Need some tips for germing

Big Bud Bear · Sep 21, 2006

I germed 20 seeds. All came out with the tap root. I then placed them all in rockwol and place in a tray with a dome and some distilled water. With a light a few feet above. 3 grew and died days later, the others the tails just turned a dark color and they stopped growing.

I have a good bit more seeds, all good seeds, but want to correct my methods so i dont lose them. I ordered a heating bad, and and a new tray with a lid that has vent doors you can open and close. My qeustions are the following.

What is the ideal lighting, humidity and temputure to germanate and prodoce healthy vegging plants.

Guest · Sep 21, 2006

Everyone has different methods they've used - tried and true.

Here is my method. I germinate the seeds via the paper towel method. I put a wet (room temp) paper towel on a small saucer. Place seeds on wet towel. Then I add another wet paper towel on top of the other towel, covering the seeds. Then I cover it with another saucer. Place it in a warm cabinet - germination in 24-48 hours average. ***note: I never bothered adjusting the ph of the water I germinate them in. I know it comes out of my faucet at 7.8

Once my seeds popped and have the tap root poking out. I plant them into soil (not touching the tap root, ever) and water them (no nutes or additives - just plain nuetral pH'd (6.8 - 7 range) water.)

stretchpuppy · Sep 21, 2006

My guess is lack of heat and too much water in the rockwool.

Soak them in your distilled water, but then shake the heck out of them to get all the excess water out, and then plant your seedlings.

This happened to me a couple of times as I initially bought a lot of rockwool. I found it to be a pain and now use Rapid Rooters. Plug and play.

pieceofmyheart · Sep 21, 2006

I do exactly what gangalord does. But I plant them in my non additive soil mix, keep them just moist not dry or soaked until they take hold and establish themselves.
I don't add any nutes or anything for at least 2 weeks.

Also BBB, you said you keep the light a few feet above? I keep my inches above.

Gangabiss · Sep 21, 2006

Good advice there GanjaLord...the only recommendation I have for you is that you might be better off soaking the soil before planting the seeds due to the possibility of the water pushing them further down than is ideal.

I place seeds in a shotglass of luke warm water for 24 hrs or until the taproots have emerged.
I then poke a little hole in the pre-watered soil with the sharp end of a pencil (makes a good shape to snugly fit the seed in the bottom) place the seeds in (taproot facing down) very gently and cover with excess souil around the top then press lightly on top to make sure it's all packed nicely around your seed with no air pockets.
I then trickle a little bit of water over where the seed is just to make sure it's nice and damp and it also helps ensure the soil 'sticks' all around the seed.
Your seed will be around 1cm deep by the end and should pop up within 2-7 days depending on seed viability (use a mister and spray soil surface a few times if the top starts to dry out).
I keep my pots on a tray on top of my ballast just to keep them at that temperature just in case they need a little extra push to emerge.

Big Bud Bear · Sep 21, 2006

my heating pad should be coming today, I assume that would be good to use when germing?

Gangabiss · Sep 21, 2006

Yep should work fine.

I need to get me one of those.

dre86 · Sep 21, 2006

I found germing in rockwool cubes harder, it worked but just putting your germinated seed into soil after doing what GanjaLord said is easier imo. Good Luck!

Big Bud Bear · Sep 21, 2006

dre86 said:
I found germing in rockwool cubes harder, it worked but just putting your germinated seed into soil after doing what GanjaLord said is easier imo. Good Luck!

thats an issue as i am doing a hydro setup so soil is out of the picture. I have transfered plants from soil to hydro before and they got very stressed. Some died

Big Bud Bear · Sep 22, 2006

I just dumped ten bubblelicious seeds in a shot glass :wave:

Big Bud Bear · Sep 24, 2006

SO i let them soak in the shot glass over night. I then transfer them in between dampened paper towels and put that ona aplate. I then put another plate on top of that. I let the plate set on my new heating pad. Within 24 hours i had 100% germ rate. I just now inserted the tails into my cubes. I broke one in the process :badday:

Was my fault, As i waited too long and their tails got pretty long. I should have put them in last night when they were shorter. Boy, this heating pad is great!

This is their set up, Hopfully in a few days i will have green stalks this time. I"m going to take the adive and let the cubes get really dry before i water again. Last time i gave them too much water and my germed seeds all died from water rrot

Big Bud Bear · Sep 24, 2006

i also soaksed the cubes in distilled water

Big Bud Bear · Sep 25, 2006

whats a good temp/RH for this area? I have a dome, but have it off as suggested so the cubes can dry out

Gangabiss · Sep 25, 2006

I have that same shotglass! I use it for germing my seeds also

Have they popped out of the soil yet or are you still waiting?

You shouldn't need to keep it too warm if all the seeds are already cracked and trying to root...too warm and you could end up turning them to mush in my experience.

A little warmer than room temp should be ok.

I'd leave them in the propagator but open the holes on the sides and maybe give the inside of the dome a quick misting every day to keep the moisture level up? Seeing as you aren't applying direct water to the cubes. The last thing you want id for them to dry out...the cubes dry out then so do your babies. Be careful...I have had no luck with rockwool.

Be wary though, I have never actually germed seeds in rockwool. I tried to clone using them in a propagator ages ago and it went to shit...I had much better success with soil for clones.
I'm just telling you what I believe to be best. Maybe somebody with more experience in this area can help?

Big Bud Bear · Sep 26, 2006

here they are as of this minute.. they all look like this all nine of them. Like i hjad said, I broke a tap root on one of the seeds, so that one is dieing. otherise i have 100% germ rate. My heating pad works well.

Big Bud Bear · Sep 26, 2006

Big Bud Bear · Sep 26, 2006

yeah, the cubes are starting to get dry. I dunno if i should watert them a little now, or wait until tomorrow. They still have wetness in them.

Big Bud Bear · Sep 26, 2006

only bad thing is, if i put dome on, the light will have to be moved above it. And we know in this stage, the light should be really clost to them.

Big Bud Bear · Sep 26, 2006

doobieornot2be said:
Looking good so far.

Now it's simply finding the balance between too dry and too wet... both of which are undesirable...think little red riding hood here...you can use the dome to recover things if they look a bit too dry... but if you leave it on they can get too much moisture from condensation which collects on the leaves...

treat those little babies well and they'll do the same for you later on...

thanks for all your help and tips. You're one of the best members here

Big Bud Bear · Sep 26, 2006

also, how old/big shall i let them get until i move them into pots with pot balls(i forget the name)

and when should i start adding Fox farm Grow big nutes?

Need some tips for germing

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Guest

stretchpuppy

Active member

free your SELF

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

free your SELF

dre86

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

free your SELF

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone

Grow your own, and you got the best bone