I've placed squash seeds in a ziploc bag with a paper towel for 3 weeks and misted with water, and not one seed sprouted! I tried to remove the seed shell to reveal the embryo thinking it will sprout faster, that didn't help. The temperature is low 60's at night 70 during the day

What am I doing wrong?

I take it that you are just kind of experimenting. That is a good way of checking the germination rate of seeds.

They need a constant warm temperature. Where did you keep the ziplock? Spritz the paper towel enough that it Is good and damp but not dripping. Lay the seeds on it and roll it up. Zip it up in the bag and it shouldn't need more water. I have a tower computer and I lay the ziplock on top of it...great germination spot. A similar spot would work just not too hot.

Were your seeds fresh package seeds?

I agree with what Ed said - and don't try to remove the seed shell. (I usually soak the paper towel and then squeeze it out, and fold the seeds up inside of it.) Last year I started some 9-year-old squash seeds this way and they took about 10 days to start sprouting. The root will sprout first and at that point you should take them out of the paper towel and get them planted in some potting mix in a pot. Good luck!

They began germinating after 3 weeks! I don't know what the issue was but I have success

Sometimes you have to trust Mother Nature knows when to sprout her seeds, they can just get stubborn and sprout on their own timetable.

I usually put a layer of damp flanellette on a styrofoam tray, put a few seeds on it, cover with another layer of cloth, etc, then a second styrofoam tray, and slip the sandwich into a plastic bag, which I fold underneath - no seal. This way, I have the big gourds on one layer, then winter squash, summer squash, slicing cucumber, pickling cucumber, each on a different layer. Cukes on top, as they germinate fastest; usually within the week.
I have to remember to check them often, because once the roots are out, they soon get mouldy, and also break off easily when I remove them from the fabric to the seedling soil. Big squash seeds, I stick into soil as soon as their tiniest white nose pokes out.

Vera, doing the multiple layers of different seeds like that would certainly be space saving - is there some way that you mark the seeds/layers if you have more than one variety of a type (say 2 or 3 different varieties of cucumbers)? And I'm wondering how you happened to choose flannelette for this purpose - was it something you just happened to have on hand, or is there a specific reason? (I actually had to look up "flannelette" - for anyone else who is wondering, it's just a lightweight type of flannel...) It's never occurred to me to use actual cloth for this purpose, but I have to admit that paper towels are less than ideal because the roots so easily penetrate them - and I totally agree about how easily those roots can break off!

Hmm, I wonder...

I've only germinated seeds in a ziplock to test for germination. I use a paper towel and agree with the roots clinging/attaching to the paper so easily and causing problems. I might try some by simply soaking the seeds in water for a couple of hours and putting them in a ziplock. The moisture can't evaporate and a few droplets left on the seeds should work to keep the humidity/moisture level up. Just thinking...inside the ziplock.

Weedwhacker said:Vera, doing the multiple layers of different seeds like that would certainly be space saving - is there some way that you mark the seeds/layers if you have more than one variety of a type (say 2 or 3 different varieties of cucumbers)? And I'm wondering how you happened to choose flannelette for this purpose - was it something you just happened to have on hand, or is there a specific reason? (I actually had to look up "flannelette" - for anyone else who is wondering, it's just a lightweight type of flannel...) It's never occurred to me to use actual cloth for this purpose, but I have to admit that paper towels are less than ideal because the roots so easily penetrate them - and I totally agree about how easily those roots can break off!

I started with coffee filters - the big round ones, which work very well. (that's also how I saved the harvested seeds: folded like an envelope, labeled with a masking tape.) You can write the variety on it with pencil before you wet it.

Switching to cloth was sort of accidental: I ran out of those coffee filters. I never buy paper towel; prefer to use washable rags. I have actually bought a big sack of 'rags' at the thrift store for $5 - most of which turned out to be perfectly serviceable teeshirts, (The amount of stuff North Americans waste is staggering!) plus a flannelette bedsheet with holes. Anyway, it worked out: holds moisture evenly and long.
This year, I have few squashes, so it wasn't hard to keep track, and all the cucurbits, except zucchini, are going into indoor bins, so it doesn't much matter if they're mixed. At least, that's the theory.
PS If you leave them too long those tiny rootlets will burrow into fabric, too.
I suppose you can just cut around them and plant the bit of paper towel with the seed; it's just compost. I daren't do that with cloth, in case of mould.

Serpent said:...I have actually bought a big sack of 'rags' at the thrift store for $5 - most of which turned out to be perfectly serviceable teeshirts, (The amount of stuff North Americans waste is staggering!) plus a flannelette bedsheet with holes. Anyway, it worked out: holds moisture evenly and long.

I agree with the wasteful thought...not just NA, though, it applies to other first-world countries, too. Visiting third-world countries can be a humbling experience. Seeing children who's sole toy is a worn out motorcycle tire or they pick up your empty water bottle and carry it home as a prized possession tends to give you a quick reality check. A good friend who is a Ugandan diplomat and travels to the USA a few times a year is always astonished at the wealth *and* waste of the people here. When he comes we usually prepare a big meal, whether at church or someone's home. So much food there but when you look at his plate it looks like a child's plate...he grew up with little to eat and to this day eats very lightly though he has the food available to overeat...like most of us do. Even when times are tough we've all got a lot to be thankful for!