Germinated seeds not sprouting in soil

[bluefoodie]

Hi all, it's been 6 days since I put my seeds in soil and they haven't sprouted yet. This is making me really anxious because it's my first grow and it may be over before it started.

I germinated 2 seeds on wet paper towels until the taproots were about 1/4" long, then planted them root down, 1/4" deep. They're in 1-pint pots filled with Sanctuary Soil Empire Builder. I put them 6 inches below 2 26W CFL's running 24/0, and I misted them every day so the soil stays moist but not soaking wet.

I think I used the wrong kind of soil because it has an NPK of 0-0.07-0.52. I heard that seedlings need high nitrogen in the medium. The fact that both seeds of 2 different strains are not sprouting makes me think something is wrong with the medium/environment.

What do you think I should do now to possibly save the seeds?

1. Leave them alone and wait it out. I don't like this since this just gets more and more hopeless every day.
2. Water with a nitrogen-containing nutrient. I have the General Organics Go Box and a 5-1-1 Alaska fish fertilizer.
3. Dig the possibly weak seeds out and transplant into some Rapid Rooters I got today.

 

[billybuddy]

it is very easy to plant seeds upside down,as the root normally has a u shaped curve(they don't very often grow straight down).if it were me i would very carefully dig them out and have a look.before now i have had to help the shell of the baby plant .but what ever you do be very careful .good luck

 

[Adze]

bluefoodie

"I heard that seedlings need high nitrogen in the medium." That is wrong, seedlings need almost nothing to start with. In fact high nitrogen is very likely going to burn young plants. I suggest you be patient, if your soil is warm enough ( 80f or so ) you may still see those sprout. Best luck

 

[BagAppeal]

Dear Bluefoodie

It could be damping off. It's a common problem with seeds after they go in to the soil with differnet pathogens.
Damping off can be prevented or controlled in several different ways. Sowing seeds in a sterilized growing medium can be effective, although fungal spores may still be introduced to the medium, either on the seeds themselves or after sowing (in water or on the wind). Maintaining drier conditions with better air circulation helps prevent the spread of the disease, although it can also prevent or slow down germination. Spraying or drenching the soil with a recommended anti-fungal treatment (such as copper oxychloride) also helps suppress the disease. Homemade solutions (including ones made from chamomile tea or garlic) are used by some gardeners for this purpose. this is from wikipedia..
Hope this can help you
All the best
BagAppeal

 

[greenmatter]

option #1

 

[bluefoodie]

OK just an update, both of my seeds are dead and I think either bugs chewed them up or they died to some kind of rot.

I used tweezers to very carefully move aside the top layer of soil to expose the seed. But just moving dirt to the side caused the seed to shift. It turns out the seed had become detached from the top of the root. At first I was freaking out thinking I'd accidentally popped off the head of the seed, but after seeing the same thing with the other seed (it just "fell off" the top of the root), something must have been very wrong with the soil environment.

I opened up the seed coats and saw no cotyledons. Under the loupe it looked mushy and moldy. I also noticed some tiny white bugs moving around in the soil near where the seeds were. On the inside of the seed coat there was a patch of small, white, sesame seed-shaped specks that I think might have been egg cases. Does anyone know what the problem was?

 

[deadkndys]

Next time use seed starting soil and a baggie over pots/dixie cups to keep humidity in.