Too hot!! Your seeds on wet towels in baggies should be kept at room temperature not on a heating mat. The mat makes it too hot. You've probably killed the seed.

A heating mat should only be used with pots filled with soil. It is used to warm the soil on the bottom and keep it at a constant temperature. By the time the heat gets to the seed it is not very hot at all.

I know others do lots of seeds the paper towel or coffee filter in a baggie way but I have never seen the need for it. I only do seed that way that has a hard outer covering--like Nasturtiums or sweet peas. The rest are germinated in soil. Sometimes on the heating mat and sometimes without it. Look on your seed package--it should give the germination temperature. Seeds that have a cooler germination temperature don't need bottom heat.

Darn i never would of thought it would be too hot, most of the tutorials i have read says to put them in a warm place like on top of a fridge. So the seeds are most likely dead? Is there any way to tell? The reason i did it this way because i only had 5 seeds left and wanted to only plant viable ones so i wanted to presprout them to be sure they would grow.

I read the faq's at the top of this page. it doees say a warm place, but I think what was meant is just a warm place in the house, where there are no drafts. Did you keep some air in the baggie. That would have helped and is esential for sprouting

Take them out of the greenhouse and see what happens. You didn't say what seeds you are trying to sprout. Did you do a search to see just how long a germinating time they have. It took 2 weeks for my Nasturtiums to sprout

Hi Jerem,

I'm new to gardening, but I wanted to start with growing my own from seed. I also wanted to be 'green' and so tried these newspaper pots. It made for easy transplanting when it came time to take them outside to the garden patch. Instructions to make are on this site: http://www.bettaliving.org/DIY/Basic_plans/DIY_newspaper_pots.html

If anyone else has any tips for keeping down on the wastage (plastic containers, chemicals, etc.) let me know too.

Here is a link that might be useful: seed pots

the top of the fridge is a great place to start seeds! I didnt read where you moistned the paper towels. The seeds need moisture to germinate and dry paper towels dont cut it. You can also wrap a cotton ball around each seed and germinate it that way, provided there is moisture.

I don't think the cotton ball would be too great. Your seeds would sprout fine but you might have a hard time getting the sprouts off of the cotton ball without breaking off the roots. That is why many use coffee filters. There is less chance of the roots getting enmeshed in the coffee filter than any other moistening agent.

I perform germination tests on seeds using paper towels and tupperware containers. The purpose is to see if seeds are viable and approx. what percentage of seeds will germinate. I take a shallow flat container, line it with paper towels, spread the seeds and then spritz them with water. Then I put the container on a warm shelf and spritz the seeds daily or as needed. Usually I just put the top loosely on the container to allow air flow.

This method works great. This pic is from a germ. test I did a couple years ago on some old tomato, cucumber, and pepper seeds, all of which germinated quite well considering their age (1997, 98) -

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Please try that with Hardy Hybiscus seeds and let us know how well it works.

I know the smaller the seed the less chance I have had with a paper towel and baggie trick, but I also keep mine closed and not in the container like terrene (looks like an awesome idea by the way).

Trying to plant seeds in potting soil at first was complicated for me cause I would either bury them to deep and of course never sprout or I would always water them to much and once they sprouted and developed the second set of true leaves they would end up just crashing from root rot. I am getting better with seed starting, now I use a big huge pan (you know those pans you get your BBQ in) then I take old empty water bottles cut them in half cut a few holes at the bottom of the bottles place the bottles in the pan. Of course fill the bottles with soil and depending on the seed size is how I plant them. Some small seeds like rudbekia and phlox I just toss on top of the soil and lightly press it. Bigger seeds I just make sure they are covered lightly with the soil. I water from the bottom and I have my pan outside on my porch in the sun during spring months and summer months afternoon shade. I have had really good success from this and in the winter months you can still use this method just don't cut the top of the water bottle completely off and you have made your self a little green house. (I use a water bottle but I have even seen it being done with a 2 litter soda bottle as well).

I just did the paper towel viable seed test a couple days ago, I have tons that sprouted. I tryed all kinds of seeds. MY Question is can these cuties be carefully planted? or possibly put in rock wool cubes and put in my hydroponics system?- Or just throw these out? Any help on this would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Of course you can plant them. Just be careful with them; they are easy to damage. In fact, I think that was the intention of the OP.

Yes you can plant the sprouts, but I usually don't. Often I do these germination tests in the fall and winter, so it's not really the optimal time to plant the sprouts. So I just toss them into the compost (with a bit of regret). I am usually just checking the viability of the seed, because it might be seed that I've collected or old seed, or whatever, and am curious if it is worth winter-sowing, trading, giving out in SASBEs, or planting in the Spring.

IMO the best way to germinate seeds...
use those olive garden takeout containers, fill with soil
sprinkle the seeds on the top of the soil
mist the soil so the surface is moist a couple times a day and keep the container covered with the lid it comes with
keep out of direct sunlight

Don't some paper towels have all manner of fragrances and deodorants and bactericidal stuff? I don't know. Just asking.