Problems with germinating

I was given over 4,500 seeds, and i've started trying to germinate at least 50 by the usual wet paper towel ontop the plate but under the bowl... but they don't seem to be germinating, anyone know why that'd happen?

 

germination of seeds requires seeds not to be fresh or too old.

 

Meangreen could you tell me roughly how old is to old

 

If they have not been stored properly meaning in a lighted situation with heat they may not last even a year in those conditions without detrimental effects on germination.If they were stored properly they can have good-fair germ rates up to 10 years.

 

Wow I didnt think it would be that long I got mine in a camera film tub in the fridge.
Thanking you kindly MG

 

add a few grains of rice as a desicant and you're 100% set!

 

Ive had that problem b4, so i dont even use the towel methods anymore.

just put the seeds in a cup of water until u see sprouts.

 

The method I use works pretty well... I guess its a different paper towel method....

Wet a paper towel, ring it out (but make sure it is overly damp still, just not dripping), and place the seeds on one side of the wet paper towel, then wrap it up, and place it in a baggy, and let it sit for a couple days, check them every now and then, if you see sprouts, plant those seeds.

 

Tell you what I just experimented germinating seeds.
Tap water in Scotland is 7.0Ph.
So I flung 30 seeds into a pint glass with a 1/2" of water.
GERMINATION TIME = 22 hrs.
GERMINATION RATE = 27 OUT OF 30.
SEED AGE 7-8 MONTHS.
( SUMMARY PAPER TOWEL METHOD SLOW/SHIT)

 

Try scuffing the edges with fine sandpaper before germing them. Sometimes you'll get really tough casings. Of course, with as many as you have, you might as well just put them in a backpack, and walk around the side of a mountain planting them. and later deciding whats to keeps and whats to kills