So there's this common method of germinating seeds in which you use a wet paper towel and a zip-lock (or some other enclosed container) and after a few days/ weeks, the seeds germinate and grow roots and sprouts. My question is that when it is time to transplant the seeds into soil, will they suffer the symptoms of transplant shock? In my experience, they didn't (I was using lemon seeds), but I was wondering why they didn't. This was a shower thought.

They could suffer transplant damage going from paper towel to soil.
Why not start them in soil and avoid another step that could lead to damage???

The trick is to catch the seeds as they start to germinate before they start putting out those tiny thread roots that want to attach to the paper towel. Its a lot easier with bigger seeds. Tiny seeds tend to get away from me.

BigBill, I reserve this method for seeds I'm not sure will germinate (mostly native seeds I've collected). It saves space, pots and soil when I'm not sure seeds will make it.

Daisy, don't you lose young seedlings this way? I would think that you do.

At the point of barely germinated (shell cracked, toe sticking out), they hardly qualify as seedlings

When I have let them get away from me and they have rooted into the paper towel, I cut them out of the towel and plant the seedling with paper towel attached. You only lose seedlings if you rip them off the paper towel and damage them.

Amazing. Simply amazing. I learned a brand new method. How cool is that!?

Its very handy when you have to cold stratify your seeds for months to get them to hatch. I stratified about 95 Desert Peach (Prunus Andersonii) seeds, 30 or so Ume' tree (Prunus mume) seeds, 30 or so Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla) tree seeds plus a few odds and ends. That would be a lot of pots in my refrigerator!

I put the seeds in layers of paper towels soaked in biofungacide in plastic containers (the ones lunch meat comes in). Don't let the seeds touch or dry out.

I am writing this down as I can't wait to try this! Thanks a bunch Daisy!