Why can't I germinate a seed?

[trouthugger]

So I think I know what I did wrong on seeds 1 and 2 but seeds 3 and 4 I am lost. In Jiffy Pellets in Humidity Dome (Seed Sprouter) with small light on 18/6. Temp @ 85F Humidity @ 50-75%

Seed 1

I rushed seed 1. Placed in water and didn't allow to sink. Transported to wet paper towel in closed glass tupperware on heating pad @ 85F in dark closet. Only allowed to sit for 24 hours and then planted in Jiffy Pellet with no tap root. Has been 15 days in humidity dome with no sprout.

Seed 2

Seed 2 probably got too hot. I helped seed 2 to sink after 12 hours. Then I trasnported to wet paper towel on heating pad setup. Heating pad was used incorrectly and got to 120F. I actually got a small taproot on this on and after 48 hours I transported to Jiffy Pellet and placed in humidity dome. Has been 10 days no sprout.




Seed 3 and 4

I soaked seed 3 and 4 for 12 hours and helped them to sink. Transported to wet paper towele in closed glass tupperware on heating pad @ 85F in dark closet. It has been sitting 48 hours being checked every 12. No taproot on seed 3, very small taproot on seed 4.




What am I doing wrong!!!

 

[WHIPEDMEAT]

try next time: pure perlit and ro/distilled or rainwater

 

[Cuddles]

I think you´re making this too complicated for yourself. Sometimes simple is just best

I use the old fashioned tried and proven paper towel method and it always works, as long as your seeds are relatively okay.

I always put them in a wet paper towel and that´s it. it´s important to keep it very, very moist. Then wait 2, sometimes 3 days and they´ve popped. Some grow tails quicker than others but 4-5 days max from start to finish, so you can plant them is all it takes.

I have in the past past tried it on the radiator but realized that it´s not at all necessary, the only thing that happened was that I needed to add water much more often but it didn´t make them germinate quicker or grow tails faster.
I admit I´ve never put them in tupperware lol. but that doesn´t sound bad actually.

 

[trouthugger]

I think you´re making this too complicated for yourself. Sometimes simple is just best

I use the old fashioned tried and proven paper towel method and it always works, as long as your seeds are relatively okay.

I always put them in a wet paper towel and that´s it. it´s important to keep it very, very moist. Then wait 2, sometimes 3 days and they´ve popped. Some grow tails quicker than others but 4-5 days max from start to finish, so you can plant them is all it takes.

I have in the past past tried it on the radiator but realized that it´s not at all necessary, the only thing that happened was that I needed to add water much more often but it didn´t make them germinate quicker or grow tails faster.
I admit I´ve never put them in tupperware lol. but that doesn´t sound bad actually.

For it being so easy I'm doing a pretty bad job at it. If seeds 5 and 6 don't germinate I will be out $50 of seeds.

 

[Hammerhead]

It could be from the shell being hard. I've had many like this. In the future, after you soak seeds for 36hrs and nothing has a tap root crack the seed yourself. Just be careful not to damage it. I've got hundreds of seeds to pop a tap doing this.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Some seeds are just bad and won't germinate. Germination rates on modern hype strains can also be pretty bad due to all the inbreeding. Old seeds can take some time.

My advice:

1. Soaking does help, but be careful that the seed doesn't open while its submerged, or it may drown. In my experience, 8-10 hours should be enough for the seed to sink.
2. Skip the paper towel, and place the seed directly into a small container (I recommend the standard 3-inch square pot) filled with thoroughly moist medium. Once the seed germinates, you really shouldn't mess around with it because it's very easy to damage the fine and delicate root hairs when you handle the seed.
3. Don't cook your seeds! 85F is much too hot. They should be fine anywhere between 70-80. I would skip the heating pad entirely unless your ambient temperatures are consistently below 65F.
4. Humidity domes are necessary for clones to survive, but as long as you can keep your germination medium consistently moist, I wouldn't bother.
5. Many seeds will take a few (3-5) days to pop once they are in the medium, even healthy ones.

I most recently did a quick test of 3 different strains side by side, 18 seeds total, using these methods. All germinated successfully. Of course, if you're going the hydroponic/bottle route, you will also need to worry about special feeding in the seedling stage. But, one step at a time!

Good luck!

 

[bibi40]

perhaps just about the seeds , my method is just simple ,
i put my seeds ( sometimes 50 seeds ) in a glass of water at hot temp ( 25-28C ) , i don't care about which seeds soaked or not , sometimes they all float , and 24-48 h later they germinate ,
had some inexplicate bad rates sometimes in winter ( althought the good temp i ), but usually work very well ...

put more seeds in water !

 

[Cuddles]

For it being so easy I'm doing a pretty bad job at it. If seeds 5 and 6 don't germinate I will be out $50 of seeds.

Maybe you just got hold of `bad´ seeds? I do find it a little strange that nothing happened at all, that sucks. btw which strain were they,and from which breeder did you get them from ? maybe some guys here are familiar with them.

 

[trouthugger]

Maybe you just got hold of `bad´ seeds? I do find it a little strange that nothing happened at all, that sucks. btw which strain were they,and from which breeder did you get them from ? maybe some guys here are familiar with them.

Scarlett Sunset Auto (Gas Genetics) from Neptune Seed Bank

 

[Cuddles]

Scarlett Sunset Auto (Gas Genetics) from Neptune Seed Bank

I´ m afraid I´ve never heard of them incl. the strain but maybe some others have. Maybe you could start a thread title with this info in strains and genetics ?

 

[BobChronic6505]

Do you have some seeds to practice with? IMO, it doesnt matter if they are cannabis seeds or not. u go get some watermelon seeds or sunflower seeds u can practice with those. Try different methods, use the one that works for you for cannabis.

And sometimes seeds just suck. A pack of seeds is like a pack of basketball cards back in the day. One pack could have a jordan in it, and your next 3 packs could be steve Kerr

 

[Greenheart]

I like to start in vermicompost. I'm agreeing with Cuddles and Fancypants. Keep it simple. The heat and moisture combination is likely slow cooking them. Ditch the pad. If the temps are not freezing they'll pop. I don't know the exact temperature. I'd say just keep them above 60F. If you are comfortable they are.

Grab a a smaller pot. Fill it with a seed starter mix. Flood it wet. Poke a hole about 1.5 inches deep. Drop the seed. Lightly fill in the hole make sure to not compact the soil. Do not futher water. Wait for the sprout. It should be within a week. The hardest part is waiting.

I believe the key is moisture but not saturation in your grow medium. Good medium both holds water and air. A vermicompost bin tends to be moist and full of good biology to help encourage sprouting. I have one handy so that is what I utilize. I've never presoaked. Last time I used towels was in grade school with pumpkin seeds.

 

[StickyBandit]

So I think I know what I did wrong on seeds 1 and 2 but seeds 3 and 4 I am lost. In Jiffy Pellets in Humidity Dome (Seed Sprouter) with small light on 18/6. Temp @ 85F Humidity @ 50-75%

Seed 1

I rushed seed 1. Placed in water and didn't allow to sink. Transported to wet paper towel in closed glass tupperware on heating pad @ 85F in dark closet. Only allowed to sit for 24 hours and then planted in Jiffy Pellet with no tap root. Has been 15 days in humidity dome with no sprout.

Seed 2

Seed 2 probably got too hot. I helped seed 2 to sink after 12 hours. Then I trasnported to wet paper towel on heating pad setup. Heating pad was used incorrectly and got to 120F. I actually got a small taproot on this on and after 48 hours I transported to Jiffy Pellet and placed in humidity dome. Has been 10 days no sprout.




Seed 3 and 4

I soaked seed 3 and 4 for 12 hours and helped them to sink. Transported to wet paper towele in closed glass tupperware on heating pad @ 85F in dark closet. It has been sitting 48 hours being checked every 12. No taproot on seed 3, very small taproot on seed 4.




What am I doing wrong!!!

Sounds like you are cooking them. 76°f give or take is plenty. I've been trying the method between the two damp sponges in a sealed plastic container floating in water heated with an aquarium heater and it works great. No risk of overheating or drying out and no soaking required.
The only problem I've had is once I put them in the jiffy sometimes the tail would come up , not the leaves
Guess I need to put them deeper so they have something to get a hold of to push the tap root down

Check this out https://www.icmag.com/forum/marijua...ins-and-breeding/170246-a-germination-machine

 

[troutman]

Jiffy pellets suck.

I soak seeds in water for 8 -10 hours and then place them between moist paper towels in a folded baggie.
Once they germinate and show the tiniest white root I plant it in soil. No light is required for germination.

 

[trouthugger]

Jiffy pellets suck.

I soak seeds in water for 8 -10 hours and then place them between paper towels in a folded baggie.
Once they germinate and show the tiniest white root I plant it in soil. No light is required for germination.

Good alternative to Jiffy Pellets? Or should I just put medium in a small seedling grow bag?

 

[troutman]

Good alternative to Jiffy Pellets? Or should I just put medium in a small seedling grow bag?

I use solo cups and potting soil with extra vermiculite in it or Pro-Mix.
Solo cups that people for drinking beer in Summer are not expensive.
Solo cups are good for up to 2 weeks before you need transplant.

This is what I like doing and one plant I grew a while back in a solo cup.

It's how I start all my plants.

 

[NEW ENGLAND]

^^^ this has always worked for me......except my first couple of attempts as a no green thumb.
My friend's busted my beans(no.pun) but good , dubbing me a serial seed killer ......hahaha
Enjoy the Journey, stay thirsty my friend

 

[tobedetermined]

I basically follow the OP's method.

Seeds in tap water for less than 24 hours. I don't want them drowned - just a nice wake up bath.

Wet paper towel – and I keep it wet for the duration – folded over to cover seed with several layers. I put this on a small plate that sits on a towel that is on a normal heating pad on low. I play with the folds of the towel to make sure that the plate just barely gets warmish – ever. Many seeds pop the same day or the next but the odd one can take a couple of days.

I wait until the seed has at least a ½” – ¾” tail then I put it in a Rapid Rooter that I have soaked in filtered water. This I put in a Solo cup or directly into my coco/perlite pots.

 

[dekab247]

Hello sir, or ma'am...I used to have some serious issues with germ with seed as well. Asked a man named Shanti advice. MnS breeder...I modded to my situation what he saID. so HERE GOES...Sorry I am blind, and hit caps. Literally need glasses...

Your temps, and all seem fair. Maybe too much water? anyways here goes my method. Hope it helps...

first off the soak you mentioned...Tap water should be fine, but RO a little better if you can. Just buy a jug of distilled water if water quality is a concern. Use about 2%bleach solution, and let them sink as you mentioned, but even if they do not. Pull them at 24 hrs max. 12 should be sufficient. Whether they sink or not.

Otherwise to be honest man. You temps sound right, and...I am just thinking maybe your drowning them. Though some strains do have thicker seed you need to help. Hempy is a guy I vaguely remember him giving advice on helping seeds split. He may be the one to ask if you don't mind.Good luck my friend. I used this with 10yr old seed. I over compensated thinking of poor germ rates, and got damn near 87% rate...When you plant over a century of seed. For a closet...lol...Best to you...D

add: after the soak...I go straight to the media to be grown in...D

 

[StickyBandit]

Jiffy pellets suck.

I soak seeds in water for 8 -10 hours and then place them between moist paper towels in a folded baggie.
Once they germinate and show the tiniest white root I plant it in soil. No light is required for germination.

For seeds or clones what I like about the jiffy pellets is they start dry so there is no bacteria or bugs in them. I've lost a few that way in straight dirt. The roots grow through in no time and I like the fact I can choose between putting them in pots with dirt mix or placing in net pots with clay balls for hydro, depending on the time of year. Once it's too warm for hydro and the root rot starts it's easy to plant in soil.
What do you have against the jiffy pots?