Is it the seeds?

[013]

I’m defs not an expert either.

I’ve had probs with plant vigor before too and yes you could have weaker strain captured within those beans… no question there. Eliminate the variables

 

[SmokingWings]

Maybe it is a change in the overall environment. The humidity of the room or house. The overall temperature in the house. Maybe it was hotter outside and the house air conditioner ran more often and for longer periods of time.

I do not do much from seeds and instead take cuttings and try to get them to root. I have better success in the spring and fall than in the winter & summer. However, in the summer if I put the cuttings outside I can have great success as compared to what happens in the house over those same weeks.

 

[Tedmarx38]

Oh...so the seeds cracked but never sprouted?

They cracked and sprouted roots of about an inch, so I’d plant them in the solos but they wouldn’t survive. Same approach I’ve always used but doomed this time.

 

[Tedmarx38]

Maybe it is a change in the overall environment. The humidity of the room or house. The overall temperature in the house. Maybe it was hotter outside and the house air conditioner ran more often and for longer periods of time.

I do not do much from seeds and instead take cuttings and try to get them to root. I have better success in the spring and fall than in the winter & summer. However, in the summer if I put the cuttings outside I can have great success as compared to what happens in the house over those same weeks.

Thanks, wish I could do that. I’m careful with the humidity levels and temps in the tent, trying to keep things stable. I don’t grow in the summer because it’s difficult to maintain a temp below 85 or so during the flowering stage with the lights jacked up.

 

[Tedmarx38]

I’m defs not an expert either.

I’ve had probs with plant vigor before too and yes you could have weaker strain captured within those beans… no question there. Eliminate the variables

Thanks, appreciate it. The reason I’m digging into this with the fine help of y’all is I need to decide whether to Chuck these seeds and order from somewhere else. Leaning toward that. Btw what soil do you use? Appreciate your help.

 

[013]

Right now I’m using a 50/50 mix of 2 local bagged soils, one is their standard potting mix with forest fines and the other is their seafood mix. I forget their company name but I amend it with perlite, rice hulls & pumice for aeration and of course dynamyco & real growers recharge and all that jazz.

On this next run I’m going to use Geoflora Veg organic dry mix in the soil at upcans.

I’m confident you will work around those seeds or whatever issue and get back in the garden.

cold feet? What’s the tent sitting on? Concrete or tile can suck the life out of babies….

 

[Jaz]

I’m curious: can seeds that are too old or were stored improperly by the bank germinate but not thrive?

Yes. I've germinated seeds side by side, same conditions and some do better than others, some crack open but don't grow further, some grow a tap root but stall, don't do well in the soil, etc.

Some seed banks provide extra seeds for this reason or will give you credit on your next purchase, seeds are an organic product, you do get duds.

Seed bank quality

j

 

[Tedmarx38]

UPDATE

Thanks again for all the input. I’ve identified the problem as (drumroll)….the soil. How? I tried growing all sorts of different things in it …. Different batches of seeds, peppers, lettuce….all germinated but failed to last. I opened a new bag of fox farm ocean forest and now I’m back in business. Solid growth once again.

question: the old soil (fox farms happy frog) was delivered in May and I don’t know why it suddenly stopped working. All attempts were first use, not reused. I don’t think the six months or so would be an issue and I’m wondering if I let it get too dry in the bag. Microbes dying comes to mind although I’m not sure.

 

[013]

Might want to add water, mycos & microbes to the bad soil to recharge it and then seal it up in plastic tote or garbage bag to recook the soil.

one main aspect to know is that soil will not cook properly if it’s sitting on cold concrete slab

 

[Azimuth]

Might want to add water, mycos & microbes to the bad soil to recharge it and then seal it up in plastic tote or garbage bag to recook the soil.

one main aspect to know is that soil will not cook properly if it’s sitting on cold concrete slab

Seedlings breaking the surface and then dying could be a sign of damping off disease which would present as almost a pinching of the newly emerged stem just above the soil surface and then the plant topples over. Damping off is a fungus that lives in the soil.

If that looks like what happened you can counter it with light air movement with a gentle fan, but a sprinkling of worm castings will go the furthest in resolving the issue because the microbes in the castings kill off the damping off fungus.

 

[Tedmarx38]

Thanks both. This soil goes in the holes my dog digs up lol. I’ve lost months of good smoking messing with it and when I’m more experienced I’ll try regurgitating using these methods. Q for now: wasn’t sure what you meant about the cold slab but if I’m leaving my new bag on the garage floor in the winter, will that ruin it?

 

[Azimuth]

An organic mix generally needs to "cook" which is actually the heat created by the microbes as they break down organic matter and feed on each other. Keeping your batch in the cold, especially on a cold concrete floor will retard the process until the temps increase.

But you can set your container on some insulation or a pallet or something and that will help. Wrapping it in a blanket if it's cold can help keep the process going in the cold as it produces its own heat, much like a compost pile will heat up if it has enough mass.

 

[SmokingWings]

but if I’m leaving my new bag on the garage floor in the winter, will that ruin it?

No, but many feel that it will keep the soil in the bag cold enough that normal processes with micro-organisms slows down. If you want to use the soil in the bag then it has to be brought in for a few days so it can come up to normal room temperatures before starting to use.