Starting seeds the Cuban way

[Greenstar]

Can't really see the point... Unrolling would surely increase the chance of damaging the tap root ?

Fresh seeds will pop with little effort with a bit of water and warmth...

Very true. Any method to start seeds besides directly planting into soil increases any chances of tap root damage and fungal infections. I only use the Cuban to split seeds. As soon as I see they have split I plant em not letting the tap root come out.

 

its a good method for older beans.

and a lil extra love and effort cant hurt.. nice.

As G1 said its a good method for older beans as well. Especially if you buy a not so popular strain from a bank and cant be sure how long they've been sitting around. Example, I bought 5 Shiva Skunk seeds from Attitude. I direct planted 2 of the beans and waited, nothing. Had a dig, beans still there but not germed. Decided to use the Cuban. 4 days later 2 seeds split and 1 nothing. The 2 in the soil and 1 in the Cuban never germed, I reckon theyed been sitting a while. If anything I could have saved myself a couple of weeks by using the Cuban from the start.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Greenstar

[Sir PsychoHashy]

So I gave it a crack (pun intended) with 2 beans, took 72hrs for them to just crack open.

 

Quite often I'd expect to see that happen between 24-48hrs, but it's still within a normal timeframe, and the other beans of the same strain I did earlier with my usual method were also about a day or so slower than the rest to break the surface, so no advantage or disadvantage timewise, but there's a chance the movement from paper to coco after cracking may slow things slightly.  I'll do a time comparison when they break the surface.

 

So in this case I might as well have done my normal thing.  But I agree with the above that for a batch that's struggling to germinate it could be a better idea.

 

Other problem I found was that after 3 days a couple of mould spots were just starting to appear on the paper towel, so the beans were going to have to be moved anyway.  So next time I do it I'll take a bit more time and care with prep.  I usually give them an hour in 3% H202 solution before a soak for 12 hrs in distilled water with just enough H2O2 to bring the PH down to 6.0.  So next time I'll soak the paper towel in that soak solution at the start to help hold off any pathogens etc.

[Greenstar]

So I gave it a crack (pun intended) with 2 beans, took 72hrs for them to just crack open.

 

Quite often I'd expect to see that happen between 24-48hrs, but it's still within a normal timeframe, and the other beans of the same strain I did earlier with my usual method were also about a day or so slower than the rest to break the surface, so no advantage or disadvantage timewise, but there's a chance the movement from paper to coco after cracking may slow things slightly. I'll do a time comparison when they break the surface.

 

So in this case I might as well have done my normal thing. But I agree with the above that for a batch that's struggling to germinate it could be a better idea.

 

Other problem I found was that after 3 days a couple of mould spots were just starting to appear on the paper towel, so the beans were going to have to be moved anyway. So next time I do it I'll take a bit more time and care with prep. I usually give them an hour in 3% H202 solution before a soak for 12 hrs in distilled water with just enough H2O2 to bring the PH down to 6.0. So next time I'll soak the paper towel in that soak solution at the start to help hold off any pathogens etc.

Hey SPH glad to hear you gave it a crack . H2O2 sounds like a good idea, on my bucket list for sure. Weather or not the Cuban makes a difference to the time it takes to crack seeds compared to other methods is debatable. I'm glad to see you've taken the time to do comparisons and are still keen to try it with H2O2 as well even after mould spotting. I don't think the Cuban will change the world of germination but it's certainly a refreshing, novel method worth giving a go. Thanks for the feed back mate Edited January 17, 2016 by Greenstar

[Sir PsychoHashy]

No worries Greenie, the idea certainly has it's merits and I will use it again at some point.  My only problem is the handling of the bean after it cracks open, if done carefully it's usually not a problem, but it is still a risk, which is why I've taken to a quick soak then into the chosen medium before they start to crack open these days, which I then fuck up by being impatient and digging about to check instead of being patient half the time

[Gumby1]

haha try leaving them a coupla days longer hashy.

 

the tap roots are not as squishy an weak as people think.

 

i have left beans in wet paper towels untill they have totally popped out of the shell an started growing.

. at this point you can simply pick them up an plant them in soil or what ever medium your working with.

 

its a good idea to change paper towel every four or five days to avoid mold or fungus tho.

 

as long as you keep checking them everyday making sure everything is alright(not too wet not too dry) they will pop an grow in the towels.

[Sir PsychoHashy]

But I needs to know.

[MediKat]

Thanks, this methods just worked on a single seed to try. Thumbs up

[Sir PsychoHashy]

So the 2 I did have taken maybe 12hrs longer to break the surface than the same beans done with a 12hr soak and straight into coco.  In the grand scheme of things that's nothing, so this method will have some use in my future, but will not be my main method.

[Greenstar]

Thanks, this methods just worked on a single seed to try. Thumbs up

Thanks katton I'm glad you gave it a go can I ask what other methods do you use or what's your main method? How did the Cuban compare?

 

So the 2 I did have taken maybe 12hrs longer to break the surface than the same beans done with a 12hr soak and straight into coco.  In the grand scheme of things that's nothing, so this method will have some use in my future, but will not be my main method.

Thanks for the taking the time to do comparisons hashy It really nice to see people taking the time to try out different methods and giving good honest feedback on their experiences. I to have had good results using coco to germinate seeds. This year I used the same soil I planted into and wished I'd gone and bought a bag. Both germ and growth were slower at the start. I think this method may suite the paper towel-plate user more than any one else as its a bit of an upgraded version. Yeah it's always good to have a back up plan and at least you had a bit of fun with it cheers mate.

[MediKat]

Overnight soaker and sower normally. What i liked about it is the actual root was gunbarrel straight out of the cigar and slotted easily into medium. It helped a lot with my dodgy eyes. I will use again