Problems growing from seeds.

Loc Dog · Jan 20, 2017

I have always had a lot of problems starting seeds. I think I keep them too wet at first, and they die. I have not grown from seeds in a long time, and finally have very good success with cloning (over 90% success) due to following an exact procedure, where the rockwool cubes are 60 grams to start, and look for them to lose 2 grams a day till they hit 50 grams, then keep adding water to keep them there till roots show.

I need to figure out what I am doing wrong, and document the weights so I can follow procedure in the future. Currently have some seeds in rockwool for 3 days after cracking, and have not popped up yet.

How I grew them -

Sand papered seeds.

Soaked in water for 24 hours (some left 48 and still did not crack).

Soaked rockwool cubes, whipped out excess water once, made a small 1/2 inch deep hole, placed seed in with cracked end down, then used paperclip to cover hole. Wondering if I covered too much. I scratched a little away tonight.

Put them in tray on heating pad, top of cube is 80F.

Put dome on.

Next day took off cover and wiped off excess condensation, whipped one more time.

Any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong??

I could also start them in coco, if that would be better, since that is how they will grow. I have well over 100 old auto flower seeds in fridge I can experiment with, so I do not waste valuable seeds again (which these were).

_tessarecting · Jan 20, 2017

Ive started hundreds at a time by dropping them into the holes in the rockwool cubes. They dont need to be covered. Follow the same procedure as clones. 100% humidity day 1 then bring it down. I dont even get that tech with mine you just feed tap water and they pop up. I think you're trying so hard that they just can't take it. 80f is too warm for a cube anyway.

Loc Dog · Jan 20, 2017

_tessarecting said:
Ive started hundreds at a time by dropping them into the holes in the rockwool cubes. They dont need to be covered. Follow the same procedure as clones. 100% humidity day 1 then bring it down. I dont even get that tech with mine you just feed tap water and they pop up. I think you're trying so hard that they just can't take it. 80f is too warm for a cube anyway.

I have anxiety problems, and with impossible to replace, or expensive seeds needing to come from overseas, I worry constantly. I started making feminized seeds by the hundreds, 10 years ago when I grew autoflowers, so did not have to worry about it.

I will try uncovering the holes, and leaving dome off.

When should they be watered?? When they are no longer damp to the touch, or before that?

_tessarecting · Jan 20, 2017

Soak the shit out of them until theyre cracked and then proceed normally with intermittent wet/dry but not dry to the point they wilt and die. If the tray feels light but theyre still perky yeah water it. They dont need to be fed for a couple weeks at least depending on your tap.

Loc Dog · Jan 20, 2017

_tessarecting said:
Soak the shit out of them until theyre cracked and then proceed normally with intermittent wet/dry but not dry to the point they wilt and die. If the tray feels light but theyre still perky yeah water it. They dont need to be fed for a couple weeks at least depending on your tap.

Once they pop out of block, I never lose them. Getting them to pop is my problem. I am hoping to get a couple to survive. Will use the old autoflowers for practice. I have a $400 order I am waiting for, and do not want to blow them. Only 5 each.

Update - Took dome off, and scratched away the rockwool. One of the Gorilla Glue #4 X Long Bottom Leaf is popping. Hoping for more when I get up late Friday. The Dirty Margarita's are the ones I am most worried about, since only had 5, and germinated 3.

Phaeton · Jan 20, 2017

I went to seeds after twelve years of cloning.

I found it easier to cheat on germinating seeds. I use a small jiffy pot with potting soil, they hold about a half cup.
The dirt stays wet and when it is time to transplant I put the whole rootball directly into a hole in the rockwool croutons used as growing media. Transition problems have been zero.

The seeds go into the dirt pointy end down and no other modifications, some strains are 100%, other strains germinate 80%. Orange Hill Special only one out of five germinated, so now I have an additional five clones from the single seed that popped. Well, four clones, one is drooping and may not make it.

Loc Dog · Jan 21, 2017

Another mistake I made is using too big of a rockwool cube. I am using the 1.5 inch blocks. Will use the smaller ones from now on.

SamsonsRiddle · Jan 21, 2017

use promix bx. it's harder for them not to pop and come above than not.

it has mycos and there's even one with a fungicide in it. either way, i've never got damping off from it and everything pops up in a few days inserted directly into the medium. i don't use any kind of humidity dome or anything, just a cfl 6500k about 2-3 inches away to keep it at a nice 80f.

clown baby · Jan 21, 2017

STEP 1: THROW THEM INTO A JIFFY PELLET.

thats is.
done

wtf are you using sandpaper for.

resin_lung · Jan 21, 2017

I guess with the price of today's seeds it would have freaked me out too. Way back, when seeds were everywhere, I had plenty to practice with before "knowing" how to germ seeds.

If I could suggest anything, it would be to get ahold of a small quantity of viable hemp seed or pollinate a female once for enough seed to play with forever. Then sprout them. Kill them off after they shed their seed coat or show leaves. Water some often, some heavily some sparingly and some rarely. And everything in between. Note the results. Then you'll KNOW how YOU germ seeds, not just a recommendation that has been working for you.

Short of that the best advise I can give anybody having trouble popping seeds is don't allow medium to completely dry out and don't overwater. Start out evenly moist, but not too moist. Let them be till they get right between the dry side of moist and "kinda dry".lol

Seeds with tougher shells might need to be kept moist longer before allowing them to get "kinda dry" which allows a longer window for mold, fungus and larve.

One of the things I didn't start doing until much later on, that would have helped me a ton was sterilizing the surface of seeds with a mild bleach solution along with washing my damn hands! lol

Loc Dog · Jan 21, 2017

Thank you resin lung. That is what I plan on doing. I have a bunch of unknown feminized autoflower seeds that have been in refrigerator for over 7 years. Will experiment with them. My problem is usually typically too much water, and them rotting. It takes practice to get it right. I used to have very bad luck with clones, but now up to 23 out of 25 on some strains.

Once I get it down, will grow out the good seeds, take a clone, reverse it and make a crap load of feminized seeds. Plan on going back to cloning, once I find desirable phenotypes. It will be nice to have the seeds just in case.

Having anxiety, I hate waiting for seeds from overseas, and them going through customs.

Thanks to the others, for suggestions. Do not think I can get promix locally. I ripped the rockwool cubes apart, and am in process of transfering to coco/perlite in small airpot, with a little great white and superthrive added to water.

P.S. If you really have resin lung, get an Arizer Extreme-Q vape. I did bongs for 30 years and coughed up black crap every morning. As soon as I switched to that vape, never have since, going on 3 years now. Some cheap vapes actually run too hot and turns to ash.

resin_lung · Jan 21, 2017

Yeah but I cough up the kill extracts! Haha

thanks but it's just a nic at this point, thank god. When I was a kid (15/16) it was a different story. I don't know WTF I was smoking!haha I'd cough up all kinds of gross shit! It's been a long while.

Good lookin out though.

Loc Dog · Jan 21, 2017

What is the day range for seeds??? With clones 10 days is earliest I have seen seeds, and at 24 days, I give up, and throw out, since if they rooted would be crap plant.

Also, is it number of days from throwing straight in whatever medium, or days after soaking for 24-48 hours and cracking.

Loc Dog · Jan 30, 2017

I soaked seeds for 24 - 48 hours, and put directly into coco. Should they be watered a few times a day?? It is 85% coco 15% perlite.

MJPassion · Jan 30, 2017

Have you tried germing in paper towels?

I did for a while, went to straight soil & am back to paper towels.

No need for an overnight soak either.
Pretreat your seed as you feel necessary then put them in a damp folded paper towel inside a zip bag. Check moisture and seeds every few hours & plant as soon as a tail pokes out of the shell.

This has been my most successful method of germinating seeds.

Loc Dog · Jan 30, 2017

MJPassion said:
Have you tried germing in paper towels?

I did for a while, went to straight soil & am back to paper towels.

No need for an overnight soak either.
Pretreat your seed as you feel necessary then put them in a damp folded paper towel inside a zip bag. Check moisture and seeds every few hours & plant as soon as a tail pokes out of the shell.

This has been my most successful method of germinating seeds.

I started the last batch with paper towel after 24 hours soaking. Some did not split ever. Was worried about drowning them, which is what I usually do. Moved to coco, and 10 of 13 popped. 2 are extremely stunted. The 3 that did nothing were over watered and turned to mush (they never opened).

These are new seeds, just came in. Only planting one of each at a time, to be safe. Plan on making hundreds of each, for backup.

I think I should be able to water them a coupe of times a day in coco, because of how much air they get.

Emmay_Dee · Jan 30, 2017

Any seed should be given the float test first to make sure its even viable to begin with. After a few hours any seeds left floating after aggitation will surely mean its got an air bubble in it and wont sprout. Then you dont waste prep time on cups and pots for a seed that was bad to begin with. However a sunken seed doesnt always sprout either but its a great practice to eliminate variables.

aridbud · Jan 30, 2017

Hoping previous seeds and new order survives and thrives!

Loc Dog · Jan 30, 2017

Emmay_Dee said:
Any seed should be given the float test first to make sure its even viable to begin with. After a few hours any seeds left floating after aggitation will surely mean its got an air bubble in it and wont sprout. Then you dont waste prep time on cups and pots for a seed that was bad to begin with. However a sunken seed doesnt always sprout either but its a great practice to eliminate variables.

That is one thing I do know. I tap them after a couple of hours, if they do not sink on their own. The 3 that drowned the last batch sank, but never cracked. Someone told my to sandpaper, and another told me to very carefully crack anything after 24 hours if it does not crack on its own.

I think I need to water a few times a day, until they are a couple of inches tall, and have 2 or 3 sets of leaves. With clones, it was bad to water the young too much, or roots do not develop.

Emmay_Dee · Jan 30, 2017

Ill wish for a speedy germination and feminization to ya.

Problems growing from seeds.

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