Its time to plant seeds.

[Creeperpark]

Foxfarms Ocean Forest or Happy Frog and Roots Organic potting mixes are perfect potting mixes for starting seed in? I never lose breeder seeds and always have 100% success using FFOP or FFHF potting mixes. There's a couple of tricks needed to follow but I guarantee 100% success. You got to use Rainwater only!!!!!!

I take a bag of Fox farms Ocean Forest or Happy Frog or Roots Organic and tumble it on the ground about 30 times to make sure the finer stuff gets mixed well.

Using a dixie cup with holes in the bottom I fill it up with loose soil and weigh it dry. Then water the cup completely and write both weights on top of the cup. Don’t pack the soil and let the water do it.
Take a sharpened pencil and plant the seed as deep as the end of the lead is from the paint color on the pencil. Maintain a 72f to 82f or 22c to 27c temperature range until sprouts.

Using the scales keep the cups at max wet weight for the first 48 hours then cut the water and put the cups under the lights on a 12/12 photoperiod and leave them alone. That’s it they always sprout every time. You don’t have to weigh every cup just one cup to get an idea on how much water you have.

Note: Paper towel germinated seeds won’t work very well because it’s too hot and will burn the seed tail or radicle. However, if you plant the seed directly into the FFOP or FFHF the seed tail or radicle "adapts easily" and grows like crazy if it's not over watered. .

Every time you add rainwater to the cups the nutrients are released and if you overwater you overfeed and that’s why you need to weigh the cups. I let the wet weight drop down to 20 grams from the dry weight before watering again. Always keep 20 “water grams” Inside the cups at all times.

 

[Creeperpark]

The reasons seeds fail in Fox Farms Ocean Forest or Happy Frog.
Wrong type water
Over or under watering
Too big of a container
Seeds planted too deep

Water management and water quality are the keys to 100% success for seed germination. I never lose a seed anymore.

Using rainwater only with Foxfarms, seed germination will assure perfect water quality and success.

Weighing the dixie cups will assure correct water management and prevent over or underwatering. That’s is easy-peasy. Good luck with 2023 seeds and happy gardening..

 

[St. Phatty]

I put a balled up piece of thin plastic, like cut up grocery bags which is 1/2 mil polyethylene.

Over the top of the wet soil with the seed.

To keep it from drying out.

A few pieces of plastic.

In the veg. room there is a 250 watt Metal Halide with a fresh bulb. It generates a good spectrum but the weak link is that the soil dries out. That's why I cover it with the plastic.

Or sometimes I put the pots with soil & seeds in a sealed bag.

It helps to keep in mind that seeds are fragile. So you have to watch it like a hawk. Check the veg. grow area every day.

Anyway now I got 4 store-bought seeds started so I'm checking those too.

I have small pieces of plastic, like those round sort of pyramid shaped things that kid's desserts come in.

When the seedling lies down to much, I prop it against stuff so that it can get bigger.

 

[colinriley854]

Thank you for sharing your experience.