Newbie germination problems - Please help

[Phillipallman]

Hi guys I'm having a really hard time germination and sprouting my seeds I have 20 critical mass seeds and have nearly wasted them all I've tried every thing placing them in a water cup for 24 hours same for the paper towel trick even tried scratching them lightly and placing directly in soil most of them don't pop but the ones that do barley show a tap root its like just breaking the shell and that's after 2days ish the ones I have planted haven't grown and the seeds are now a yellow/green colour I'm just stuck on what to do I've spent hundreds on all the kit ready for it

 

[Curly Beaver]

I have the best luck with a "DAMP" paper towel in a baggy. My best and fastest germination comes when they are kept warm, they sprout in 12 to 48 hours. I have a microwave oven above the stove and put them in there, then turn the stove cook top light on which seems to be a good temperature. (Make sure to put a note on the handle telling anyone to remove the baggy before they fire up the microwave
Some folks use a heating mat or pad to do the same thing.

Don't drown them and put the baggy on a warm surface.

Best of luck.

 

[Phillipallman]

Thanks for the reply buddy yes my house is not that warm to be honest normally about 16c so I have tried using warm to got water and placing the solo cups in front of my 600w home light I currently have 10 seeds in a water cup in the oven nice and warm been there for 24 hours now and one has slightly cracked :/ I'm going to have to get a heat mate for when they are planted with soil in solo cups as it get so cold in the house for them just wish I could get them to pop and sprout so I can wack the lights on from then on its not so bad lol can't believe ive wasted nearly 20 seeds cost me 145 pound

 

[Curly Beaver]

Thanks for the reply buddy yes my house is not that warm to be honest normally about 16c so I have tried using warm to got water and placing the solo cups in front of my 600w home light I currently have 10 seeds in a water cup in the oven nice and warm been there for 24 hours now and one has slightly cracked :/ I'm going to have to get a heat mate for when they are planted with soil in solo cups as it get so cold in the house for them just wish I could get them to pop and sprout so I can wack the lights on from then on its not so bad lol can't believe ive wasted nearly 20 seeds cost me 145 pound

Try an experiment with just one seed - TAKE IT OUT OF THE WATER- get a paper towel damp and put that one seed in then fold it over and close up the baggy (I remove excess air) and put it in the oven, hopefully the light will supply enough heat. Can you put a thermometer in there to check the temp? If it is chilly I doubt you will ever get one one to pop.

I tried the soaking in water routine with no luck, the warmed baggy method saved the day for me. I'm betting you'll have a sprout in 24 hours if they are viable seeds

If it does sprout you'll need to keep the seedling warm too, I believe warmth is more important than light that first couple of days.

Good luck Phillip, and by the way, WELCOME to 420........

 

[Atulip]

Sounds like the ones that pop might be drowning. I plant directly in soil with no issues. What's your soil mix your putting them in? It needs to have good drainage, and water thoroughly but don't water often. Let the soil dry a bit between waterings.

If it's temperature related, germinate under your light, just make sure it's not drying your paper towel if that's your method.

 

[Phillipallman]

Yes mate I agree with you after days of messing around doing different methods I believe heat is most important light Is when they sprout the ones that are currently in the oven 4 have popped out of 10 just slightly so ill give them a bit longer then transfer to a baggy because of the very cold house when I put them in soil solo cups they are going in the oven as well to keep the temperature up next time I'm getting a heat dome with heat mat saves me the hassle lol the house is about 16c unless I have the heating on for hours then drops I got critical mass seeds cost a lot in the hope I can make good crops lol proving harder than I thought

 

[Curly Beaver]

Now I'm not sure I understand your process. Do you mean you are leaving them submerged in water after they have cracked and sprouted?
I am relatively new to growing as well, but I am not aware of anyone germinating "underwater" if that is what you're doing, but I could be wrong. If it were me.... if they have cracked..... I would get them out of the water "now" and place them under 3/8" on soil and keep em warm for a couple days. I believe 16C = 60.8F so that is too cold. The dome is a good idea too, and just mist the soil and the inside of the dome, do not flood them.

Hopefully someone with more grows under their belt will stop by and offer advice as well.

 

[Phillipallman]

Right guys bit of a update the 10 seeds that I have had in a glass of water in the oven have poped a little tail some barley so I've popped them in soil in solo cups and chucked them in the oven the previous 10 that I put in soil I've dug up some of them look bad but a few of them look good with about half a finger nail of tap root the soil I'm using is just some I bought off ebay potting mix got it in bulk off ebay 400 litres no going to use it again as it has buts of branches and tiny stone in it and it clumps up a bit when wet :/

 

[Curly Beaver]

That's good news Phillip. Now do some reading on how to water a seedling as it is soooo easy to over water them... ASK ME HOW I KNOW THIS!!!!! Probably one tablespoonful of water the first day to settle them in the soil followed by a little around the edges of your cup the next day. The point is to make the roots go looking for water, not make them sit in it. I think if you go easy and keep them warm you'll be on your way.

 

[Phillipallman]

Oh god I'm definitely over watering then mate lol I'm putting about 5_7 table spoons on each then a quick spray then chucked them in the oven I won't bother watering them now for a day or 2 ???

 

[Curly Beaver]

You should be OK if you just leave them alone now. You can definitely "kill them with kindness" so resist the urge to poke around trying to see how much your tap root has grown. Leaving them alone is one of the hardest things to do when you are starting out

 

[Phillipallman]

Yea just going to leave then alone for 2 days and check there dampness and keep them warm

 

[fanleaf]

How deep are you panting them in the soil? 5-7mm is sufficient. As mentioned above just a tablespoon of water when they go in the soil and let it be. Good luck buddy!

 

[Phillipallman]

Hi fanleaf I'm popping them down about half a inch to 1inch deep it confuses me some times as I will bury the seed then put water on top and the seed comes back up to the outside of the soil lol

 

[KingJohnC]

When I germinate seeds I use a matchbox lined with about 320 sandpaper to shake the seeds in for a minute, it scrapes the sides of the seeds to aid in moisture penetrating the seeds shell.

After having germination issue with Jiffy peat moss pucks and soil I switched to Rapid Rooters and have had much higher germination rates. Rapid Rooters seem to provide the seed with the perfect amount of air and moisture. I soak my seeds in pH adjusted water for 30-36 hours or until i see tap roots. I cut the Rapid Rooter mat into individual squares then I soak the Rapid Rooter squares in pH adjusted water for 15 minutes before use. Then I place the seeds tap root down into the Rapid Rooter square then place them underneath a light with 18/6 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness. I do not use a humidity dome. I hand water with a syringe each day to keep the Rapid Rooter square moist. when I see roots emerge from the Rapid Rooter square I transplant to 5" pots in a mixture of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite and mycorrhizae.

https://generalhydroponics.com Rapid Rooter


Cannabis is a type of plant whose female to male germination rate is partially controlled by temperature, you want 20° Celsius or 69° Fahrenheit to germinate your seeds. I would purchase a HydroFarm Hot House with Heat Mat, tray, 72 cell insert, 7.5 inch dome set to use during cold temperatures.

HydroFarm Hot House with Heat Mat, tray, 72 cell insert, 7.5 inch dome set

 

[WhoamI]

The main signal that tells a marijuana seed to start sprouting is the presence of moisture and heat. The combination of warm and wet "tells" the seed to start burrowing their taproot through their shell.
If a seed's root breaks through the shell and the water around has dried up, your seedling will die.
Seedlings are fragile at first. Once sprouted, the roots need to stay constantly moist to stay happy and healthy. It's important to make sure the seeds have access to water the entire time during germination, no matter which cannabis germination method you end up using.
Keep things warm!

Seeds germinate best in warmer temperatures and young marijuana seedlings enjoy higher relative humidity in the air. When seedlings are young, they grow faster and healthier when they can absorb moisture from the air through their leaves while their roots are still developing. Dry air won't kill your seedlings, but it doesn't make things better. Again, think springtime.
You can use an incandescent bulb (or two) placed over the marijuana seed germination area to help keep things warm. Incandescent bulbs can't be used as grow lights, but they're great for providing heat. Some people will also place a heating pad (the kind you get from a garden store for seedlings) underneath seeds to help aid germination.
Basically you want to make sure any seeds or sprouts are kept warm and moist at all times, that their roots are unexposed to light, and that they get planted right away. Hope this helps