seeds noob seed germination question

[Dot Com]

I put some jalapeno seeds in a bag w/ a damp paper towel. After @ a couple of weeks I decided to take a few and put them in soil, because none had sprouted yet, to see if this would help. Its only been @ 2 days now.

My question is this:

Is it possible for seeds to get water-logged & be unable to germinate because my paper towel may have been a little too wet?

 

[AlabamaJack]

could be or the seeds just might not be viable...I would expect jalapeno seeds to germinate and sprout using the baggie method within a few days if you keep the temperature right...~80-86F...

 

[megamoo]

I put some jalapeno seeds in a bag w/ a damp paper towel. After @ a couple of weeks I decided to take a few and put them in soil, because none had sprouted yet, to see if this would help. Its only been @ 2 days now.

My question is this:

Is it possible for seeds to get water-logged & be unable to germinate because my paper towel may have been a little too wet?

Yes absolutely it is possible. I have rotted many seeds in soil and the plastic bag method. Seeds need water and air in the right amounts to germinate. The point of using the wet paper towel is to make as much water available to the seed as it needs, but not to drown it. You just have to get the inital watering right so that the paper towel is damp but not drowning.

I found that a bigger problem than too much water was the seeds getting mouldy. I didn't wash my hands before putting them in the bag. It's an easy mistake to make but I'm going to be careful next time.

 

[Dot Com]

+2 for the helpful info. I may have to get some more jal seeds. That shouldn't be a prob.

AJ: I'm sure the temp of the bag was under 75 degrees too. Not good.

megamoo: I know I put my hands in there @ 5 times w/o washing them first too and @ 1/4 of the seeds had turned black.

 

[mega]

Seeds will germinate at 75 degrees, but much more slowly than at the optimal 82-83. The real question is if the temperature might've been even lower, like down at 69-70 (room temperature for most). At room temperature, germination rates will fall off a cliff, and germination times will be exceedingly long. That might well be the source of the problem.

 

[Dot Com]

Seeds will germinate at 75 degrees, but much more slowly than at the optimal 82-83. The real question is if the temperature might've been even lower, like down at 69-70 (room temperature for most). At room temperature, germination rates will fall off a cliff, and germination times will be exceedingly long. That might well be the source of the problem.

My thermostat is only set at 70-72. That prolly did it.

 

[AlabamaJack]

check post 5 in the linked thread...specifically has to do with Jalapenos...

http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/19278-seed-germination/page__p__408496__hl__%22germination+percent%22__fromsearch__1#entry408496

 

[Dot Com]

check post 5 in the linked thread...specifically has to do with Jalapenos...

http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/19278-seed-germination/page__p__408496__hl__%22germination+percent%22__fromsearch__1#entry408496

Thanks AJ

I decided to get some new seeds and germinate them directly in the dirt under 3/8ths inch as you indicated. I also have the temp up to @ 85.

I got some more jalapeño &, for the first time, serrano pepper seeds to germinate :-). I'm thinking < a week and they should break the surface given the seeds aren't water-logged this time & I'm controlling the temp this time.

 

[AlabamaJack]

yw DC

I was going to start another thread just now, but I saw yours and it has specifically to do with germinating seeds...so if you don't mind, I will just post it here...

My germination percentages so far this year have not been as high as they were the last two years...after reearching and reading to find answers to questions that have been posed by some of the members here, I read something and the realization hit me like a ton of bricks...I was not planting deep enough...

Keeping the soil temperature up in the 80s dries out the starting medium fast...if I don't keep an eye on the trays, some of them dry out...they dry from the top down...so I theorize that my seeds were drying out....

Drying out seeds once the germination process starts inhibits/stops the process...that is a fact.

Lesson learned...plant seeds at LEAST 3/8" deep and probably 1/2" would be better if you don't get a chance to watch your trays pretty closely...

 

[hot stuff]

From what I've read you want you plant your seed 3x deep the size of your seeds.

 

[Dot Com]

I found this out quick ystrdy when I placed some newly removed seeds from a fresh pod onto a tray in my house. Within 6 hrs they almost disappeared because of lack of moisture.

 

[Dot Com]

I found this out quick ystrdy when I placed some newly removed seeds from a fresh pod onto a tray in my house. Within 6 hrs they almost disappeared because of lack of moisture.

Here's a pic to give you an idea of what I meant. You can imagine how big and moist the seeds are once they come out of the pod. Look at them now, They're barely 1/2 their orig. size. Are they still good?

​

 

[Shoontok]

Here's a pic of some seeds I put on my desk and what they look like after only one day exposed to the air. Serrano on the left and jalapeno on the right. Are they still good?

​

By the looks of those seeds they dont look to good to me. The seeds are supposed to be an off white/yellowish color to be healthy seeds.

If the seeds are darker in color like brownish or something like that, they probably wont germinate.

 

[millworkman]

If the pod they came from was ripe when picked, then they should be good still. Never give up on seeds... http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/18353-never-give-up-on-seeds/page__p__389113__fromsearch__1#entry389113

 

[Dot Com]

If the pod they came from was ripe when picked, then they should be good still. Never give up on seeds... http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/18353-never-give-up-on-seeds/page__p__389113__fromsearch__1#entry389113

Thanks. Yeah. I didn't do anything to them. I bought two chilies at the market, opened them up and sowed a few, and the rest I put on this lid on top of my desk. I haven't planted fresh seeds from a pod directly to dirt w/o germinating in a bag first. I'll see what happens. These seeds were left over and I wanted to see how they would do just being out in the air.