Mandalla seeds? Im confused...

[TBug]

High ALL! This was originally a PM for Mike. Hopefully he'll chime in. But I'm interested what others think of the way im trying this.

I'm confused. Ive had pretty good luck with the papertowel method in the past. but i read MandallaMike's post on germination. I tried it with 2 of the freebees and only one sprouted. took forever too.
can you help me with some details?
-I used coco tek(no rockwool) starter plugs w/ a hole in them. filled the holes half way w/ poting soil, placed the seeds in pointing down, then topped the hole w/ a little more soil.
-I put a dome over them and placed them under an incadecent lamp.
-I kept them moist w/ 5.8 RO water but no standing water or soaked.
-temp was costant night and day between 87 and 91
-I noticed it was slightly warmer under the dome so i started opening it more often to release to heat.
-put a small fan on the dome to reduce the heat as well.


Where did i go wrong? Thanks an peace, TBug

 

[Guest]

incandescent...hmm try a T5/T8 Fluorescent

 

[TBug]

incandescent...hmm try a T5/T8 Fluorescent

High lurk! why does the light matter for germination? Thanks and peace, TBug

 

[Guest]

realy I guess lookin back on that statement I was just talking about what I use...but you right seeds dont see light in the soil so it should not matter.....sometimes the seedling is just weaker then others.....


I think your worring too much...as long as it poped out the shell you will be all good...give it 2 weeks it will be awhole differnt plant... GOOD LUCK!

 

[TBug]

High ALL! I guess I didnt explain my self completely. The first two freebees were just trials of the method Mandallamike proposed to be the correct method. But Im about to pop 20 seeds from seedboo and im not hoping for a slow 50% germ rate. I just want to do it right and not waste my seeds.Peace, TBug

 

[Guest]

What are these freebies u speak of?

 

[TBug]

What are these freebies u speak of?

HighTick! ahh....God Bud x Dreaweaver, whatever that is? Came free with my order, so im not complaining. I figured id use them for trial and "fill in". Peace, TBug

 

[Guest]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=25276

^ check that out..

I like to soak my seeds atleast 24hrs before planting.
Some peeps speak against soaking, but hey it works for me

 

[TBug]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=25276

^ check that out..

I like to soak my seeds atleast 24hrs before planting.
Some peeps speak against soaking, but hey it works for me

High Tick! And thanks! Very interesting read and info. Peace, TBug

 

[TBug]

I like to soak my seeds atleast 24hrs before planting.
Some peeps speak against soaking, but hey it works for me

High Tick! and yeah, if I cant workout this "correct" method, I may just resort to what actually works for me. I did the soak and scar method, then paper towel. Seemed that all that popped, did so within a couple days. those were crapy seeds i had from one of my crops too. Peace, TBug

 

[R00KIE]

Personally I just use a soking wet paper towel stuck into a large ziploc bag and put on top of my phototron till they germ.. Nice and warm up there...
Then as the taproot just pops out no more than a 1/4 inch I take some pro-mix and start off in 3" square pots...
Thats it.. Too simple.... The last seedling i popped like that, got rootbound in the 3" within a week then rootbound in a 1 litre the next week and rootbound in a 2gallon by week 3.
Now it's huge still sitting in the 2 gallon but doing fine...

 

[TBug]

High Rook! And thanks! Good idea with the bag! May use that instead of plates, since ill be doing 20 and wanting to keep the strains seperate and accounted for. I only own 4 plates and they've been dirty in the sink since June! lol Can you tell I havent had a girlfriend for awhile? lol Peace, TBug

 

[TBug]

Yes I to use the p towel and ziplock bags (makes labeling easy). I also soak the seeds in warm water with h2o2. Then into seed starter soil mix (has no nutes) once germed

High Silly! Geat ideas. Whats the thinking behind the h2o2? O2 for seeds or sterilization?Peace, TBug

 

[TBug]

For sterilization and I hear the extra oxy doesn't hurt either.

High Silly! and thanks, I will try that if mike dont show up soon. In all honestly i really want to know what I did wrong, more than what i could different. But no worries, I'll try anything once and stay wit what works! Thats just me. Peace, TBug

 

[TBug]

High Silly! Oh, and at what concentration did you use? Peace, TBug

 

[HydroManiac]

I just soak mine myself and put them in a presoaked rapidrooter. I get 95% success rate like this I think the only time mine don't sprout is because the seed is bad. I don't like the papertowel method myself I think a person is better off not touching a seed like that. It is risky and not needed. The less there handled the better!

HM

 

[TBug]

I just soak mine myself and put them in a presoaked rapidrooter. I get 95% success rate like this I think the only time mine don't sprout is because the seed is bad. I don't like the papertowel method myself I think a person is better off not touching a seed like that. It is risky and not needed. The less there handled the better!

HM

High Hydro! Thats a thought as well. Do you really think there is any harm taking them just as they pop from the towel to the medium with a pair of forcepts or tweezers? Im not beeing facetious, Im really wondering wht the dangers are.thanks and Peace, TBug

 

[TBug]

High Silly! So the real danger is desease, not nesesicarilly damaage by contact? thanks and peace, TBug

 

[HydroManiac]

I think the danger is in either one. If you have the hands of a surgeon then I guess it dont matter. I also think that the papertowel can be a problem there not sterile either and I have seen lots pf peeps mess up with picking them up. I might try the papertowel method if I wasn't doing so well with not touching them but my success rate is so high I think why take the chance.

HM

 

[Snowdog27]

I just place a wet paper towel in a small plastic container with a lid and place them on top of the refrigerator then open the lid once a day to check then and exchange the air. Out of all the seeds I have done this way only a couple didn't germ. The only thing you have to worry about with the paper towel method is mold, if you have a bad seed they will mold quick and that can mess the others up, you just have to keep an eye on them and your all set.