My Seeds Won't Pop!

[hotcooter]

I feel like the guy who took home a hot date and couldn't get it up, I ordered a pack of Northern Lights, do what I always do, just put them in moist soil under the 250 Watt MH, I did this Friday night, it is Monday and nothing!

I only planted half the pack, I put the other 5 into warm water and let them soak and will then plunk them into the soil.

Here is my setup:

 

[Ripcord]

Just a guess, but you'll probably have better luck with the ones your soaking. That is unless, the seeds are total crap-ola.

 

[Guest]

It hasn't been long enough to say they are crapola. Not showing after 3 days in the soil is not a reason to panic IMHO. Some seeds take longer than others to germinate and break the soil. For the record ... I have never sprouted seeds indoors using anything larger than 2 40 watt tube floros. Give it a couple of more days and if you see nothing coming up maybe pick 1 to thoroughly inspect and dig that puppy up to see if it's grown a tail.

 

[stinkyattic]

Are you certain that the seeds are not planted too deep (more than 1/2") in the pots, and that the part of the soil immediately surrounding the seed retains ample moisture?
I'd say only give up if you see no action after 2 weeks.
As weedwrapperman noted, a powerful MH on seedlings is like taking out a mouse with a SAM. You really don't need more than a couple flouros, and you don't even need those until the cotyledons show.
Germinating before planting at least gives you the satisfaction that yes indeed the seed you put in each pot was viable.

 

[Guest]

It hasn't been long enough to say they are crapola. Not showing after 3 days in the soil is not a reason to panic IMHO. Some seeds take longer than others to germinate and break the soil. For the record ... I have never sprouted seeds indoors using anything larger than 2 40 watt tube floros. Give it a couple of more days and if you see nothing coming up maybe pick 1 to thoroughly inspect and dig that puppy up to see if it's grown a tail.

I agree with that sentiment entirely....

I never use any light until they come up....

Ive seen too many seeds dried out cooked under lights....

mostly with guys with a spray bottle where they wet the surface only....

People can say what they want about paper towels.....

but at least you know what going on....

 

[SmokeMan]

Buy you some Rapi Rooters. U can never go wrong there.

 

[AriesXX]

Here's what I do, and I have had good luck, even with SamTSM's Freebies that everyone had trouble germinating (going as we speak).


1. Get a shot glass, fill 1/2 with room temp. filtered water
2. Drop in your seeds, and allow to soak 8-24 hours (I soak overnight)
3. The next day, pour that water and seeds into a folded up paper-towel. The towel should be moist, but not soaking wet. Place this into a zip-loc bag or small tupperware container.
4. Place on top of something warm, but not too hot. You're not trying to steam open the seeds, you're trying to stimulate them. I put my zip-loc onto my cable-box and that keeps it warm enough to keep the inside humid. If it's working right, you should see condensation forming in the bag, and when you open it the air should be warm and moist.
5. As soon as you see the seed open and a tail form (say, 1/8 inch or so), place the seed tail down into the soil so the tip of the seed-shell is right on the surface of the soil.
6. Place the small container with your soil and seed into a humidity dome under floros or on the edge of your MH's light pattern. If you don't have a humidity dome, you can use Saran-wrap or a plastic baggie around the top of your container to keep humidity in like a green-house. This is removed once the seed-shell is open and the cotyledons begin to open.
7. Once the cotyledons are fully open, the seedling is ready to place under whatever HID you have. I put mine under a 1kw light right from the start and they *love* it. You just have to keep the light a few feet up, but then once they have a few sets of leaves forming, you can lower the lights.

Hope that helps!

 

[spyvsspy]

I've planted directly into soil before and its taken almost a full week for some to break the surface. Keep on 'em and like WWMan said, if they still havent popped up after 6 days or so, VERY GENTLY dig off the top bit of soil and see if it is just in there too deep. I've noticed sometimes when you give it the first water the seeds have a tenancy to sink down deeper than you placed them

P.S. - I like the guy on a hot date metaphor.......nice

 

[hotcooter]

Thanks all, the MH is the smallest I've got, when I go to flower I break out the 400 HPS, I am considering having both of them going when I go to 12/12.

I will try to be more patient, not one of my stronger suits.

I continue to keep the soil moist, I did root up one of them and it hasn't done anything, What I did was mix perlite and planting soil and added the seed to the dry mix then I watered it, so no telling how deep the seeds sunk.

 

[kbc2007]

Rub the spine of the seed with some fine sandpaper.
Very lightly though.
This will make it easier for them to open.

 

[MynameStitch]

Here's what I do, and I have had good luck, even with SamTSM's Freebies that everyone had trouble germinating (going as we speak).


1. Get a shot glass, fill 1/2 with room temp. filtered water
2. Drop in your seeds, and allow to soak 8-24 hours (I soak overnight)
3. The next day, pour that water and seeds into a folded up paper-towel. The towel should be moist, but not soaking wet. Place this into a zip-loc bag or small tupperware container.
4. Place on top of something warm, but not too hot. You're not trying to steam open the seeds, you're trying to stimulate them. I put my zip-loc onto my cable-box and that keeps it warm enough to keep the inside humid. If it's working right, you should see condensation forming in the bag, and when you open it the air should be warm and moist.
5. As soon as you see the seed open and a tail form (say, 1/8 inch or so), place the seed tail down into the soil so the tip of the seed-shell is right on the surface of the soil.
6. Place the small container with your soil and seed into a humidity dome under floros or on the edge of your MH's light pattern. If you don't have a humidity dome, you can use Saran-wrap or a plastic baggie around the top of your container to keep humidity in like a green-house. This is removed once the seed-shell is open and the cotyledons begin to open.
7. Once the cotyledons are fully open, the seedling is ready to place under whatever HID you have. I put mine under a 1kw light right from the start and they *love* it. You just have to keep the light a few feet up, but then once they have a few sets of leaves forming, you can lower the lights.

Hope that helps!

Right here is the king of advice in this thread imo, this is exactly what I would have said and this is exactly what I did when I germed my seeds, and as long as the seeds were good and mature, I had 100% germ rate success.