NOOB tip of the day #2

[CannaBoss]

Hello again new growers!
CannaBoss here with my second edition of NOOB Tips.

Todays tip(S) is on germination. One tip just doesn't seem to cut it here.

Seeds require 3 things to germinate and sprout. Moisture, heat , and darkness. Here is what I do to assure a successfull germination.

1) Soak the seeds overnight in a glass of water, when the seed gets totally saturated with water, it brings the inside of the seed to life. I add a drop or 2 of sea kelp extract and Superthrive providing hormones to give the seeds a good start.

2)the next day, take the seeds out of the water and spread them out on a paper towel or clean washcloth.(some seeds may already be opened, this is ok, still place them on the towel with the others)

3)Spray the towel with a solution of water,Superthrive, sea kelp ****a few drops of hydrogen peroxide(to kill bacteria or mold) ****IMPORTANT****

Get it wet but not dripping. Think "evenly moist".

4) fold the towel a couple times and put it into a plastic sandwich or freezer bag. Seal the bag but make sure it has some air in it. I blow the bag up with my mouth to give it Co2 and O2.

5)place the bag in a dark cabinet on a heat mat or heating pad on low.(optional but speeds up process)
the pads are pretty cheap at WALMART. Seeds need around 80* to germ.

Check daily to make sure towel is evenly moist and spray with H2o/HP solution.

Once the seed has cracked and the root is sticking out a half inch or so, you can place it in a conditioned rockwool cube. (rockwool is ph nuetral around 7.0- soak cubes previously overnight in water with a few drops of lemon juice( I use a rockwool conditioner and soak overnight), but the acid in the lemons (cheapest method) drops the ph closer to were your seedlings like it. closer to 6.0

Place seedling into a "humidome" available at any hydro store.Put the humidome on the heatmat on low. Humidity aids in rootzone production.
I usually cut a few holes in the plastic dome to keep the humidity around %75-80%.

I use floros for clones and seedlings, I keep the light on 24 hours until roots are visible. Then your ready for transplanting...

Be here tommorow when I discuss the transplant and the first few days after.
Thanks for reading, and Happy Growing!

 

[cincismoker]

great post man. ive never heard of soaking them ill try that 4 shor. keep it up

 

[CannaBoss]

great post man. ive never heard of soaking them ill try that 4 shor. keep it up

Thanks cinci, yeah as soon as I tried soaking it doubled my success rate.

 

[CannaBoss]

One more thing, if the seedling is sprouting up and the shell is still on the sprout, take it off so the leaf doesn't rot.

 

[GetAhead]

I have a good deal of experience growing plants from seed, other than weed. Personally, I am not a fan of towel germinating for soil grows (though I hear there are similar rock wool thingies for you hydro guys), though I understand that it works well for some. Two things I do not like about it is the damage which CAN occur transfering from towel to grow medum and also the issue of keeping sufficient moisture. If the seeds dry up, you are pretty much finished.

I wholly prefer starting seeds in Jiffy Pots (called different things depending on maker). These are round, flat peat pellets that meaure about 2" X 1/4" which, when place in a tray of water, expand to about a 2" X 2" seedling pot encased in a mesh net. Place a seed or two in each of however many seeds you plan to grow and line them up in a seedling tray. Pour in 1/4" of water in the tray and slide the whole tray in a dark plastic garbage bag (no light). I usually set the tray in a window for warmth. No sooner than about 4 days later (the pots retain water very well inside the bag and A LOT longer than a paper towel), carefully open the bag and check inside to check moisture and to see if any sprouts have broken the surface. Remove any surface breakers immediately and get them under your grow light.

While using two seeds may be too expensive if you're buying them, it does give the luxury of waiting to see which plant is better, if both germinate. I have been told that weed should stay in this type of medium until the roots begin to bee seen through the sides or bottom of the "pot". Then, they can be transferred to a large pot with very little transplant shock, if any. You just plant to the whole shebang. At a cost of anout 20 cents each, these are worth the money to me.

Please know that I am not trying to say this is a necessarily better method for weed (though it most definitely is for some delicate sprouting plants) or that the towel method is bad, just an alternative that will work.

Oh yeah, I always soak first, too. Some seeds you have to both scarify and soak!

 

[CannaBoss]

Thanks for that, if that works for you, get it. Personally I don't care for jiffy pucks, but to each his own.
This has always just worked for me. I'm simply trying to eliminate as many mistakes for our new growers as possible.

 

[GetAhead]

Thanks for that, if that works for you, get it. Personally I don't care for jiffy pucks, but to each his own.
This has always just worked for me. I'm simply trying to eliminate as many mistakes for our new growers as possible.

No problem. To each his own is correct. I think there's a lot less mistakes to make with Jiffys than towels, but like you say.....

 

[Hound Dog]

How long should you keep the dome on the tray in the seedling stage??

 

[greenbud1]

lol...its funny to see people half argue about which way is better...here mine..i take my rockwoolcubes take a seed...put it in the cube soak the cube...couple days i have full fleged seedlings ready to be transplanted....no soaking over night or solutions...just natural growth..i have a 100%success rate for now with it...lol

 

[blaznb]

Hello again new growers!
CannaBoss here with my second edition of NOOB Tips.

Todays tip(S) is on germination. One tip just doesn't seem to cut it here.

Seeds require 3 things to germinate and sprout. Moisture, heat , and darkness. Here is what I do to assure a successfull germination.

1) Soak the seeds overnight in a glass of water, when the seed gets totally saturated with water, it brings the inside of the seed to life. I add a drop or 2 of sea kelp extract and Superthrive providing hormones to give the seeds a good start.

2)the next day, take the seeds out of the water and spread them out on a paper towel or clean washcloth.(some seeds may already be opened, this is ok, still place them on the towel with the others)

3)Spray the towel with a solution of water,Superthrive, sea kelp ****a few drops of hydrogen peroxide(to kill bacteria or mold) ****IMPORTANT****

Get it wet but not dripping. Think "evenly moist".

4) fold the towel a couple times and put it into a plastic sandwich or freezer bag. Seal the bag but make sure it has some air in it. I blow the bag up with my mouth to give it Co2 and O2.

5)place the bag in a dark cabinet on a heat mat or heating pad on low.(optional but speeds up process)
the pads are pretty cheap at WALMART. Seeds need around 80* to germ.

Check daily to make sure towel is evenly moist and spray with H2o/HP solution.

Once the seed has cracked and the root is sticking out a half inch or so, you can place it in a conditioned rockwool cube. (rockwool is ph nuetral around 7.0- soak cubes previously overnight in water with a few drops of lemon juice( I use a rockwool conditioner and soak overnight), but the acid in the lemons (cheapest method) drops the ph closer to were your seedlings like it. closer to 6.0

Place seedling into a "humidome" available at any hydro store.Put the humidome on the heatmat on low. Humidity aids in rootzone production.
I usually cut a few holes in the plastic dome to keep the humidity around %75-80%.

I use floros for clones and seedlings, I keep the light on 24 hours until roots are visible. Then your ready for transplanting...

Be here tommorow when I discuss the transplant and the first few days after.
Thanks for reading, and Happy Growing!

i just germinate at room temp in complete darkness in a paper towel, and it has never failed.

 

[Nvr2Stond]

Do you feel you need too germinate every seed? Ive found that when growing in soil i have faster results by just popping a seed in.

 

[DayGLo*Halo27]

i think peat cubes can very easily stunt growth unless know plants well and have tried a few times they dry out quick sometimes especialy if u dont hava dome i think rockwool or soiless mix are good especially if its the same mix ur using organic or hydro .also ive never had seedlings die and peats damaged all and killed 4-5 outa 8 never happed also can get too damp n air tight bad for roots i checked them all before putting in ready-gro sleave mix since roots weret rotted but tiny as hell for over a week.