Am I a murderer?

[etinarcadiaego]

I'm having some seedling issues, I think I might be killing 'em.

I use the paper towel method, put em in a ziplock and wait till they crack.

In the past I'd plant them as soon as they cracked and usually this was ok, but this time I'm waiting for the tap root to extend at least 1/2" before I plant.

Now I planted 8 seeds (3 AK-47, 3 SkunkBerry, 2 Chuck D) a week ago and a few died (1 AK-47 and both Chuck D) because the root dried out a little too fast as their taproots weren't as long as my other faster seedlings and the topmost layer of soil dried out pretty quick.

My question is this, apart from a humidity dome (which is currently full of clones) what can I do to increase seedling success rates in soil?

Should I quit putting the cracked seeds in soil and try a different medium for my seedlings?

My current "humidity dome" is an aquarium with a perlite/water layer on the bottom (perlite has a lot of surface area so the water is exposed to more air and evaps faster - I got this from the PFTEK for fruiting shrooms).

Would this be a good purchase to root seedlings?

Any advice anyone out there can offer would be helpful. My problem seems to be getting the cracked seed to actually sprout. If the cracked seed has a long tap root when I plant I'm usually ok, if it's short and stubby I often lose them before they break the surface. Should I wait for the taproot to grow even more in the towel before putting the seed into the medium?

 

[guest1ab]

just stick them in the soil and cover your container with saran wrap. I don't know why people bother germing in paper towels.

 

[VerdantGreen]

i just soak them for a few hours in tapwater and then put them in soil about 1cm deep. keep them between 70 and 80. wouldnt use the humidity dome for seeds but keep them moist by watering them very lightly every day.

good luck (you need some of that too )

V.

 

[JackTheGrower]

NO! Gawd no.

Those little guys have only so much energy to grow. 1/2 inch is running the clock out on the play.

Wait till they open and start to come out then place them where they can use that growth to establish themselves in the soil.

The little ones need to find moisture and nutrients so they can bulk up and free themselves.


I like to start seeds in something light weight nutrient wise. peat/coir mix with a bit or real soil mixed in.

I do suggest easy on seedlings because they have very little on the root side that can utilize a lot of bioactivity. That is what organic soil is about you know.

 

[etinarcadiaego]

just stick them in the soil and cover your container with saran wrap. I don't know why people bother germing in paper towels.

Hmm, interesting technique, I like that it's hands off. I use the paper towel method mostly cause it's what I learned first, I don't have any scientific reasons

i just soak them for a few hours in tapwater and then put them in soil about 1cm deep. keep them between 70 and 80. wouldnt use the humidity dome for seeds but keep them moist by watering them very lightly every day.

good luck (you need some of that too )

V.

VERDANT!!! Always nice to get some advice from a master Seriously I checked in on your LED grow yesterday afternoon - you do amazing work. I hope to aspire to that level of growing.

So they don't even need to sprout a taproot before I plant, just crack open? Will seeds crack faster if placed in soil and watered, or if using tapwater/towel? Just wondering.

NO! Gawd no.

Those little guys have only so much energy to grow. 1/2 inch is running the clock out on the play.

Wait till they open and start to come out then place them where they can use that growth to establish themselves in the soil.

The little ones need to find moisture and nutrients so they can bulk up and free themselves.


I like to start seeds in something light weight nutrient wise. peat/coir mix with a bit or real soil mixed in.

I do suggest easy on seedlings because they have very little on the root side that can utilize a lot of bioactivity. That is what organic soil is about you know.

Thanks JTG! To replace the 2 Chuck D that died and 1 AK, I sprouted 1 Skunkberry, 2 Skunk, 1 AK47, and 2 more Chuck D. All cracked as of today and have tiny little "tails."

So I'll put these in soil right now - but do I water and cover them with saran wrap, or just water lightly each day?

Thanks again for all the help everyone!

 

[habeeb]

dome, soil


done

 

[Joe Organic]

we always learned it had to do with temperature. but I would ask crazy composer. if he says it works, its right. he has nicer plants than all these people and his bud is not harsh like theres.

 

[guest1ab]

Hmm, interesting technique, I like that it's hands off. I use the paper towel method mostly cause it's what I learned first, I don't have any scientific reasons

I like the saran wrap a lot. It keeps the air humid and helps retain warmth. After they sprout (usually 2-3 days), I take it off. Works great.

 

[etinarcadiaego]

dome, soil


done

Yah I started thinking I needed something to trap in the moisture as my 2 Chuck D seedlings died as they broke soil., Turns out the taproot didn't extend into the soil more than 1/4" and the top 1/4" of soil was too dry.

What do you think of this setup for starting seedlings and for cloning - I'd love to know your opinion of how it looks.

we always learned it had to do with temperature. but I would ask crazy composer. if he says it works, its right. he has nicer plants than all these people and his bud is not harsh like theres.

Hmm, thanks for the tip. I'm currently keeping the soil between 70 and 72F with the lights on . . . .

I like the saran wrap a lot. It keeps the air humid and helps retain warmth. After they sprout (usually 2-3 days), I take it off. Works great.

Thanks for the info sanchez, I think I may try this technique this time - in fact tonight when I plant these beans

 

[VerdantGreen]

VERDANT!!!...
So they don't even need to sprout a taproot before I plant, just crack open? Will seeds crack faster if placed in soil and watered, or if using tapwater/towel? Just wondering.

hey mate, thanks for supporting the diary - so far so good

lots of ways to germ seeds and i guess its dependent on your own local conditions too.

i would say they dont even need to be
cracked. if you leave them overnight the viable ones usually sink. just a few hours is fine though.

the reason for planting them 1cm deep is that they are much more likely to shed their hulls as they move through the soil than if they were planted less deep. weed seeds are big and they have plenty of energy. being large you can also water them in lightly after planting which ensures that the soil is in good contact with the seeds. one of those little roses you screw on the top of a soda bottle is good for this. deeper planting also makes them less likely to dry out which is fatal for germinating seeds .

if i am using a dome to keep them warm (thats the only time i woud use one ) i always remove it as soon as they have germed.

V.

 

[ddrew]

same method since day one
24 hour soak in tap water
2-3 days in a wet paper towel inside a baggie that I blow new air into every 12 hours.
Planted with 1.5 inch tap roots and the seed casing just above the dirt line.
24 hours later all are up and open.
95% plus success rate for me.

Just germed 12 like this last week, 5 different strains, 100% success, all are up with their first set of leaves now

 

[VerdantGreen]

heres one thing that worked for me - if they havent appeared above the soil after 3-4 days raise the temperature slightly and they usually appear within hours. make sure the whole pot is kept moist and that the lower soil doesnt dry out.

V.

 

[watson540]

if mine dont appear within 3-4 days i just carefully dig them out and plant them at the surface

 

[habeeb]

^ that dome is just fine..

kick the temps up , you can safely do 80, and max I would ever do is 85, some say 90 but you never need to go over 85 for any reason..

also, water logging the soil can cause problems when germing seeds, not dry, and not soaked..

 

[habeeb]

if i am using a dome to keep them warm (thats the only time i woud use one ) i always remove it as soon as they have germed.

V.

yep, to much humidity on newbies and that can start causing problems. plus you wanna get the babies up close and personal ( if using floros )

 

[etinarcadiaego]

Thanks for the tips everyone. If they haven't popped the surface yet I'll try raising the temp as you suggested Verdant.

Thanks again, hopefully everyone will make it

 

[Tony Aroma]

I used paper towels for years and have now switched over to germinating directly in soil. I've found that covering with Saran Wrap or a dome is not really a good thing. It keeps in the humidity and keeps out the air. It might be OK for the first 24 hours or so until they germinate. But it can take another day or two for them to break the surface, during which time they need air.

I just put the seeds (no presoaking) in wet soil and keep them warm (with lights, NOT a heating pad). After the initial soaking, I keep the soil slightly damp until the seedlings make an appearance. After that, I start normal waterings, letting them get somewhat dry in between. This method works with fresh, healthy seeds. Older, hard-to-germ seeds are a different story.

 

[VerdantGreen]

right on tony

---

not wanting to start an argument or anything - but who are we to think we can better nature? seeds have evolved for millions of years to germinate with water and soil. any kind of intervention in this - when a plant is at it's most delicate - is adding risk. all you need is the patience to plant a seed and then wait a few days without seeing it or fiddling with it. the only time i have ever germed a seed in paper towel is when you did that runner bean in a jam jar thing when i was at school. let nature do its thing. seeds want to grow, let them.

V.

 

[Morose Jessebel]

yeah, well, sometimes you have about 3 or 4 dozen starts at a time and you would have a full time job without saran wrap or a dome. Especially if your only spot is by the baseboard heat.

but yeah, for a few seeds, after screwing around with throwing them into the propagator next to the clones and having some harder to germ seeds fail to harden off, I can agree wholeheartedly.

 

[ddrew]

I stick with the towels because it worked great for me when I didn't have the slightest clue about anything grow related, and it still works great now that I have 1/5 of a clue about things.