In a tent, space and light is at a premium, so filters are put in corners. Mine is ducted to my light, so I keep it up high and near the light.
The Joy Of Growing - SweetSue Goes Perpetual
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I don't think it really matters where you put it, as long as its up high, and there Is air flow across the surface.
If the sides of the filter are scrunched up against the walls, some surface area would be lost, and the filter would be less effective. If it appears that air is entering the filter unevenly, then it would be best to rotate it occasionally, like once/month or once/grow. This is to prevent the creation of preferential pathways for air to flow through the filter, and subsequent reduction of effective life span. Ideally the flow rate is equal across the surface, so that the carbon bed gets used up evenly. Regular cleaning of the pre-filter helps with that.
Its best that the filter is on the opposite corner from incoming air, whether thats an open vent or active inflow. But even that isn't a big deal as long as there's lots of air movement inside the grow area. An oscillating fan, or 2-3 smaller stationary fans, keeps the eddy currents going and prevents stagnant zones and channelling of air straight from the inlet to exhaust.
Sorry .. ramblin'
If the sides of the filter are scrunched up against the walls, some surface area would be lost, and the filter would be less effective. If it appears that air is entering the filter unevenly, then it would be best to rotate it occasionally, like once/month or once/grow. This is to prevent the creation of preferential pathways for air to flow through the filter, and subsequent reduction of effective life span. Ideally the flow rate is equal across the surface, so that the carbon bed gets used up evenly. Regular cleaning of the pre-filter helps with that.
Its best that the filter is on the opposite corner from incoming air, whether thats an open vent or active inflow. But even that isn't a big deal as long as there's lots of air movement inside the grow area. An oscillating fan, or 2-3 smaller stationary fans, keeps the eddy currents going and prevents stagnant zones and channelling of air straight from the inlet to exhaust.
Sorry .. ramblin'
Basically, if you can't smell it, don't sweat it. Check it after a harvest, but don't worry about it.
Let them soak in a lil cup or glass over night ,then soak them between paper towels ,just until you see a tiny split....plant in soil then, right away. Some go right from the water to planting but I like to see the split first cuz then I know it's gonna live!
Another thing ...you guys were talking about exhaust fans and filters and where to hang or put them in the GR.....any where up high is good ..corner is best , out of the way. The air gets exchanged every few min's. in a well planned out room so. it doesn't matter one lil bit where in the room it is...I like to keep it up fairly high just to help exhaust the warmer "up high" air out of the room. Hope I've helped Sue...have an awesome day! Oh ya BTW...when I do it this way I get 100% success rate. When you plant those "split" seeds just make sure to keep the soil moist till you see the lil devils OK!
good morning! 
UncleCannabis
New Member
Wake up Sleeping Beauty. It's time to make the donuts!!
UncleCannabis
New Member
I've always had good luck using the damp paper towel method. I place the seeds between a damp (not sopping wet) paper towel then place in a zip-loc bag, The bag is left unsealed and placed on top of something warm (not hot) like the refrigerator, cable TV box, wifi box, etc. Seeds will usually crack within 24 to 48 hours. Once the tail emerges I put them into soil right away being careful to place them correctly so that they grow upward and not downward.
Tips -
Don't allow seeds that have cracked to be exposed to air or light for very long.
Don't allow seeds to remain between the paper towel very long once the tail emerges. Plant them right away.
Try to position the seed with the tail facing downward toward the bottom of the pot when planting.
Plant at a depth of about 1/4" to 1/2".
There are many ways to squeeze a lemon. This may not necessarily be the best way, it's just the way that I've always done it.
Tips -
Don't allow seeds that have cracked to be exposed to air or light for very long.
Don't allow seeds to remain between the paper towel very long once the tail emerges. Plant them right away.
Try to position the seed with the tail facing downward toward the bottom of the pot when planting.
Plant at a depth of about 1/4" to 1/2".
There are many ways to squeeze a lemon. This may not necessarily be the best way, it's just the way that I've always done it.
Yikes Sue. Your germination rate was grim. Since you were following my model it is useful to think about things you may have done different. One thing is you added kelp to your seed soaking water. I'm not sure what prompted you to do that. The seed is a nutritionally complete package. The endosperm has all the food a young plant needs for the first several days of life. It is possible that the kelp contributed to seed rot.
I'm not sure how wet you kept the soil. I plant the seeds in thoroughly hydrated soil and then just leave them alone until everyone is up and kicking. On that last round of seeds nothing got additional moisture until about 8 days after the seeds were sowed. The soil should be moist but not sodden. If you keep the soil too wet you are also in danger of rotting the tender young roots.
There is also the possibility that you had unviable seeds. How do you store your seeds?
I'm going to be popping more beans next week, some of them have been in the freezer for going on three years. I should be 100% or close to it again without paper towels, rapid rooters, etc.
I'm not sure how wet you kept the soil. I plant the seeds in thoroughly hydrated soil and then just leave them alone until everyone is up and kicking. On that last round of seeds nothing got additional moisture until about 8 days after the seeds were sowed. The soil should be moist but not sodden. If you keep the soil too wet you are also in danger of rotting the tender young roots.
There is also the possibility that you had unviable seeds. How do you store your seeds?
I'm going to be popping more beans next week, some of them have been in the freezer for going on three years. I should be 100% or close to it again without paper towels, rapid rooters, etc.
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And good morning to you too PeeJay.
Yes, the kelp soak will be retired as I go back to basics. That was me pulling at those reigns PeeJay. Surely that didn't surprise you? 
If you noticed, and I'm sure you did, my rates in your modified soil mix were pretty darned good. I'm thinking the Dark Devil Auto and Medical No Name may have been bad seeds (it happens), and I expect Herbies will make good on my next order. Both were teeny-tiny seeds that made you pause as they got planted. I've been working really hard on refraining from watering until they are almost weightless. For me that's been around 5-6 days. I peeked in as I walked past and the Auto Jock Horror x Auto Amnesia is pushing through the soil surface as we speak (in HB Kit soil), so one more up and joining the dance troop.
And yes, it would beehove me to store the seeds in the refrigerator. I believe today might be a good time to get that little chore ticked off the list. Right now they are in a dark, out of the way spot. Many of my seeds are unknowns, in that I have no idea of their age. They were donated to the cause.
I'm just going to relax about it PeeJay and keep plugging away until I get it right. I have faith in my ability to find a rhythm with germination.
I'm also thinking three cups under the lights is a better fit than four. Two under a reflector is probably better yet.
I wanted to thank you for that idea of using the knee pad to seal the fan on top of the tent. Great touch.
Bearswhowalk
New Member
am loving this conversation on germination rate mine is not very good of about 40 seeds planted only have 2 plants so far. am seeing alot of mistakes i was making
UncleCannabis
New Member
2 out of 40...??? OUCH!!!
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good morning!
Good Morinig.
I had another of those marvelous crosses pop this morning Ziggy. I've been smoking the last one for the past week (?) and certainly wanted another to follow it, so I'm pretty excited. 
hahaha!!! I knew you'd appreciate that. It's going to take me longer than I wanted to get up to your speed Ziggy, but I'm coming up behind now. WooHoo!!!Wake up Sleeping Beauty. It's time to make the donuts!!
*Yawn* -----Streeeeetch ---- OK, I'm awake now.
It's such a joy to log on and find these marvelous conversations going on. Lots to pick through. Love it guys.
Well, the big takeaway here appears to be that everyone finds their own rhythm. I trust I'll find mine as well. Thank you all so much for contributing to the brainstorming session. Keep it coming.
Folks, you can take this advice or leave it. I use to suffer painfully over losing beans I really wanted to grow trying to germinate them. Now I'm nearly at 100%.
I tried the same technique using Rapid Rooters first but only got 4 out of 5 to sprout; been using Rockwool every since.
I know this journal is complete but I told Ranger I would post a method of germinating that has me at nearly 100%.
First take a paper towel and fold it as so:
Spray with 6.5 PH adjusted water (I use tap) just wet enough to moisten not soak and put your seeds in the center:
Fold it over and place it into a zip-lock bag without locking it:
Fold the Zip-lock bag and place it in a tin:
Leave the tin in a cabinet for appx 72hrs without checking:
As long as the seeds are mature and good you'll have tap roots. I'll be back to demonstrate the next step when these tap root.
OK Ranger, here's step 2.
I've been busy with the real world so these are back dated pics taken on the 23rd which was actually 4 days after placing them in the paper towel, one day too long.
Once you have your tap roots take Rockwool cubes and let them soak in 6.5 PH adjusted water for at least an hour then squeeze all the excess water out of them. Place the tap roots inside the rockwool cube holes swallow enough to barely cover.
On one of these I accidentally broke off part of the root so one might not sprout.
But anyway, Keep the cubes moist by spraying twice a day but not as wet as to have them sitting in water.
Place them under 18/6 lighting (I use CFLs) until they sprout and roots protrude through the bottom of the cubes.
Once these are ready I'll give you the 3rd & final step.
OK Ranger; to give you an idea how full-proof this method is, even the taproot that was out of the shell already and I snapped part of it off by accident sprouted. It took it's time but it did.
The only way you won't get a seedling using this method is if the beans are duds.
This is how the roots come through the bottom. I wait until there's at least 4 or 5 showing and then plant the rockwool cube in my medium.
Note: This was a combination of Denisse, SkunnyMonster, & Crawdaddy's techniques that I put together to come up with this method so I won't take credit for it.
I tried the same technique using Rapid Rooters first but only got 4 out of 5 to sprout; been using Rockwool every since.
My method is really simple. Small pots of thoroughly hydrated seedling mix soil. Soak the seeds for an hour or two. Make a hole 1/2 to 3/4" deep with the tip of a pencil. Drop one seed in each hole. Gently cover the seeds with soil. Leave them the #!@&! alone. Last time I was 16 of 16 in five days. I tried rapid rooters before. Meh. In my opinion the more a person messes around with what should be a simple, natural process, the more opportunities there are to screw things up. I'm not suggesting that anyone change a process that works for them based on my experience. I will suggest that there is a tendency for people to be attracted to complex practices that are fussy and unnecessary throughout the growing process. If we make the process more complicated it will always be better, right?
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My method is really simple. Small pots of thoroughly hydrated seedling mix soil. Soak the seeds for an hour or two. Make a hole 1/2 to 3/4" deep with the tip of a pencil. Drop one seed in each hole. Gently cover the seeds with soil. Leave them the #!@&! alone. Last time I was 16 of 16 in five days. I tried rapid rooters before. Meh. In my opinion the more a person messes around with what should be a simple, natural process, the more opportunities there are to screw things up. I'm not suggesting that anyone change a process that works for them based on my experience. I will suggest that there is a tendency for people to be attracted to complex practices that are fussy and unnecessary throughout the growing process. If we make the process more complicated it will always be better, right?
Looking at my current results, this is what appears to be working best for me. Two of the seeds I planted were known to be problematic, which is why I didn't really label them, and they lived right down to my expectations. If we take them out of the formula, I'm not doing as bad as I thought, am I? Two came up and immediately withered (so figure that one out Girl). I replanted four and one is up already.
BAR gets close to 100% germination too PeeJay. That's just way too much going on and added expense for me - prohibitively expensive given the numbers I plan to have growing. I'm going to be running full speed just to keep up with seed orders.
Now let me get these pictures loaded in. I'm hungry.
Bearswhowalk
New Member
leave them the !@#$ alone is my biggest prob i thinkMy method is really simple. Small pots of thoroughly hydrated seedling mix soil. Soak the seeds for an hour or two. Make a hole 1/2 to 3/4" deep with the tip of a pencil. Drop one seed in each hole. Gently cover the seeds with soil. Leave them the #!@&! alone. Last time I was 16 of 16 in five days. I tried rapid rooters before. Meh. In my opinion the more a person messes around with what should be a simple, natural process, the more opportunities there are to screw things up. I'm not suggesting that anyone change a process that works for them based on my experience. I will suggest that there is a tendency for people to be attracted to complex practices that are fussy and unnecessary throughout the growing process. If we make the process more complicated it will always be better, right?
- Thread starter
- #2,277
Can't you just plant into the rock wool? I would think your rates would be the same without the paper towel.
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- #2,278
Daily Update: Perpetual Tent - Week 11, Day 5
I spent some time reviewing DrZiggy's journals yesterday, particularly the first journal, which was my inspiration for the tiny pots perpetual. I needed to remind myself that we grow these plants for the trichomes and pretty leaves aren't part of the formula, so stop obsessing about that already Susan.
After a while I decided I feel pretty good about the two HB plants I have going here. Sure, the next batch will outdo these, but all things considered, these two that are left are doing their best to be excellent harvest candidates.
The Auto Destroyer has more going on than one spots in a superficial glance. This baby is solid as a rock and trichomes development is continuing. A few days ago I was really frustrated, and now, not so much. Ziggy keeps telling me they're OK, and I think I'll start listening to him.
The African Buzz (Day 71) is keeping up her pace. No complaints here.
The Cheese Candy at Day 72 is simply divine and fragrant as she can be.
I always wanted to do one of these scale shots. Harder to do than you'd expect. Juggling the iPad and hitting the shutter button were way too challenging for this early in my morning. Now I can say I posted the quintessential BIC lighter scale shot. LOL!!!
Say hello to our latest arrival - in Kit soil, Auto Jock Horror x Auto Amnesia.
While lounging in the tent yesterday afternoon I decided this front end of the Cheese Candy needed to be closer to the top of the canopy, so I looked around, grabbed a piece of bamboo and a couple clothes pins and viola' - she is raised. (does a little curtsy)
Environmental monitoring is showing a spike somewhere at 86.
Weren't we just going through this last week? Let me tick the fan up just a notch............. done!
The Tiny Closet
Carnival, on the left, (Day 8) has taken on a new energy and started to grow in ernest. WooHoo!!! Afghani #2 (Day 9) is doing the same. Those Afghanis are a vigorous bunch.
Afghani #3 (left, Day 9) and #1 (Day 10) are keeping up their own pace with no problems.
Nice tight nodes growing in the Tiny Closet. It's good to have something growing in this space again. I'm actually surprised at how good it felt. Having that light shining from the corner is quite satisfying.
I'm going to treat myself to lunch on the river. Just don't feel like fixing my own today. Or is it that I simply enjoy that porch overlooking the river? I could take a folding chair and my thermos of coffee and sit on my own I suppose. Nah! Another time. I'm enjoying eating out again. It's been years since we had that freedom. He was much worse off than we allowed ourselves to see for over a year there.
There wasn't any maintenance called for this morning. Now, let me gather up my study materials and get out the door. I need to clear the screen shots of information out of my photo roll. Managing data is a pain sometimes.
Later I'll do something constructive about seed storage. Any suggestions? MassMedMan, I hang my head in shame that I didn't follow your directives earlier. I'll do my best to redeem myself today.
Have a wonderful day everyone. You know the drill. You. Joy. Spread it liberally. Yeah. I thought you knew that. 
I spent some time reviewing DrZiggy's journals yesterday, particularly the first journal, which was my inspiration for the tiny pots perpetual. I needed to remind myself that we grow these plants for the trichomes and pretty leaves aren't part of the formula, so stop obsessing about that already Susan.
After a while I decided I feel pretty good about the two HB plants I have going here. Sure, the next batch will outdo these, but all things considered, these two that are left are doing their best to be excellent harvest candidates. The Auto Destroyer has more going on than one spots in a superficial glance. This baby is solid as a rock and trichomes development is continuing. A few days ago I was really frustrated, and now, not so much.
Ziggy keeps telling me they're OK, and I think I'll start listening to him.
The African Buzz (Day 71) is keeping up her pace. No complaints here.
The Cheese Candy at Day 72 is simply divine and fragrant as she can be.
I always wanted to do one of these scale shots. Harder to do than you'd expect. Juggling the iPad and hitting the shutter button were way too challenging for this early in my morning.
Now I can say I posted the quintessential BIC lighter scale shot. LOL!!!
Say hello to our latest arrival - in Kit soil, Auto Jock Horror x Auto Amnesia.
While lounging in the tent yesterday afternoon I decided this front end of the Cheese Candy needed to be closer to the top of the canopy, so I looked around, grabbed a piece of bamboo and a couple clothes pins and viola' - she is raised. (does a little curtsy)
Environmental monitoring is showing a spike somewhere at 86.
Weren't we just going through this last week? Let me tick the fan up just a notch............. done!
The Tiny Closet
Carnival, on the left, (Day 8) has taken on a new energy and started to grow in ernest. WooHoo!!!
Afghani #2 (Day 9) is doing the same. Those Afghanis are a vigorous bunch.
Afghani #3 (left, Day 9) and #1 (Day 10) are keeping up their own pace with no problems.
Nice tight nodes growing in the Tiny Closet. It's good to have something growing in this space again. I'm actually surprised at how good it felt. Having that light shining from the corner is quite satisfying.
I'm going to treat myself to lunch on the river. Just don't feel like fixing my own today. Or is it that I simply enjoy that porch overlooking the river? I could take a folding chair and my thermos of coffee and sit on my own I suppose. Nah! Another time. I'm enjoying eating out again. It's been years since we had that freedom. He was much worse off than we allowed ourselves to see for over a year there.
There wasn't any maintenance called for this morning. Now, let me gather up my study materials and get out the door. I need to clear the screen shots of information out of my photo roll. Managing data is a pain sometimes.
Later I'll do something constructive about seed storage. Any suggestions? MassMedMan, I hang my head in shame that I didn't follow your directives earlier. I'll do my best to redeem myself today.
Have a wonderful day everyone. You know the drill. You. Joy. Spread it liberally. Yeah. I thought you knew that.
UncleCannabis
New Member
Nice update Sue.
If we don't count them I'm at 100% since doing this, I estimate over 75 seedlings. Some ended up males and others tossed from failed experiments.
Also you mentioned the cost; the only investment is Rockwool cubes. I'm sure most of us have paper towels and some type of tin laying around. It's not as complicated as it looks. I challenge anyone to try this to the letter with 4 good beans and if you don't have 4 seedlings in a week I'll eat my words.
Been there done that. Not saying other methods aren't as sound or that I haven't had good results germinating with other techniques but this in my opinion is literally full proof! The only reason I say "nearly 100%" is that I was given about 8 bagseeds of Chocolate and not one tap-rooted & I'm willing to bet my whole grow on it that they were duds!
If we don't count them I'm at 100% since doing this, I estimate over 75 seedlings. Some ended up males and others tossed from failed experiments.
Also you mentioned the cost; the only investment is Rockwool cubes. I'm sure most of us have paper towels and some type of tin laying around. It's not as complicated as it looks. I challenge anyone to try this to the letter with 4 good beans and if you don't have 4 seedlings in a week I'll eat my words.