From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Honeoye Falls New York

What is everybody view on whether to do the damp paper towel or to soak your seeds prior to planting. If you soak for how long?

5/4/2010 11:32:45 AM

Midwest

I file the edges and soak for 1hr. plain h2O then put the seeds into a baggie. I like this method.

5/4/2010 1:26:26 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

10% peroxide/water soak 2-3 hours then into Ziplocs with a folded napkin barely moistened with the same soaking solution. Hold at 85-90F.

5/4/2010 1:34:31 PM

Honeoye Falls New York

when do you plant them in the pots?

5/4/2010 2:04:38 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I stick them in one gallon pots as soon as they pop.

5/4/2010 4:43:31 PM

Pleasant Hill, Or

I file then soak in peroxide straight from the bottle for 2 hrs(it's only 3%). Then they are submerged in water for another 12-14 hrs. I started soaking longer a few years ago by accident. I forgot about some back-ups soaking until the next day. Thinking I drowned and ruined them I decided to try germination anyway. Using the Ziploc method the first started to germinate w/in 12 hrs and the longest took 24. This is the way I always do it now and have had 76/77 germinated w/in 24 hrs.

I think the harder seed coat benefits from the longer soak. It sure doesn't hurt as I have noticed germination times are reduced dramatically.

Thad

5/4/2010 6:41:05 PM

Honeoye Falls New York

if you dont have a heating mat whats a good place to put them where the temp is between 85 and 90? I dont have anything like that around here.

5/4/2010 6:50:31 PM

Pumpkintown, SC

Big A, you can use the top of a "satellite tv receiver". The temp is about right, in a pinch. It would be better and more controllable however, to build some sort of chamber, possibly out of an old styrofoam ice-chest with a low watt light bulb. Good luck, BF

5/5/2010 12:05:47 AM

Honeoye Falls New York

Thanks bf

5/5/2010 7:38:58 AM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

I put the Ziploc baggies on the top of my CPU - it works great

5/5/2010 12:28:46 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Soil temp probes, are cheap...(they work inside a baggie on top of yer cpu also)..why guess what the temp is??? Peace, Wayne

5/5/2010 10:03:39 PM