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Location

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Petersburg, Mi

Was wondering when seeds are doing a soak, should they float or sink?

3/8/2012 9:50:13 AM

Baker City Oregon

Fold them in a wet paper towel and pour your solution over them and they won't float.

3/8/2012 12:57:56 PM

Baker City Oregon

One seed to a towel.

3/8/2012 12:58:30 PM

Piqua, Ohio

I use the same method works great

3/8/2012 1:04:33 PM

Baker City Oregon

One of the first things I learned as a horticulture student, many many moons ago, was a viable seed will sink. Non viable will float and thus should be eliminated. However with cucurbits I find exception. Probably because of the hard shell casing, almost like wood. I don't know for sure if that is the reason and I really don't care. Amelio, maybe you should soak your head first!

3/8/2012 2:06:00 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

I had 3 plants last year, all 3 produced and were viable till late Sept when I pulled them, and all 3 seeds floated.

3/8/2012 2:49:31 PM

Madera, CA

If you are in the Northern hemisphere they float, in the Southern hemisphere they sink. J/K, all of mine floated so I put them in a zip lock bag and pushed all the air out of it.

3/8/2012 6:13:05 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

I'm with Whitey on "both" points...have had viable floaters and sinkers!

3/8/2012 6:20:21 PM

Pemberton, BC

I guess I'm a stupid greenhorn as well...

I find most float but the day I throw out a good seed without applying some heat to it because it sank is the day you can call me amelio!

3/8/2012 7:42:55 PM

Rapid City, SD

never had a seed not germ for me......don't know if they float or not as i put in paper towel and soak for 3 hours or so.......for the record......guessing over 200 seeds and not a single failed germ yet..........guess i am due...lol

3/8/2012 8:42:54 PM

Baker City Oregon

Dear Amelio, I am sorry if I offended you in some way. I will be the first to admit that I don't know everything. That is why I read the forums here on BigPumpkins.com. There is so much good information here from growers who are much more successful than I. I glean what I can. Not everything makes sense to me but a lot of things do. I got my soil tests back today and had several questions in my mind about them and I found the answer in the Soil Preparation and Analysis forum. Like I said there are some very knowledgable people on these forums. I must say though that your posts are senseless drivel. I am not stupid but I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I have found over the years that the more I learn the less I know.And life is just that, a continuos learning experience. I am by no means a greenhorn although I admit I haven't been too successful at growing the big one. At least I try. I'm sorry for what I said about you soaking your head. It wasn't right and I wish I could take it back. I guess I just haven't been too successful at taming my tongue. Please forgive me. So that it doesn't happen again I will just put you on ignore as so many others have.

Love,

Tom White (Whitey)

P.S. I figured that would raise your hackles.

3/8/2012 10:17:47 PM

Petersburg, Mi

Great idea Whitey. I do like the idea of the paper towel soak. It gives me a new way to try it.
Thanks

3/8/2012 10:39:55 PM

Webster, NY

Almost all mine float. I fold them in a paper towel like the others do.

3/9/2012 4:59:06 AM

Syracuse, NY

i should keep up on these topics almost as much as i used to. it used to be 'is it a good seed if it has a white, rounded end?' (which, by the way, means that the seed likely wasn't formed completely, of no consequence)
'will it grow a WR if it is brown, or am i better off only trying white seeds...' now, it's if the seed floats or not. it is JUST a matter of how much AIR is in the seed casing. MY opinion, if it matters at all, is that as soon as you put any seed in the seed-starting medium, it starts
soaking-up water.
i, quite simply, do not worry at all about it. stress-free, and i know when the clock starts ticking because i write down the time i put the seed in the peat pot. IF you use something that is other-than what is in the seed-starting mix itself, then, yes, soak all you need to before putting the seed in the mix; but if you don't, and have had good results with soaking the seeds in just water, well, that's where my soakless method applies. In other news, put a SMALL AMOUNT of your solution or whatever in a small glass; put another glass of the EXACT same type into the first glass, forming a 'liquid sandwich'; now, if your seed were in that solution, it would be completely submerged and held down, so there'd be no question at all about its viability, and i'll bet some of those otherwise 'useless' seeds would sprout just fine when given the chance. Sort of reminds me of the ancient method of determining who was or wasn't a witch; How many do you think were?
EG

3/10/2012 11:27:20 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

amelio, I could have misread a couple of posts, but imho, I think you need to "BLOW HARDER" into yer disinfectant mix!!! Sorta thinkin, yer O2 level is a lil low!!!! IMHO, low O2 levels, also affect brain function? Just a guess tho? Peace, Wayne

3/13/2012 2:46:17 AM