Germination

Having trouble germinating my own seeds!!! How is the best way to germinate them!! Also transfering plants from soil to bubbleponics system. (ie. Bucket, water, airstone, nutrients for all stages. My roots will dangle in the nutrient solution with the airstone bubbling directly under the roots) Can I switch from soil to that hydro system, plants are 8 to 9" tall.

Should I put the roots in a rock wool, or place them directly into the planter under the water level, with bigger grow rocks on the bottom and smaller ones on the top.

Temp a steady 84 F, 18 on 6 off MH lighting. When flowering 400w HPS, Red Spectrum.

Need a little guidance weather I should keep them thriving in the soil and start new plants in rock wool on the hydro system discribed?

Thanks

SEED GERMINATION:
-Pre-soak in water for 6 hours ("sinkers" are desired)
-Place in damp papertoweling
-Place papertoweling/seeds into a gladware container (airtight)
-Place container on a warmer surface (eg. Computer hard drive)
-May take up to a week


I've even had luck with germinating in a water bottle that took only 2 days. I left enough water in the water bottle to half-cover the seed. Left it sealed for 2 days and I saw the taproot coming out. (Threw it away, was just seeing if it could be done).


I don't have an answer on your 2nd question. It might cause too much stress to transplant that late. But if you tried it, make sure you rinse all of the dirt off the roots.

:stoned:

Any advice on the other topic, im making my decision in about a week!!

Your getting good advice. On the transplant they will not do well. soil roots and hydro roots are different. I would proof them now to see whitch are females and right back to veg. Soil is good for mothers. Then clone from mothers. Those mothers can keep your hydro running for more than a year with clones.

Good viable seeds can sprout in 24-48 hours if you use a few drops of superthrive per gallon of RO water and make sure it is WARM first before soaking seeds in it until they sink..then wait overnight & don't worry they won't drown, just keep the jar/cup warm and in a dark place. Use a heavy duty paper towel or cheese cloth, etc. to strain the seeds out of the cup/jar. Then check if white tap roots are showing on any of them & immediately plant those showing already in your growing medium, otherwise place them in a soft pre-moistened paper towel (make it wet but not soaking) and make sure they are kept damp (plastic bag works great..blow air in it to fill it up also before sealing) put this somewhere WARM & DARK like on top of the home water heater or fridge..etc. If you have a heating pad set on LOW or a plug in propagation mat for seedlings this would be ideal. DO NOT let the the white sprout tips grow too long because it will stunt plant growth and can damage them, make sure you plant them as soon as they emerge from the tip of the seed and plant them with the tail pointing UP about 1/8" - 1/4" under the soil/media so that the seeds can right itself up (the tail loops around itself & down) this way the seed can properly orient itself just like it would do in nature and get a nice firm footing for strong rapid development and growth. Good luck! :hippy: :rastasmoke: :thumbsup:

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Good viable seeds can sprout in 24-48 hours if you use a few drops of superthrive per gallon of RO water

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I DON'T think you should put nutrients in with the water your germinating the seeds in.

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and plant them with the tail pointing UP about 1/8" - 1/4" under the soil/media so that the seeds can right itself up (the tail loops around itself & down)

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From what I have read in books and numerous times on this site the taproot should be placed facing down. if you plant it facing up then sometimes you get the tap root coming up out of the soil.
If you follow DOUGAL25 instructions you should be fine that is the method i use and its ive had a very high germinating rate.
Sorry i dont know anything about transferring plants from soil to hydro.

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Originally Posted by bririr

From what I have read in books and numerous times on this site the taproot should be placed facing down. if you plant it facing up then sometimes you get the tap root coming up out of the soil.

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What he said :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by bririr

I DON'T think you should put nutrients in with the water your germinating the seeds in.

From what I have read in books and numerous times on this site the taproot should be placed facing down. if you plant it facing up then sometimes you get the tap root coming up out of the soil.
If you follow DOUGAL25 instructions you should be fine that is the method i use and its ive had a very high germinating rate.
Sorry i dont know anything about transferring plants from soil to hydro.

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In the natural germination process the tap-root "loops" up around over itself and then back down which is to right the plant head up above the surface of the soil through leverage, this also strengthens the seedling and gives it time for the water leaves to expand which will split the shell off. They are SUPPOSE to do this that way you don't have the seeds sitting there with shells not coming off below or right at the soil/medium surface. Trust me on this one dude. :)

As far as superthrive goes...it contains vital trace elements, plant hormones, over 50 biousable complexes, kelp extract & vitamin B1 which aids in tap root development and increases vigor signifigantly in seedling stage. Superthrive is pretty amazing shit. It is not considered a "nutrient" as it has a very low ppm value. Just do a side by side test on the exact same seeds with & without superthrive and tell me what you find out ok? :D

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In the natural germination process the tap-root "loops" up around over itself and then back down which is to right the plant head up above the surface of the soil through leverage, this also strengthens the seedling and gives it time for the water leaves to expand which will split the shell off. They are SUPPOSE to do this that way you don't have the seeds sitting there with shells not coming off below or right at the soil/medium surface. Trust me on this one dude.

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I have never put the seed into the soil with the tap root facing up and all my plants have come out healthy enough.
The only people i have seen that have put the tap root facing up like 6 times out of 10 the tap root comes out of the top of the medium instead of the first 2 leaves.
Normally the shell splits off once the seed has come up out of the medium and started to spread its first 2 leaves, and maybe occasionally he seed shell gets stuck but then you just get a clean pair of tweezers and pull it off carefully.

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As far as superthrive goes...it contains vital trace elements, plant hormones, over 50 biousable complexes, kelp extract & vitamin B1 which aids in tap root development and increases vigor signifigantly in seedling stage. Superthrive is pretty amazing shit. It is not considered a "nutrient" as it has a very low ppm value. Just do a side by side test on the exact same seeds with & without superthrive and tell me what you find out ok?

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well were going to have to agree to disagree on this one because ST can be very handy for the veg of a plant.
But i would never use it during the germinating stage, because 9 times out of 10 when I have germinated a seed with just water it works fine.
I have also come across some statements saying it helps but also some that it doesn't so:D

personally i just soak the seeds overnight in a cup of water then i throw them right into rockwool cubes that i have soaked in a phed 1/4 strength GH solution (i use lucas for short stocky plants). as soon as they pop out of the cubes i bury them in clay pellets and they go right into the dwc. works like a charm every time and i get germination in not more than 24-36 hours. oh another hint on rockwool, weigh it to see if it's too soaked. i feel anything over 35g is way to saturated. unless you have highly oxygenated water(like in a dwc)