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gemination techniques
- Thread starter juanhue
- Start date
G
Guest
Yeah, Vostok, I haven't had babies around to worry about diapers change and cleanup for years, wish the warmers had been around then. It's just a container with a low watt heater embedded in the bottom that keeps tissue paper pads damp and warm for babies sake. It also works well for me as a 'germinator' for seeds. I just load seeds between 2 small sponges, place inside the unit and pour in a small amount of water. Plug in and prop open the top to regulate heat. Normally most seeds pop within 24 hours. I also use the same unit as a source of heat and humidity for my sprouts. I place the unit inside a 55 qt. storage container along with the sprouts in cups and it provides ideal humidity and some heat for those first few critical days.
I know there are many ways to do the same thing with other techniques. I think for me it's just a tool that I have confidence will work for me. You're doing the same thing with the dish setting on the modem. If I were a big time grower running lots of plants, I would probably just throw them in the dirt and not bother with seeing the tap root first.
Crumpledtrumpet
Member
The way i germinate my seeds is as follows, make small hole in moistened compost plant the seed about the depth of it and place under light, The only time i soak seeds is when they are old, pointless soaking fresh seeds' They just work and no need for paper towels imo, just another step you have to take that could be costly when planting, Good luck Crumpledtrumpet.
HarvestMoon303
Active member
Ok, so I use the "paper towel method", and I've had about 99% success. The one or two that didn't pop might have just been bad. I also put them in the dark (under an opaque dome) somewher warm.
My actual question is: How can I best care for them (and for how long) AFTER the seed has popped/come through the soil.
I recently did about 12 seeds, and two didn't pop. The rest came up, shed the shells, and faned out their cotyledons. Then they started stretching too much for the T5 that they are under, and most of the new leaves (the first and second sets) eventually just kind of dried up and turned brown. I only have maybe five "good ones" out of the 10 that popped up. Of the five good ones, they are GREAT, and among the five bad ones, I have a feeling that three are going to die completely.
I have a (clear) humidity dome, and seedling tray under a 2x2 4-bulb T5 on 18/6. I spray several times a day with pH'd water, and also water with it.
This time I used rapid rooters (they came with the tray), and had soaked them in the correct pH water before transplanting, etc.
The seeds that I put into soil just took off and are huge. The CLONES that I made into the rapid rooters also did really well and are very well rooted (in ~5 days from cut).
Is it the rapid rooters, the humidity, or do they need something that I am not giving them? I have hard water (ppm ~250-300), but it gets used all around the garden with no issues, typically.
Thanks in advance, although I think that I just figured out that I should try more dirt and see how the rest go. I have three Atomic (from Bomb Seeds) popping in a towel now, and I'm going to put them into dirt today.
Cheers!
My actual question is: How can I best care for them (and for how long) AFTER the seed has popped/come through the soil.
I recently did about 12 seeds, and two didn't pop. The rest came up, shed the shells, and faned out their cotyledons. Then they started stretching too much for the T5 that they are under, and most of the new leaves (the first and second sets) eventually just kind of dried up and turned brown. I only have maybe five "good ones" out of the 10 that popped up. Of the five good ones, they are GREAT, and among the five bad ones, I have a feeling that three are going to die completely.
I have a (clear) humidity dome, and seedling tray under a 2x2 4-bulb T5 on 18/6. I spray several times a day with pH'd water, and also water with it.
This time I used rapid rooters (they came with the tray), and had soaked them in the correct pH water before transplanting, etc.
The seeds that I put into soil just took off and are huge. The CLONES that I made into the rapid rooters also did really well and are very well rooted (in ~5 days from cut).
Is it the rapid rooters, the humidity, or do they need something that I am not giving them? I have hard water (ppm ~250-300), but it gets used all around the garden with no issues, typically.
Thanks in advance, although I think that I just figured out that I should try more dirt and see how the rest go. I have three Atomic (from Bomb Seeds) popping in a towel now, and I'm going to put them into dirt today.
Cheers!
Once the seedlings are up you don’t have to be too concerned about humidity (unless it’s very, very dry where you are). You want to keep the medium moist but not drenched. I wouldn’t be spraying them either, this could lead to other problems (damping off).
Also, how close are the lights? If the seedlings are elongating you may want to move the lights a little closer.
El Gato
Member
This is how it should be done. I use a depth of 1/2" so the plant can naturally remove the hull on it's own. I do not have a need for a seed that germinate's in soil and is not able to make it above the soil on it's own. Only the STRONG survive.
I have found thru experience you cull less inferior plants because they do that for you by not showing above ground in the first place.
