HashGirl's 2021/2022 Grow: Blue Dream, Clementine, Gelato & Pineapple Express In ProMix

HashGirl, all caught up and looking forward to seeing your grow style on a multi strain grow. Nirvana Aurora Indica has been on my radar, having grown out two other Nirvana strains in my short grow resume. I hope they turn out to be epic yields and a heavy stone as promised. Cheers
 
cr8grow said:
HashGirl, all caught up and looking forward to seeing your grow style on a multi strain grow. Nirvana Aurora Indica has been on my radar, having grown out two other Nirvana strains in my short grow resume. I hope they turn out to be epic yields and a heavy stone as promised. Cheers
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:welcome: to my journal, cr8. I'm happy you're here. Unfortunately, the Aurora Indicas did not live so I'm hoping third try is the charm. I have seeds in paper towel as we speak but I'm not going to post any info or pics about them until I actually see green above ground.
 
Virgin Ground said:
Hey HG.
You typically soak the seeds for 24 hrs and then move them to a paper towel?
I usually soak mine until they crack. Some older seeds,ones with more resin or just ones that have a thicker hull take more time.
Do you scarify your seeds at all?
I have had some of mine soak for up to 50ish hours before. The seed didn't drown and grew fine. If they are bad they will start to show signs of degradation, like slime forming on the seed.

I also go digging (very gently) when they fail to show above ground. I usually wait five days or so and give them a chance to show on their own.
Sometimes they corkscrew or are just planted too deep and need a little help getting to the surface. I have repositioned many seed with great success.
I don't bother with the paper towels. I plant them right after they show a little tail.

Maybe experiment? Next time you have a seed that hasn't cracked, just leave it in the water a bit longer. Of course I would only experiment if you have an extra seed or two to play with.

Try planting them one seed depth positioned on their side? I haven't had issues with wayward tap roots since I started planting them this way.
I also don't fill my sprouting pot all the way until after they sprout and have a few days to grow. I usually fill them 3/4 full.
Some seedlings stretch a bit. I can go back and top off the soil this way, fixing the issue.

Have a great afternoon.
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I have to bookmark this one. Great tips here!
 
Trala said:
It’s all so fancy.

I literally just make a shallow hole then cover them with dirt.

LOLLL
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Old school, just like us kids did with the Columbian Gold seeds we had mason jars full mid to late ‘70s…I grew many but only saw one that made it to full bud way up here in the thumb. Those plants grew in Santa Marta and wanted a 14+ week flower time. Grow was over by mid October here weather wise. I say keep doing what works Trala. Cheers
 
Okay people, I need some help here. The last time I actually got a seed to grow into a plant was with the Gelatos on October 2. I'm actually afraid to plant any more seeds since I have planted all of the following seeds to no avail:

  • 50 Dark Devil auto seeds made by Rifleman (I had been warned that they may not be viable due to heat issues.)
  • 5 Purple Kush seeds from Crop King. The seeds were 4 years' old so that may have been why they didn't germinate.
  • 2 Aurora Indica seeds from 2018.
  • 2 Clementine seeds from Rocket Seeds, purchased this year.
I currently have 2 more Clementine, 2 Northern Light autos, 1 Jack Herer auto and 1 Quarter Pounder auto seeds in paper towel.

The only two recent changes with my seed planting are that I'm using reused ProMix that had GeoFlora residue in it and the other recent change is that I ran out of Dynomyco and didn't use it for the seeds that didn't amount to anything. Other than that, I don't know what's going on. Maybe, I'll get Felonious to plant them. :hmmmm:

In the meantime, here is proof of life for the Gelatos. They're now 34 and 35 days old. They were both up-potted to 1-gallon pots. Unfortunately, I read that they don't like being transplanted after I up-potted them and now, it means that I will have to subject them to it again since a 1-gallon pot isn't very big. :( And, I also topped them. Here are some pics:

GEL1 - Day 34:

IMG_5804.jpeg


IMG_5806.jpeg



GEL2 - Day 33:

IMG_5807.jpeg


IMG_5809.jpeg
 
HashGirl said:
Okay people, I need some help here. The last time I actually got a seed to grow into a plant was with the Gelatos on October 2. I'm actually afraid to plant any more seeds since I have planted all of the following seeds to no avail:

  • 50 Dark Devil auto seeds made by Rifleman (I had been warned that they may not be viable due to heat issues.)
  • 5 Purple Kush seeds from Crop King. The seeds were 4 years' old so that may have been why they didn't germinate.
  • 2 Aurora Indica seeds from 2018.
  • 2 Clementine seeds from Rocket Seeds, purchased this year.
I currently have 2 more Clementine, 2 Northern Light autos, 1 Jack Herer auto and 1 Quarter Pounder auto seeds in paper towel.

The only two recent changes with my seed planting are that I'm using reused ProMix that had GeoFlora residue in it and the other recent change is that I ran out of Dynomyco and didn't use it for the seeds that didn't amount to anything. Other than that, I don't know what's going on. Maybe, I'll get Felonious to plant them. :hmmmm:

In the meantime, here is proof of life for the Gelatos. They're now 34 and 35 days old. They were both up-potted to 1-gallon pots. Unfortunately, I read that they don't like being transplanted after I up-potted them and now, it means that I will have to subject them to it again since a 1-gallon pot isn't very big. :( And, I also topped them. Here are some pics:

GEL1 - Day 34:

IMG_5804.jpeg


IMG_5806.jpeg



GEL2 - Day 33:

IMG_5807.jpeg


IMG_5809.jpeg
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Hey HG - I might be able to help. I'm 38 for 40 lifetime on popping seeds, and 38 for 38 on them coming up and turning into plants. When I screw up (often) it's always after they're well on their way. So.....can you describe your method for popping the seeds? And then can you describe what you do with the sprout, and how long the tail is, how you plant it, how deep, etc.? Sounds like a lot but it is just what are you doing presently? That will make it so that I or someone else (many, I'm sure) will be able to help you more. I've heard you talking about this long enough, glad you asked for help, I hope I can.

Also - how you water new seeds before they come up.....?
 
A sad yet happy post.:sorry:-:) The Gelatos look pretty happy but as far as seeds go. My personal opinion is breeders have pushed the strains beyond their optimum and the quality has gone down. 10 years ago I never had a problem getting good viable seeds from the breeders even the ones that weren’t of the top echelon. Didn’t have all the freaks and unstable genetics. Unfortunately I wonder if the true landrace genetics have not been lost.
 
Of course I'll help. I take a seed and put it in a shot glass half filled with tap water and tap on it to see if it will sink, most won't. Then it gets to vacation in a warm place in the house for 24 hours before I look at them again. If the seed is cracked at this point I either plant it or place it in a moist paper towel for half a day or until a quarter inch tail comes. I like a short tail or no tail. Then in soil, for me about 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep in a solo cup well watered. Every morning I'll spray with water until it comes up. If it's very dry then every evening too. That's how otters do it.
 
StoneOtter said:
Of course I'll help. I take a seed and put it in a shot glass half filled with tap water and tap on it to see if it will sink, most won't. Then it gets to vacation in a warm place in the house for 24 hours before I look at them again. If the seed is cracked at this point I either plant it or place it in a moist paper towel for half a day or until a quarter inch tail comes. I like a short tail or no tail. Then in soil, for me about 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep in a solo cup well watered. Every morning I'll spray with water until it comes up. If it's very dry then every evening too. That's how otters do it.
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Jons do it almost exactly the same way. Sometimes Jons skip the soak overnight in water step and just put the seed between two paper towels and keep the towels wet until it pops, then let them get dryish with only little water til the tail is as long as you prefer. I find a longer tail comes up more quickly, so I usually let it go around 3/4". Jons differ from Otters in that regard. (lol - sorry, I liked your third person reference so I ran with it Otter, heh)

I find the most important thing is not over watering the seed once it's in dirt and hasn't broken ground yet. That's all too easy to do and you can drown the seedling that way pretty easy. It doesn't take much at all. I either spray like Otter says here or I use the cap off a water bottle so that I am only distributing very small amounts with each dump. It takes a little patience.
 
Jon said:
Hey HG - I might be able to help. I'm 38 for 40 lifetime on popping seeds, and 38 for 38 on them coming up and turning into plants. When I screw up (often) it's always after they're well on their way. So.....can you describe your method for popping the seeds? And then can you describe what you do with the sprout, and how long the tail is, how you plant it, how deep, etc.? Sounds like a lot but it is just what are you doing presently? That will make it so that I or someone else (many, I'm sure) will be able to help you more. I've heard you talking about this long enough, glad you asked for help, I hope I can.

Also - how you water new seeds before they come up.....?
Click to expand...

StoneOtter said:
Of course I'll help. I take a seed and put it in a shot glass half filled with tap water and tap on it to see if it will sink, most won't. Then it gets to vacation in a warm place in the house for 24 hours before I look at them again. If the seed is cracked at this point I either plant it or place it in a moist paper towel for half a day or until a quarter inch tail comes. I like a short tail or no tail. Then in soil, for me about 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep in a solo cup well watered. Every morning I'll spray with water until it comes up. If it's very dry then every evening too. That's how otters do it.
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The way that I process seeds is like this:

  • Seed goes into a glass of water for 24 to 48 hours.
  • Seed goes into a damp paper towel in a baggie, stored on top of the PVR.
  • When seed shows a decent tap root, I plant.
  • The cup the seed goes into is half filled with re-used ProMix and then I lightly water it, add more ProMix and then using a pen, poke a shallow hole in the surface and plant the seed. I have tried planting the seed with the taproot pointed down and pointed up and placed sideways as per VirginGround's advice.
  • I cover the seed with a thin layer of dirt and spray water lightly on the surface every morning (and evening if they look dry).
And, that's it.
 
That's a fine process! Timing to make sure the tails don't get too long is my slight concern so I watch closely. Most folks go with longer tails but I'm a clutz with sausage fingers and afraid to break them.
 
HashGirl said:
The way that I process seeds is like this:

  • Seed goes into a glass of water for 24 to 48 hours.
  • Seed goes into a damp paper towel in a baggie, stored on top of the PVR.
  • When seed shows a decent tap root, I plant.
  • The cup the seed goes into is half filled with re-used ProMix and then I lightly water it, add more ProMix and then using a pen, poke a shallow hole in the surface and plant the seed. I have tried planting the seed with the taproot pointed down and pointed up and placed sideways as per VirginGround's advice.
  • I cover the seed with a thin layer of dirt and spray water lightly on the surface every morning (and evening if they look dry).
And, that's it.
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Hmm....that sounds exactly like what we're talking about. Only two things I can think of then are these:

- do you seal that plastic baggie you put it in? Probably don't wanna do that if so.
- where are you getting your seeds from? I can suggest several non-sponsored seed places, in the US, that I've used successfully if you think that might be an issue. Message me, I don't wanna step on any sponsor's toes (if you want).

Also, I disagree with VG on that one point. Always plant stem down seed coat up. That's the way the plant is going to sort itself out no matter how you plant it, so why would you want to make it more difficult on the seedling by planting it any way but that? That's my philosophy anyway, not saying VG is wrong, just that we disagree.
 
The one thing I do different from Otter is I don't poke the seed down into the water. They need moisture and oxygen. In nature they don't sit at the bottom of puddles to germinate but rather in moist soil in which the excess water drains away.

Also, I put the cup with the planted seed on a gentle heat after it sprouts, like a seedling mat, which seems to help. I suppose that depends on your environment, but I try to keep them between 75* and 80* F until they break the surface.
 
Azimuth said:
The one thing I do different from Otter is I don't poke the seed down into the water. They need moisture and oxygen. In nature they don't sit at the bottom of puddles to germinate but rather in moist soil in which the excess water drains away.

Also, I put the cup with the planted seed on a gentle heat after it sprouts, like a seedling mat, which seems to help. I suppose that depends on your environment, but I try to keep them between 75* and 80* F until they break the surface.
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Yep, I don't poke into the water either. I actually thought the idea, besides to swell the seed with water, was that if you float it overnight and it's on the bottom of the glass in the morning, or if it immediately sinks when gently pushed to the bottom, then that seed is viable. Those that won't sink are not. Not sure if it's true, never tried to plant one that didn't sink. But I'm with you on that.

I've considered the heat mat, I'm sure it's a good idea. But for me given the outdoors here I just let the tent stay open in seedling and the plants stay at about 80-83 degrees and 70% Rh, ie, the outdoor environment. They love it. But still, a mat would make things better and no open tent. Nice.
 
The viable seeds sinking is an old wives tale. I've not noticed any difference at all between floaters and sinkers. And they crack just fine floating on the surface.

Actually, the paper towel method is much closer to nature. The seed is nestled in a moist, but not overly wet, environment with better access to air presuming you don't seal the bag. When I do it that way I soak the paper towel then hold it up by a corner to let the excess water drip off. Then I fold it a few times, lay the seed on top and slide it into a baggie. Then I'll lay it it in a dark and warm place until it springs a tail. With this method you can easily see when it sprouts since the seed is up against the clear bag.

Much easier and faster to check than digging the towel out of the bag and trying to peel the sheets apart and then putting it all back together.

I also don't ever handle the seed, but rather use pair of tweezers to keep diseases off.

And finally, I use a bit of fresh worm castings diluted in water. The worm castings are known to ward off 'damping off' disease. I use the water to soak the seed and then pour it over the soil to inoculate it.
 
HashGirl said:
The way that I process seeds is like this:

  • Seed goes into a glass of water for 24 to 48 hours.
  • Seed goes into a damp paper towel in a baggie, stored on top of the PVR.
  • When seed shows a decent tap root, I plant.
  • The cup the seed goes into is half filled with re-used ProMix and then I lightly water it, add more ProMix and then using a pen, poke a shallow hole in the surface and plant the seed. I have tried planting the seed with the taproot pointed down and pointed up and placed sideways as per VirginGround's advice.
  • I cover the seed with a thin layer of dirt and spray water lightly on the surface every morning (and evening if they look dry).
And, that's it.
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HG,

Sounds like getting the seed to crack and throw a tail is working so that suggests your issues come when you plant them.

The two things that come to mind are your mix and environment.

For environment make sure you have moist and warm temps. I don't know what a PVR is, but I assume it throws some heat? But not too much heat so as not to cook them?

Also, I don't use Promix, but seem to remember that is peat based, so maybe pH is an issue? Maybe try a simple inert seed starting mix, at least for the top few inches of your cup where the seed will initially be.

And the lightly water each day as others have stated.
 
Azimuth said:
The viable seeds sinking is an old wives tale. I've not noticed any difference at all between floaters and sinkers. And they crack just fine floating on the surface.

Actually, the paper towel method is much closer to nature. The seed is nestled in a moist, but not overly wet, environment with better access to air presuming you don't seal the bag. When I do it that way I soak the paper towel then hold it up by a corner to let the excess water drip off. Then I fold it a few times, lay the seed on top and slide it into a baggie. Then I'll lay it it in a dark and warm place until it springs a tail. With this method you can easily see when it sprouts since the seed is up against the clear bag.

Much easier and faster to check than digging the towel out of the bag and trying to peel the sheets apart and then putting it all back together.

I also don't ever handle the seed, but rather use pair of tweezers to keep diseases off.

And finally, I use a bit of fresh worm castings diluted in water. The worm castings are known to ward off 'damping off' disease. I use the water to soak the seed and then pour it over the soil to inoculate it.
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LOVING that finally the fresh worms casing step. I apologize, but I am immediately absconding with that one. Thanks A!!!!!
 
It's professor approved!

I watched a webcast with a professor of soil science from a mid-western US university (I think) and she went into great detail about the benefits of the worm castings in soil and when used with sprouting seeds to keep diseases off (specifically referencing the damping off disease which I believe is a soil fungus).

Lots of charts and graphs and pictures, etc. She was pretty excited about it, lol. I learned a lot though, and upped my game with them after watching it. Good stuff.
 
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