making seeds

[Scooter]

Hello to all Braniacs. Hopefully one of your with more experience than myself has an answer. I made seeds several times in the past. This time I pollinated my best plants to sock away seeds for future grows. Problem is this. I have germinated seeds two different times, Paper towel method, and have gotten at best 40% germination.
Pollinated with pollen saved for approx 2 months in frige. Pollinated about 4 weeks into flowering. Let plants go longer than needed . Plants were harvested at 52 days from pollination. Seeds look great good color good striping. Let seeds dry for 30 days, did first germination. Waited another 30 days did second germination. Same results. Storing seeds in frige in paper bag inside plastic bag. Plastic bag not sealed. I was hoping for a much higer germination but not so . Im baffled. Any and all input is appreciated. If Im an idiot please be nice. I dont know what Im missing.

[dphipps1020]

It may be because you're drying the seeds. Not sure but that would be my guess. I usually just put them straight in a ziplock bag and call it a day. Sometimes I don't have anything new going so they just go straight to germination.

[Scooter]

Yes I have done germination straight from bud. Dont remember the % of germination but it was also low. so I looked at what others have done and 30 days is what I read as a standard. Maybe it is the pollen. I am not sure.

[Rwise]

Explain exactly what you mean by "drying" please. Are the seed nice and hard? (not empty)
I take the seed from cured bud and can plant it there or keep it for years. (even seed from fresh bud can be planted)
I have had some seed die, I think it was because I used a used med bottle to store them, IDK.

[Scooter]

By drying I meant basically waiting a period of time before germinating. in this case 30 days. Placed in paper bag and stored in a drawer cool and dark.