Quote:
Originally Posted by murihikukid
Hi...Having grown tomatoes for 4 seasons...this season is the first time I have germinated seeds on damp paper towel...checking them every day ...hopefully I am starting to understand seeds but still have a lot to learn...I have always been told that seeds will "feed" themselves for the first 2 -3 weeks.... I am wondering if the seed goes very depressed and flat does this mean the food supply has gone and its time to start new ones...also I notice a dark stain on the paper towel where seeds have sometimes lain..Has the seed burst?.My germinating started great using this method and then I had a lot of failures...I am not blaming the method...I could be to blame or the seeds I bought were not up to the standard I thought I was buying...Here in NZ the major garden companies have very limited varieties for sale and one has to go online and search mainly our online version of ebay for seeds ..
I would be very grateful for comment ...Thanks Ron...
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I agree with everything that Brownrex has said,but wanted to add a few more comments.
I BEG you to please read the following link,which is a preview for my seed offer,still not up.
Please read the section on seed germination.
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=45775
The seeds you describe as having depressed centers are immature seeds and few will ever germinate.
That is the fault of whoever saved seeds and packaged them for sale.
When Linda Sapp at TGS first offered seeds for the well known Black Cherry variety that was bred by her husband Vince, now deceased,the seeds that she first offered had many of those immature seeds with a depression in the center.
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Black_Cherry
Most of us were able to get a few germinated and got new plants,and when we saved our own seeds the germination was always over 90%.
I've made many seed offers,my saved seeds,for many decades, now others do the seed production for me and I source the initial seeds. I would have saved several thousands of seed for each variety, and would send the SAME seeds to all who who requested them
I always put up a germination thread just to be sure.
For the same exact seeds for a single variety the % germination for different individuals could and did range from ZERO to plus 90%.
When I asked those who got lousy germination what method they were using, it was almost all who said placing seeds on wet paper towels inside a sealed baggie.
That's why in the first link above no way would I ever suggest to anyone to use that method.
I think I mentioned in 1st link that I sow seeds directly in a good seed starting mix, and I won't go on from here unless you want me to.
Carolyn