Clarification on sprouting seeds please

Okay, I've read everything I can find and when you start doing that, you find many ways people tell you to do a simple thing. And being a newb and an impatient nerd, you try them all at the same time (you try one way, 2 hours later turn around and try another way...). I've killed two seeds so far, so I'd like to keep from killing my next 3.

How much root should I see on my germinated seeds before I stick them in the dirt? (I have coco pills) If the roots are curled, plant them root up? If root is straight, put it root down?

Lights! I have a T5. When the seeds go into the dirt should the lights come down to 2-3 inches of them or stay up? How high? Should I put a heating pad under the seedling cups and tray until I see green heads peeking out? Should I cover the pots/tray until they come up? With my lights at 2-3 inches, it seems to get way too hot in there covered.

I need Growing for Dummies. :/

I seed directly in the Light Warrior mix from Fox Farm. Most seeds will pop in five days. My failure rates were huge before switching to direct seeding.

Use a reliable thermometer to make sure the plants are under 80ºF and the soil should be less than that.
As far as root showing, as soon as the seed cracks is good. It doesn't help to let it get any longer. Many of the better growers put seed right in the medium. I put them in a damp paper towel in a baggie in a warm place (not over 80ºF) and 24 or so hours later they should be starting to crack. That's the time to put 'em in the medium. I use T5HO lamps about 3-6" over and I run a fan across the light/plants. My plant temp is about 70º this time of year. They are growing very well. Don't put them too deep, just barely cover the seed with medium.

Hipster - Do you put a heating pad under your direct seeded pots? Any cover or just under the lights?

I actually did direct seeding on the 3 remaining seeds. It's been 4 days (impatience) so I dug them out to examine. One looks to be germinating, so I left her in, but the other 2 didn't look like they were doing anything at all. So I've removed them and put them into baggies with paper towel, on a heating pad in the dark to see if they're still viable. If so, I'll replant them.

Shovelhandle - thanks a bunch. How long after you put the sprouted seeds in dirt until you see green coming up? 2-5 days?

Being a NOOB, I would say try the Auto flower variety. I tried to kill mine last winter with horrible fluctuating temps and Miracle Grow under a 90 watt LED and still harvested. This time around My 3 Pack AK Auto from Royal Queen are 0/3. None poped :-( Also either my SAD-Sweet Seeds, Bid Devil or Afrodite won't pop.

Black Jack Auto from Sweet Seeds appears to be out performing all others and various other brands are doing fine. Definitely do a few auto's so you won't be disappointed and a couple regular fem.

Shovelhandle - thanks a bunch. How long after you put the sprouted seeds in dirt until you see green coming up? 2-5 days?

One day, sometimes three days. Cannabis is a lot quicker than any other herbs I start. I think the difference is the day in the paper towel. Parsley took two weeks to pop, basil, 5-7 days.

Use a thermometer! Careful, heating pads can be much warmer than seeds like. Top of the refrigerator is usually a perfect temperature. Computer or CTV modems, power supplies plugged into the wall for phone chargers etc. can be ok, make sure they are not too hot, if so don't put the seeds right on it.

Thanks, Shovelhandle. The heating pad I have is ancient and not too hot. It's wrapped in a towel also. Just barely warm. :)

nothing, man - room temperature on a table by the window - to the lights when they're up.

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Originally Posted by giggletwig

Hipster - Do you put a heating pad under your direct seeded pots? Any cover or just under the lights?

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Originally Posted by HipsterDoofus

nothing, man - room temperature on a table by the window - to the lights when they're up.

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Hmm...room temp here can be 60º. By the window = even cooler. Not to cozy for starting seedlings.

Okay. (unplugging heating pad) Got the seeds from a reputable dealer, I think. The one in England that will send you one seed if you want to try different kinds (are we allowed to put names?). Anyone had any trouble with old seeds, bad seeds from them?

Agree with shovelhandle, top of refrigerator my go to spot for sprouting seeds.

"How much root should I see on my germinated seeds before I stick them in the dirt? (I have coco pills) If the roots are curled, plant them root up? If root is straight, put it root down?"

Howzit GT?

This should help:
Attachment 290835

Attachment 290834

I plant mine in beercups full of coco.
They usually take from 2 to 5 days.

Aloha,
Weeze

Attachment 290844

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Weezard

This should help:




I plant mine in beercups full of coco.
They usually take from 2 to 5 days.

Aloha,
Weeze[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

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And how much beer is that??

Noob here, too, but I've had good luck with the paper towels. Put seeds in towels and wet the towels (I actually wet them, not just damp). Not so wet that that they're dripping, but real close. Put towels in a sandwich baggie, blow air into it and seal, so it's like a "pillow." In this closed environment the water will evaporate and form drops on the "roof" of the pillow. It will actually rain in there. Put the "pillow" in a small, flat box, and set the box someplace warm (but not too warm). Everyone says refrigerator and that sounds like great place. I set my box on top of an Ethernet switch and WiFi router that get a little warm (but not hot at all). It's right next to my weather station monitor which says the indoor temperature there fluctuates maybe 2 degrees from 75F.

So far, it seems like good seeds sprout in a day to a day and a half. Again, I'm a noob, so haven't done too many of these. Plant as soon as you have a sprout -- I do the same as Weez, but have some perlite in the beercups of coco. Perlite in the beercups of coco should be the name of a c&w song or something.

My limited experience: couple days for plants to start poking out of the coco, once they're planted. Seems like you should be able to go from dry seed to something green sticking out of something that looks like dirt in 3-6 days. I've had a couple die once they came out of the dirt and still not sure why.

The science ain't exact.

Till you get true leaves, damping-off can be a problem. Looks good then bang it's laying on its side.

"A million ways to skin a cat". With that said surely by now in the ground or toast! Personally I use my trusty gas oven. Baby wipes, (soaked & cleaned of all toxic chems) place the beans on a moist, not soaking wet wipe & cover/seal with aluminum foil in gas oven (always approx. 80f) 2 days later voilÃ*, sprouts. Day 2 should check to see if towel is still a bit moist cuz ya don't wanna let it dry out. Very low tech approach but have had a 90% + rate.

Sic Semper Tyranus

:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Token LaRoche

Noob here, too, but I've had good luck with the paper towels. Put seeds in towels and wet the towels (I actually wet them, not just damp). Not so wet that that they're dripping, but real close. Put towels in a sandwich baggie, blow air into it and seal, so it's like a "pillow." In this closed environment the water will evaporate and form drops on the "roof" of the pillow. It will actually rain in there. Put the "pillow" in a small, flat box, and set the box someplace warm (but not too warm). Everyone says refrigerator and that sounds like great place. I set my box on top of an Ethernet switch and WiFi router that get a little warm (but not hot at all). It's right next to my weather station monitor which says the indoor temperature there fluctuates maybe 2 degrees from 75F.

So far, it seems like good seeds sprout in a day to a day and a half. Again, I'm a noob, so haven't done too many of these. Plant as soon as you have a sprout -- I do the same as Weez, but have some perlite in the beercups of coco. Perlite in the beercups of coco should be the name of a c&w song or something.

My limited experience: couple days for plants to start poking out of the coco, once they're planted. Seems like you should be able to go from dry seed to something green sticking out of something that looks like dirt in 3-6 days. I've had a couple die once they came out of the dirt and still not sure why.

The science ain't exact.

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The extra water won't hurt the seeds for a day or two. But if you have some harder to start beans the wet-wet can cause problems. In a baggie even a damp towel will not dry out for quite a while. A couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide in the water to kill bacteria can help also if the beans are old and slow to germinate.
I use my internet box too. It's a little warmer than I like but I put the beans off to one side.

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Originally Posted by tlranger

Till you get true leaves, damping-off can be a problem. Looks good then bang it's laying on its side.

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Tell me more about this "damping-off". Never heard of that before, but that's exactly what happened with one of my plants.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shovelhandle

The extra water won't hurt the seeds for a day or two. But if you have some harder to start beans the wet-wet can cause problems. In a baggie even a damp towel will not dry out for quite a while. A couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide in the water to kill bacteria can help also if the beans are old and slow to germinate.
I use my internet box too. It's a little warmer than I like but I put the beans off to one side.

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That's good to know - thanks sh. I've seen people start seeds in a cup of water, but always with the warning that you shouldn't leave them submerged for more than a day.

Tell me more about this "damping-off". Never heard of that before, but that's exactly what happened with one of my plants

ok, google it and read wikipedia. basically it is a condition that kills young seedlings caused by a number of different fungus oro other organisms. damp and cool conditions are to be avoided to control damping off and have a successful germination.

One of the reasons I sterilize soil for seedlings, and it do isn't seem to affect older plants, have read that living compost soil will fight it at all stages.

Yay! I has a baby. Finally. Went to directly seeding into soil and it worked. I think that's the best system for me to keep me from messing with it (check it, turn it over, poke, poke...). So I've put my other 3 seeds into soil now. Thing is, I"m having a terrible time with gnats (fruit flies?). They love the lights and the moist soil. I've put up sticky pest strips, but the little creeps are still multiplying. When the plants get bigger and I can spray with Neem, do you think that will help? I know they don't do any harm, but they're terribly annoying and get around the rest of the house and bug me as well.

That's okay. I'll just talk to myself. Looked around and saw that cinnamon and dryer sheets were two simple ways to combat the pesky things. Put them down and suddenly the gnat population seems to have almost disappeared. We'll see what the next couple of days bring when new ones hatch. I hope seedlings don't mind a little cinnamon on top of their soil.