1st time grower having germinating problems!

[Hash Hound]

I have started them under a 70w hps security light, 23w cfl's and direct under 400w mh.

I never tried the total darkness thing.

From what I just read in Jorges book, it says they don't need light to sprout, it doesn't say they can't have it. And on page 19 of the addition I have it says place them under an HID for some dry heat.

Do what you feel is the right way and what you are comfortable with.

Some seeds just don't want to sprout.

I was so disappointed some of my seeds didn't sprout; 2 Vanilla Kush, 1 Cream Carmel, 1 Hash Plant, 1 White Widow, and 5 NL fems and 5 NL regs, all store bought, and several freebies to name a few, Blueberry, Orange Bud, Mekong High, Skunk #11, 1 Moby Dick, 1 California Hash Plant, 2 Thai Haze x Skunk.

Very few of those were direct in soil. Mostly rock wool cubes, peat pots and paper towels.

I sure would loved to smoked some of those.

 

[Jenjen]

I would love to smoke anything -- I haven't had any since March! I finally decided to stop depending on others and grow my own.

I'll try your method tomorrow. Scarify, soak, plant, put under 2 23w CFLs for -- how long? 18/6?

Thanks for your help, HH. I really appreciate your advice and willing ear.

 

[Hash Hound]

Jenjen

I normally use 16/8. Not many places where they grow out door where they get more than 16 hrs peak summer. and my plants seem to grow quite well.

I also want to try the GLR method 12/5.5/1/5.5 supposed to be great growth for only 13 hrs light

 

[Smokemupm8]

Jenjen, the only method I have tried is the paper towel method and it has worked 100% of the time for me. How long did you wait before moving them from the paper towel to soil? Normally I leave them for about 2-3 days in the dark and they have always had a nice long tail sticking out before planting. After that it is usually another 2-3 days before a little sprouting comes up thru the dirt.

I wonder if maybe you are just a little anxious and checking them too soon at each stage?

Hi mate, how ya goin??
Hopefully you have some sprouted by now but any ways.. I always select my seeds carefully, dont ask me what to look for as ill be bombarded with stuff, but i ALWAYS choose what im going to grow from the seeds looks itself, if i do not kno the strain.
Now, i dont know how many people who read this will actually believe me, but in 16yrs of growing, and thats not a thousand plants or anything tho ok, under a 100.. BUT - Out of Every seed ive grown, i have only ever had ONE MALE! Fact!
Now it s probably dumb luck, i aint Irish?? But i choose my seeds, and place em in wet paper towel on a saucer, in the sunlight, keep it moist, and 24-48 hrs there's a tap root. You can put em under a CFL too,have it close so theres sum heat. Soon enuf youll see a split in the middle of the seed pod, where the tap root is housed. You can actually see on the seed where the tap root is situated.
Plant this in soil, about 2cm below the surface with the tap root pointing down,cover with bit more soil, water and wait.. Shouldnt take much longer than 2 days to surface if not too deep in soil.
Hope this method helps you!! Goodluk and all the best. SMOKEMUP..

 

[Weed Farmer]

This is my first time growing but had great success with this method (9 out of 10 seeds germinated) :
I place the seeds in distilled water in a dark place checking them several times during the next 24 to 48 hours until the seeds have cracked
Then I use a cooking baster to suck up the seeds with water and drop them in a propagation rockwool cube and place them in the dark with an light underneath to slightly heatup the underneath
After the very first sprout, I place them all under the light
Water frequently but not too frequently and dont fertilize until a strong root system is established

Like I said, Im no expert but this has worked great for me...

You can check out my first grow at Hydro - First Grow - 200W CFL Vegetation & 430W HID Flowering

 

[Outspoken]

I have tried all the methods, and direct in soil gives me the best results.

I like using these now, 32oz styrafoam cups with clear deli lids to keep the moisture in. I use the same soil I use for the big pots with a light dose of OC+ in there to sustain growth. You can grow a fairly big plant in a 32oz. before you need to transplant.

Direct in the big pot you use is good also, but wastes time and space if you get a dud. If it sprouts, it never goes through the transplant shock and delayed growth. You put a clear plastic cup over the seed and it keeps it moist.

I have seeds 35 yrs old and I tried every method there is. I even contacted some of the seed breeder company support and tried what they suggested. No sprouts yet.

To be quite honest im Using those disposable party cups, the Paper one's - and i agree the method works with the one exception, That i start my germination process by getting the seeds to sink in a shot glass first then transferring before their tail roots grow, It's worked for the 3 strains i've got going.. ^^ However it could be beginners luck also.

 

[Jenjen]

Another update from the pitiful sod who started this thread. Unfortunately, I have no good news to report. The most recent attempt was Aug 12 and used scarification, soaking for 12 hours, then into plain potting soil with pearlite, 16/8 lighting schedule under 2 23w CFLs. I've been better about not checking them all the time and not overwatering. So, it's been 8 days with nothing in sight (longer on 2 others -- 12 days and 13 days). It's difficult not to get discouraged, but I'll keep going. I have four NL seeds left, and 10 unknown freebies that BSD sent.

As always, I'm open to suggestions.

 

[Amsterdam28]

Hi Jenjen,

Sorry to hear the issues continue. A couple questions for you:

When you soaked it for 12 hours, had the seed sunk to the bottom of the glass or was it still floating?
Had it cracked open when you took it out of the water?
How deep are you burying your seeds into the soil?

 

[Outspoken]

Hash hound has a Very good point, although rather than putting it deep in just press it in if your soil is quite lose, Nature will take it's toll from there.

 

[Jenjen]

Hi Amsterdam and Outspoken,

The seeds were at the top of the water, but I swished the water a bit and they dropped to the bottom. I don't think they were cracked open after soaking. I made a slight indentation with my thumb, dropped the seeds in, and covered them with a thin layer of dirt. A few days ago I shifted some of the pearlite aside in case a piece was obstructing the seedling. I should add that I always wash my hands and equipment.

Given my 100% failure rate, what do you think about leaving them in the water until they sprout? Or am I just inviting trouble down the road?

Thanks for the questions, and for your continuing help.

 

[Amsterdam28]

I wouldn't leave them in the water longer than 24 hours because I heard that could have negative effects (the guy at my hydro shop), but personally I never use that method. I only do the paper towel way and it has fortunately worked for me every time so far in my limited experience.

If you haven't tried the paper towel way yet, give that a shot with one of your seeds.
- get a paper towel and fold it twice
- quickly pass it under some running water so that it gets damp but not dripping wet
- place a seed in the fold created
- place the wet paper towel in a ziploc bag and seal it
- place the bag in a dark place (I use my desk drawer) and don't check on it for 2 days
- after 2 days open the bag and check to see of the seed has a little white root tail sticking out
- if it has no tail, seal it up and place back in the drawer for 2 more days
- if it has a tail, place the seed in soil with the tail pointing downwards and just barely cover the top with a tiny sprinkling of dirt
- place the pot under light and wait a few days

The hardest part is being patient. Try reading as much as you can on here to pass the time while you wait when you are tempted to check on your seed too early. The last time I germinated a seed I did it while I was going to be out of town for the weekend and when I got back it was ready for the dirt.

 

[Jenjen]

I tried this before (and left it alone while it was in the bag), but will try it again since you're being so helpful.

Please describe what the white root tail should look like. A thread, or thicker and more substantial (like a comma)?

You're a gem!

 

[Amsterdam28]

Definitely more substantial. In a pic I have from my very first seed it was twice the length of the seed and about half the width. I will post the picture when I am back at my computer (currently on business travel) since I can't seem to upload it from my phone.

No worries about the help. We all start somewhere and to be honest I'm only slightly ahead of you, haha

 

[StonerJ]

I use a somewhat different approach. I put the seeds in rapid rooter plugs, place them into a chinese food leftover container (the rectangular ones with the clear plastic lid). I then add about 1/2" of water with a few drops of B1 Red in it by pouring it slowly over the rapid rooters to moisten them and put the lid on loosely so air gets in. I then put the container on a heat mat with a thermostat set at 80 degrees placing the thermostat probe into the water in the container. I then put all of this into a dark place for 24 hrs. After 24 hrs, I usually have at least one seed sprouted and within 48 hrs, any others are starting pop up as well. Once they sprout, I take the lid off and give them some weak light (CFL or small LED) until the sprouts have a set of "real" leaves. At this point you need to be careful to not let them dry out or you'll lose them. I then move them into my hydro reservoir and start the process with weak light and nutes until they're about a week old at which point, I give them stronger light and nutes and then they're off & running.

Sounds complicated but it isn't. I've done this numerous times now and nearly always achieve 100% germination rates. I think that in your case, your seeds may just be old & stale.

 

[Jenjen]

Hi Amsterdam and StonerJ,

Thanks for your responses. I look forward to seeing the picture of the sprouted seed, Amsterdam. (And I hope you're visiting somewhere cool for your business.)

StonerJ, do you grow hydroponically? I wonder if your process would work for a soil grow?

 

[StonerJ]

Hi Amsterdam and StonerJ,
StonerJ, do you grow hydroponically? I wonder if your process would work for a soil grow?

Yes, I generally run DWC in a large reservoir. This would work for soil as well. Follow the process I described to the point where I put them in the reservoir and just plant the rapid rooter instead. Just make sure to check the bottom of the RR plug to be sure you have a root coming through. Doesn't take much, just a little snip of the tap root sticking out will do it.

 

[Amsterdam28]

Unfortunately I was visiting Detroit for business. Not too bad, but definitely not cool. So here's a picture of a seed using the paper towel method after about 2 days:

Notice the size of the root when compared to the actual seed itself. I then just pick this up and plant it root facing down. After 3 days I have this:

Just to give you an idea. This next picture is completely unrelated, but I just wanted to share it anyways. I just got back after being gone for a few days and I checked my humidity dome where a couple clones have been sitting for I think a week now....

BOOM! I got roots

 

[Koco]

Jenjen

I have tried them all with varying degrees of success, but the best success rate for me is direct in dirt. They either sprout or they don't, but at least you eliminate the possibility of damaging the tap root. And the root starts working like it is supposed to right from the start.

What brand NL did you get?

green advocate,

you mention putting them in water. Is that just to soak them a bit before planting or do you actually leave them in water until you see a tap root?

I used the paper towel method for the first 24 hours, then I put it into the soil. My seedlings pushed up out of the dirt two days later. I think it helps to use both methods. I unfortunately planted two of them really close together. Is this going to be bad when it comes time to transplant them? Or should I try to separate them now with the smaller roots?

 

[Amsterdam28]

Koco,
I think you will always want to avoid planting two seeds in the same pot to avoid the roots getting tangled and the plants fighting each other for space. That being said, I would think you should transplant them ASAP before this becomes an issue.

 

[Hash Hound]

separate them b4 they get big