

do you intend to plant the seeds that germinate and grow them over the winter? i did this after a germ test in late september and have a thread of the progress you may find interesting. my link
 
These particular ones I'm doing now I don't intend to plant. I just want to test this germination method before I start in January. The ones I do in january I intend to plant. Right now it's pretty much trial and error. I'll definitely keep tabs on your thread too.
 
if i had those i would try planting them
even if just to see if they will go with the
stinky black crap on there with them

when you start your 'precious' they might (will) have
lots of different smelling and colored other
crap to grow through also

good growing
 
nitwit said:
if i had those i would try planting them
even if just to see if they will go with the
stinky black crap on there with them

when you start your 'precious' they might (will) have
lots of different smelling and colored other
crap to grow through also

good growing
Click to expand...

You do make a good point.
 
Just a little update. The seeds I pre-soaked with the HP solution are germinating nicely and there is no evidence of mold. The seeds that are in the HP solution soaked paper towel aren't doing as well. There is only 1/5 that germinated so far and it looks like it has just begun. So we'll see how successful it is in the next couple of days.

So far it looks like the winning method will be to pre-soak the seeds in the HP solution before placing in the paper towel.
 
Why not soak in the diluted HP then directly plant into the seed medium?
I go one step futher, a one hour soak in the HP, then a 12 hr soak in PN (Potassium Nitrate), a good rinse under warm water. The seeds get planted in a seed starting mix, I do add extra vermiculite to the medium. Flats are placed on themostat/heated germinating mats. Last year 90+ % germination. I'll do the same this year...

Greg
 
When i started growing, only 2-seasons ago, I began w/ the paper towel method and had some success. The downside was that when moving them from a pretty much hydroponic set-up like that do dirt, some don't survive from the shock IMHO. I think it may also depend on the seed type too. Some varieties can be quite frail & don't survive the transplant. I have since gone to warm dirt method, like nitwit mentioned, for the most part. I place seeds in dirt near a heat source to reach @ 83 degrees +/- as others here have indicated is an optimal temp. for most chiles. I also use a cover to keep most of the moisture inside the pot. That way, when they do sprout, there won't be any need to move them from one medium to another.
 
PIC 1 said:
Why not soak in the diluted HP then directly plant into the seed medium?
I go one step futher, a one hour soak in the HP, then a 12 hr soak in PN (Potassium Nitrate), a good rinse under warm water. The seeds get planted in a seed starting mix, I do add extra vermiculite to the medium. Flats are placed on themostat/heated germinating mats. Last year 90+ % germination. I'll do the same this year...

Greg
Click to expand...

I have not ruled that one out yet. I'll be creating a seedling grow station in the next few weeks. Once I figure out how hot it gets inside there, I may just decide to do what you suggested and plant directly into seed starting medium and let them germinate in there.

I wanted to test the paper towel in the baggie method because that method allows me to germinate the most seeds in the smallest amount of space. The warmest place in my house is in the cabinet of my desk that houses my home file/print server. There isn't much room for trays of seeds, but plenty of room for baggies. I'd rather not buy a propagation mat as I want to keep initial costs low, so my wife doesn't kill me :lol:
 
compmodder26 said:
I have not ruled that one out yet. I'll be creating a seedling grow station in the next few weeks. Once I figure out how hot it gets inside there, I may just decide to do what you suggested and plant directly into seed starting medium and let them germinate in there.

I wanted to test the paper towel in the baggie method because that method allows me to germinate the most seeds in the smallest amount of space. The warmest place in my house is in the cabinet of my desk that houses my home file/print server. There isn't much room for trays of seeds, but plenty of room for baggies. I'd rather not buy a propagation mat as I want to keep initial costs low, so my wife doesn't kill me :lol:
Click to expand...

Haha,......It'll be 30yrs married next June for me, good times. This is just one of many hobbies I have, that she has to put up with. I usually get the "look" from her during the Springtime when the truck dumps a few yards of "garden mix" in my driveway. "More Dirt?"....not dirt, soil....and yes,.....I had to pay for it.......... :lol:

Good luck with your testing

Greg
 
Alright well the HP soaked towel now seems to be viable as well. I have 3/5 seeds germinated in it and the hooks look very healthy with very tiny little root shoots already coming out of them. The seeds pre-soaked with HP solution did not have near as many root shoots coming out.

I realize that I'm only working with a 60% germ rate which for most people is considered low. However, since I'm starting very small for my first time, I can afford that low of a germ rate. Once I get my seedling grow box built I'll see how warm it gets in there, but if it doesn't stay constantly around 80 I think I'll be using the HP solution soaked paper towel method to germinate.
 
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