first time grower needs some major help

[C6H6]

ok so like the title sez im a first time grower and i looking for some help. qick synopsis of what has happened. i got my seeds from Seed boutique ww, satori, and Haze X skunk1 (freebie) i am trying to germinate them using a wet papertowel placed inside a plastic bag and that is ontop of a heated mat designed for that purpose. Im trying to germinate 6 seeds total, 2 ww, 2 satori, and 2 of the freebies. the ww's popped in ~12 hours so i placed them in some potting soil and an waiting for them to sprout. the other 4 seeds havnt popped yet and its been 36 hours the ww hasn't sprouted either.

just this morning i cracked the 4 seeds with my fingers thinking that they might have had a thicker husk (read about this method on another forum).
can anyone offer any insite into whats going on with these seeds, should i try to germ more and scrap these or should i just hang in there and see whats happens. and are my ww ever gonna sprout
Please someone help me!

 

[view2athrill]

ooo, yeah....I swear this has gotta be the toughest part of the grow, just gettting them to pop. And the books give really short shrift as to how to do it and all the variables involved.

I'm no expert, but the following comes to mind:

what kind of water are you using? I've used distilled, pH'd and just straight outta the tap and have results from all three, but it's helpful to know what's in your water, esp. in regards to pH.

How about the temps of that heating pad? I cooked a few of mine due to too much of a good thing, heat.

And cracking them open with your fingers is the death knoll for them....all kinds of stuff on our hands, even when we think they're clean. But I know how it can get....you want them up and out!

Is it dark when they're germing? That's a requirement.

And how about amount how much water you're using on the paper towels? Probably better to be a bit on the dry side than too wet.

Also, check out Mandala seeds online site to check out how they suggest germing. I had mixed results myself, but think I narrowed the problem down to using really old peat pots...which they suggest against entirely, due to how acidic they are. I know I won't use them again,old or fresh!

Try an opaque, colored (not clear, or you'll grow algae, something I'm not convinced is "harmless" to the plants), plastic cup with holes in the bottom (I use a soldering iron with a "pencil-like" tip to melt holes in my grow cups....from 3oz. plastic bathroom cups to 2 liter cut-down soda bottles, it works great!)

Use "seed starting mix"....not just "potting soil". Read the packages for nutrient info and make sure it's not too fortified....seedlings shouldn't need anything until 3 or 4 weeks old if the soil's good. Hydro? I'm clueless there!

Good luck and hang in there....this is def one of the trickiest parts of growing!

 

[sackoweed]

you should try and put them in a small cup of h20 for an overnight soak..
Then pop them into a paper towel that is moist not soaked.. place them into the ziplock and blow some hot air into the ziplock place it on yer heating pad and let them sit... check em next day..Hope this helps If that fails get ya a clone dome some rapid rooters and that will work.. peace..

sack

 

[FarmerTed]

How i do it...

How i do it...

Starting them right in soil has always worked for me. I used to put some soil in a clear 8 oz cup. Plant the seed 1/4 in deep, lightly water, cover with another clear cup. The second cup helps maintain a constant temp & humidity so watering before the seed sprouts wont be neccesary. At 65-70 degree temp sprouts will be above soil in 4-6 days in my experiance. Method two, same thing except i start them in the container they will be grown in. Put a clear cup over the planted seed. When the sprout breaks the surface remove the cup. I like this way because i dont have to handle the seed after it pops, risking injury and/or death. Same thing starting in your grow container, no transplanting, no chance of damaging/killing during transplant. I've used this for everthing from 1-5 gallon containers.

 

[C6H6]

well im using distiled water, my temp is rite around 75F. im planning on using the seedling soil once they pop. also the seeds wernt in the dark i have some oregno that im also growing so the lights are on. i do have some ideas though about where my errors were though so i have learned something. so looks like im gonna be trying to sprout another 6.

 

[HeadyPete]

Yep put them in soil and don't touch them and don't bury them too deep. Basically bury them as deep as the seed is thick.

Noobs shouldn't use the paper towel method or any that involves handling the sprouted seed. If you damage the taproot even a little that sprout is dead.

I imagine you destroyed those seeds prying open the husk. If you suspect a tough husk, gently rub it on some sandpaper to scuff the husk, then plant.

I put my seeds straight in my cocomix and have great success.

Good luck to you.

 

[C6H6]

yea some little voice was telling me not to do that but live and learn. i have extra seed so its not a big loss to me. now with these next seeds i try how moist should i keep the soil?

 

[HeadyPete]

Water it thoroughly, let it drain naturally, don't water again till the pot feels light in weight.

 

[C6H6]

what about using a transparent cover over to raise the temp and and held raise the humidity of the environment

 

[HeadyPete]

you can, but be sure to remove it as soon as the first seedling pokes through the soil, or you will be inviting damping off and death.

Make sure there is good air circulation around the seedlings, make sure they sway gently in the breeze. This strengthens the stem and prevents damping off.

 

[GreenBush 420]

try soaking the seeds in hydrogen peroxide overnight. I have never tried with weed, but it works really well with other seeds. Seems to get rid of any contaminates that might be present on the outer shell and the increased O2 can't hurt. Just soak overnight, I don't think you would want them to pop in the stuff, but I can't confirm.
I also just picked up some "GH-flora shield" and it says this can be used as a seed treatment to kill any bacteria on the seed. it says to soak for 5-10 mins. I got the stuff to help kill the snoot I have growing on my roots 8< , but it appears to solve lots of problems. Talked to the guy at the hydro store and he called it his silver bullet!

 

[C6H6]

well for now im just gonna try round 2 and just plant the seeds directly in soil and hope for the best. i dont necessarly like the idea of using H2O2 because it innates a radical reaction and those are very messy reactions tend to react with anything and everything in site. id be worried that i would take something away that the plant needs to live but in no expert. intreasting thought though once i some plants growing id be willing to try with some of the other seed i have.
can anyone elaborate on this?

 

[redheadedbitch]

just to let ya know, some seeds can take 2-3 weeks to pop. i've always thrown them straight into soil (6-8oz cup) about an inch deep and give em 3-5 tbs water, make sure cups have drainage holes at the bottom. good luck man and take it easy. peaceout~red

 

[HeadyPete]

h2o2 is perfectly safe and beneficial to a seed. The free atom of oxygen kills pathogens and oxygenates roots. This is what you see as foaming, the oxidization of pathogens. It reacts with skin and blood, that's why it foams on your skin.

It will kill microbial populations in organic growing and is not recommended for use with organics. It is a good thing to add to your plain water cloner or hydro system, though.

 

[C6H6]

yea im using organics maybe not the best idea but not bad either. didnt think of the free o2 that would be present. anywho my w ws that did germ still havnt poked above soil after 4 days think the addition of the h2o2 aid in this? i gotta be honest im fighting with myself i keep feeling like theres something more i should be doing, probably the reason my first batch of seeds didnt work out is because i kept messing with them the anticipation is the real killer here.

 

[C6H6]

how long should i keep the first 6 cups with seeds in them before i declare them a lost cause and pitch them? i started 6 more, 3 of w w and 3 satori, placing them in soil and covering them with a plasic baggie. did what i was told, put soil in the cup watered it, let it drain out though the soil looked really wet even after i let the water drain this normal, this good?

 

[HeadyPete]

The new 6 sound good. Have patience and give them at least a week if not two.

You can carefully use a skewer or pencil and gently dig some soil away and look to see if the old seeds have grown at all. If they are growing, cover them back up. If not, they are probably toast.

 

[C6H6]

well its working, just looked today and behold! two beautiful sprouts of my soon to be white widow plants. just waiting on the satori and the Haze X skunk.