I am a newbie to growing.....yup, begun doing it in the early 80's. Over the decades I have looked to simplify things, and try and do what nature does. Currently I have a 100% germination rate with memphisto seeds, some them old and having been stored in my dresser drawer. I use a mixture of Coco Loco and Ocean Forrest and also Fox Farm. I simply plant the seed 1/2 inch down into this mixture of soil and they have always sprung to life, some fast, some slow, but they have always sprung to life. I am sure the day is coming when one doesn't pop up, when I plant a seed that doesn't have life, it happens, but so far I have been very fortunate, I just put them in soil and water, just like what would happen in nature, and life happens....
Double Grape seedling:
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Just gave this a shot with Grapey Walter. We’ll see how it goes