I have an interesting situation … I’m trying to germinate my seeds in zone 7 in october . I’ve had always used a shot-glass full of water to start germination. My seeds always pop within 1 - 3 days and tap-root is an inch long, no paper towel needed. I grow in water . Normally in the warmer month all goes like I just explained. Now the situation, it’s october in zone 7 and my method is not working.Seeds go in the shot-glass as always, heating pad with controller set to 79, but the only float for less then a day and to the bottom they go with no tap-root yet. So I on the same heat set-up place the seeds in a moist paper towel on a plate to continue. They popped a very small tap-root and in some cases it curled around the seed and died shortly after .This happened to 10 seeds ( 2 different kinds) . So I took the next 2 seeds and when they popped a very small tap-root I moved them right to dirt. At first the root grew and pushed the seeds up and out of the dirt ( I quickly covered the back up with more dirt). They kept doing this for the first 3 days with the seed still firmly attached to where there should be leaves,lol I took 2 pins and removed the seeds from the tap-roots because thats all they were at this point STILL… Now I’m back on track. My question is - do you think seeds know what time of year it is? and when germinating in off season situations could they have an negative effect on how things start ?
So zone 7 goes from california all the way to maine…are you in the colder part? How cold does it get that you require a heat pad to pop seeds? This is very strange indeed, but even in the winter I don’t use a heat pad to germinate my seeds. I still stick them in a dark kitchen cabinet, in a shot glass full of water and they typically germinate in 2-5 days depending on the cultivar and age of the seed. Even in winter I do not run heat heavy in my house, so my kitchen cabinet may be 50ish and my seeds still pop. I am not a seed expert by any means I am only speaking of my experience and have been using the shot glass method with water for almost 4 years now with little issue.
My guess would be that you got some bad seeds or some really old seeds. Are you getting them from the same source all the time? Maybe experiment a bit if you haven’t and try taking away the heating mat…you might be cooking the seeds unknowingly? I am just trying to troubleshoot as I would if this happened to me. So unless the heat mat has worked in the past with no problems, that may be where your issue is coming from. Though I do a lot of taboo stuff and it works for me. Like I often dry for 3-4 days with no hay or grass smell and wind up with fire ass bud no lies. Right now my dry room is 74.8 degrees with 41 percent humidity. People don’t understand how I still get such a great harvest and I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I live in a 900 sq. ft. house and don’t have much space so I have to do what I have to do. The best advice I can give you for your seeds is make sure you are keeping them in the fridge or something similar. Keeping seeds at room temp will significantly shorten the life of the seed. Typically 1-2 years is best you can expect out of a room temp seed, while 10 years or more is possible when your seeds are kept cold. This may also help as this creates a kind of winter to spring sensation for the seeds as they go from a cold temp to a much warmer temp. I believe it is all time and temperature just like food and anything else in the world. Until the day seeds talk or there is a ton more research out there…we will never know. I hope maybe this helps you out and Happy Growing!
That’s a really interesting situation! Seeds don’t have a direct way to ‘know’ the time of year, but they can be influenced by environmental cues like temperature and moisture. Germinating in October can be tricky, especially with cooler temps affecting your usual method. It sounds like the seeds are struggling with the conditions, which can definitely impact their growth. The fact that you’re seeing small tap-roots suggests they’re trying to sprout, but the cooler weather might be slowing things down. Keep monitoring the moisture and warmth, and it seems like you’re on the right track moving them to dirt when they show signs of life!
It sounds like you’re really navigating some challenges with your seed germination! Seeds definitely follow a natural cycle influenced by the seasons, and the cooler October temperatures might be affecting their behavior. When germinating at this time of year, they can take longer to sprout or react differently than they would in warmer months. It’s smart that you’re trying out different methods, like moving the seeds to soil once they show a small tap-root.
A bit of patience can go a long way, especially when conditions aren’t perfect. Your earlier attempts might not have had the warmth or moisture they needed to thrive. Stick with it, and I hope your current method brings better results!
Given that a change in seasons has taken place, your seeds may not react as they are expected to. It is the case that seeds do not “understand” the time of year, but they are affected by environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity which vary with time. During the cold seasons, notwithstanding the presence of a heating pad, the temperatures and the consistency in the area may not be as conducive as in spring or summer thereby affecting the chances of seed germination.
To enhance success rates of germination in off-season conditions, a humidity dome or a propagation tray might be used to assist in maintaining warmth and moisture. Moreover, a few degrees alteration of the water temperature in the shot glass can be done or a small grow light added, so as to mimic the conditions more accurately. It’s fabulous you have tried the soil for the tap roots as well!