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Minnesota

I planted 1 from a dill's 300-500pd pumpkin, 865 Foss F978 Bereard X M975 Emmons, 793.5 Bhuskan F1230 Daletas X M 430 Bhaskaran, 655 Dudley F1005 Mombert X M1038 Emmons, 1 925 Neily F741 Eaton X M1076 Werner, 590 Marchand F841 Dill X M1245 Baily, 885 Shenoha F1301.5 Eaton X M695 Handy, I have planted seeds lately and did waterlog them, this time I did it by the book only it has been 7 days and none of them are coming up, they are 2ft from a reptile heat lamp, lightly watered, filed edges, today I dug them up and they look the same as when I planted them, so I ran my thumb nail along the edges opening the seed, do you think this will help them or kill them. Thanks

5/14/2007 6:35:47 PM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

fog

I dont think opening the side will hurt

What i do is file the sides of the seeds

soak for 4-6 hours (put in bowl, and put paper towel over the top so the water can soak all the way around the seed)

use some potting soil NOT WET, fresh out of the bag and add a little bit of water.

put in some type of container, i use a large cooler, add heat of some type, it wants to be 85 to 90 degrees constantly

Gary

5/14/2007 8:30:29 PM

New Carlisle IN

How warm is a reptile light? 85 or 90 degrees isn't warm to the touch.
Terry

5/14/2007 9:07:07 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I recently changed my methods, as I got a tip from a heavy hitter. So far I have 100% germination of 8 seeds. Some of this you already know.

1. file edges
2. soak overnight (8-10 hours) in 50/50 solution of water and hydrogen peroxide (3% USP)
3. take two paper towels and place them together
4. fold in half 5 times switching folding directions back and forth each time
5. soak in the same 50/50
6. place between the palms near your wrist and squeeze out as much water as possible (dont crunch up the towel though, keep flat). The paper towel should feel barely damp.
7. Unfold twice and put sedd in.
8. fold back once in one direction and once in the other (to original 5) this keeps the seed surrounded.
9. put into a ziplock sandwich bag.
10. keep warm 80-90 degrees (85 is best)

If your seed is viable, I guarantee they will sprout in no more than 3 days from filing.

Check after 24 hrs, and then every 6-8 hours. You will be amazed at how fast the grow.

Then put into some sterilized mix, give a good watering. I put the pots on a heating blanket and a thermometer in the soil and keep it at 85. From planting in dirt, the seedlings will break the surface in 3-4 days.

Hope this helps.

5/15/2007 11:03:14 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

You need to check the soil temp. That reptile heater provides a small amount of heat. This time of year we start ours in the greenhouse with no heat and the sun does all the work.

5/15/2007 11:24:59 AM

Minnesota

9/10 using a version of the Papertowel method...Filed, Soaked for 4 hours.. Folded wet paper towels, Placed in 1 gallon ziplock bags and placed on cookie sheet that I put a heating pad under... Bags condensed and the seeds germed within 48-60 hours...Placed in 4 inch peat pots.. Careful as several grew through the towel and I had to remove very slowly...... From Peat Pots the plants were 6" tall within a week..Kept soil temp around 80 after transplant...

5/15/2007 4:42:07 PM

Minnesota

Then my wife yelled at me, something to do with the cookie sheet I think... Takes years to get them tempered correctly bla, bla, bla.. I had to give it back and promise not to use any of her cooking stuff for my pumpkins.... I gave her back the digital cooking thermometers also, And the spatula's I used to flip my seeds when I was drying them last year.. And a few spoons I used for digging in the dirt... And a collander.... Live and learn I guess!!

5/15/2007 5:27:51 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

Live and learn is right SafeHouse....You should know better than to be messing with her stuff. She doesn't use your blow torch to make creme brule, I'm sure!

5/15/2007 6:14:12 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

LOL, I am going to guess that Seeds 4 Sale is a lady. I know how things work, please take no offense as I mean none.

5/15/2007 8:08:16 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

But I can speak for the guys out there, if you want to use our blowtorches, you may.

5/15/2007 8:08:55 PM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

we use my blow torch for creme brule, it is way more dramatic than the proper little torch we bought. (could have saved $20)

5/15/2007 9:25:38 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Lets not even start the gender issues...lol we are here because we have one thing in common Pumpkins.

5/15/2007 9:35:07 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

In all honesty...I have used the blow torch for creme brule and the screwdriver as a nail file, and the Mexican hammer for almost everything...and pumpkins for pumpkin pie

5/15/2007 10:52:27 PM

Minnesota

I do have a few more seeds thanks to the generous people here, I just had some more seeds not some up, I know some were old, maybe they were not "viable". I just might try the papertowel method, and if that fails I'm just going to throw the rest in the ground and hope they come up. Thanks

5/17/2007 2:03:53 AM

Minnesota

I did it, I filed, soaked, now I have some seeds in paper towels, in a plastice bag, in a cake pan, with heating pad underneath, this ought to do the trick.

5/17/2007 7:51:12 PM

New Carlisle IN

I tried using a heating pad my 1st season and found it was way too hot. If you think about it your body temp is 98.6 so 85 to 90 degrees wouldn't make it a heating pad, would it? I put my ziplocs on the computers CPU with a couple of washrags on them and they usally germinate within 48 hrs.
Terry

5/17/2007 8:20:59 PM