Got these seeds and don't know what to do.....

[blink_inc]

Hey all,

I've been reading a lot about germinating seeds and there are so many different ways. Enough to confuse a newb.

I have this bag of about 100 seeds and am not sure how to get them going.

I took out about 15 yesterday and soaked a papertowell in some boiled (then cooled) water. I put them in a tupperware container and into the cupboard. Have I done anything wrong here???

I am off to the local store to pick up some vermiculite and perlite to mix with some potting soil and will try fifteen seeds this way under some flourescents.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

My wife is all over me to get this going and I don't want to be dissapointed with my first attempt.

Thanks,
Will//

blink_inc Reviewed by blink_inc on 06-10-2007. Got these seeds and don't know what to do..... Hey all, I've been reading a lot about germinating seeds and there are so many different ways. Enough to confuse a newb. I have this bag of about 100 seeds and am not sure how to get them going. I took out about 15 yesterday and soaked a papertowell in some boiled (then cooled) water. I put them in a tupperware container and into the cupboard. Have I done anything wrong here??? I am off to the local store to pick up some vermiculite and perlite to mix with some potting soil and will Rating: 5

[freewheelinfrank]

read the Grow FAQs section, and do a bit of reading in the Forum categories that suit you, all the answers are already here for you - if you can't find an answer, just ask, and someone will be sure to help

[PharmaCan]

What frank said.

[Storm Crow]

1) Don't use "Miracle Grow" anything! It may be great for some plants, but it is wrong for pot. And get some epsom salts to add to your grow -pot is very hungry for magnesium! Read the grow FAQs for more info.

2) Start them in paper drink cups with a drainage hole. Let them grow for a while, when the cups start getting "soggy" looking, it's transplant time! Just
take some scissors and cut the rim. The rest of the cup should be simple to tear off and it is easy to transplant them. Then they go to 1 gallon pots to finish vegging and from there to whatever sized pots- I grow a couple plants in each of my 19 gallon Wal-mart tubs ($4).

3) Grow organically as you can manage- you are going to smoke the results.

4) Keep a record of planting dates, transplanting dates, etc. It makes thing easier! And get a microscope (try Radio Shack- $10) to check the trichs!

5) When you finally top your babies, take a 2 to 3 inch long piece. Then set the tops in a foil covered jar of water- I use a pencil to make the holes in the top for the clones- and put them under 12/12 lighting. These will "sex out" earlier than your plants, so you can get rid of the males before they start spreading pollen AND with a little luck, you get rooted clones of your females. Just remember to label them all! Just stick the females back under 24/7 to continue rooting and revegging. Very nice if you get a real "keeper"- you already have a mom in veg! At the worst, you have an all female group of clones as a head start on your next crop! Oh, and males usually show first, so don't get discouraged if the first 3 or 4 are males- I once had a run of 7 males before the first female showed!:wtf:

6) Watch for pests! Mites (aka "the borg") are very tiny, but very bad!

7) There is some controversy about "veg" lighting- some prefer 18/6 and others go 24/7. Everyone agrees that to flower, you need 12/12. And fluoros work fine! Wal mart has these big flattened cone-shaped CFLs that give off a blueish light ($8), nice for vegging. The cylinder-shaped ones are a warmer color, better for buds. If you are using tube-style fluoros, go with cool whites for veg and GE's "Kitchen and Bath"s for bud. Keep them close to your plants and more is better!

8) READ!!! and enjoy your new hobby! - Granny:hippy:

[mythin]

I dont know what I can say that storm crow hasnt said. The only thing i can comment on is the lighting, Id reccomend that maybe for the first week or two 24/7 lighting might be ok. But plants do need a dark period, and 18/6 seems to give bigger yields since the roots grow more during dark periods.

[blink_inc]

36 hours after moist paper towell in a dark cupboard and several have sprouted.

Onward we go.....

[PharmaCan]

36 hours after moist paper towell in a dark cupboard and several have sprouted.

Onward we go.....

Bury those babies and yer on yer way - whooopppeeeee!!! :rastasmoke:

[blink_inc]

A total of 13 out of 16 popped and gave me nice 1/4 inch sprouts.

I have now put these in straight vermiculite in coffee cups with holes in the bottom. Into a rubbermaid and lid on in the dark.
A few days from now I may be able to start putting the light to them.

Hoping for growth......

[blink_inc]

12 of the 13 are now 1/4 inch above ground....
24 hours and I will be moving them to lights...

[freewheelinfrank]

be sure to get those into soil ASAP - vermiculite and perlite are added for providing drainage and aeration to the roots, but they don't support the plant for shit - roots need a stable grip to support the weight of the growing plant - sounds like you're doing very well so far - now, the part that defeats so many (including myself), don't OVERWATER - seedlings are very susceptible to Pythium Wilt, caused by too damp soil - let the soil dry out between waterings - TIP: plants 'droop' from both over-watering, and under-watering - takes a bit of time to 'read' your young plants - be patient, and don't 'over-love' them - they do best without a lot of human help - they're WEEDS ! - :smokin: