Germination Troubles?

[curious101]

Well lately i've either been having very bad luck or my germination method has somehow gone sour...i'm gonna give you a run down on my process and please offer some tips...i usually soak seeds in water with 1 part peroxide and 5 parts water on top of my dvd player for some warmth...seeds usually develop tap roots and i pull them out of the water as soon as the tap root shows and place them in plantation seedling soil in a germination kit (bout 2-3in. of soil, in tray covered with dome, on top of germination mat...generally leave the lid on but will vent it occassionally to allow oxygen...well this used to work in the past but lately hasn't...i soaked 10 Nirvana White Rhino and 9 showed tap roots and were put in soil...3 days later and only one has broken through...i had this problem b-4 with a pack of Mandala's and figured it was cuz i didn't follow their instructions (they advise against pre-soaking and humidity domes)...any tips? I've had great success in the past but my last 3 packs have had the same problems...maybe one or two break thru the soil and the rest never do...i'm very gentle and don't believe i'm damaging the taproot (use tweezers and am very sterile)

curious101 Reviewed by curious101 on 08-13-2007. Germination Troubles? Well lately i've either been having very bad luck or my germination method has somehow gone sour...i'm gonna give you a run down on my process and please offer some tips...i usually soak seeds in water with 1 part peroxide and 5 parts water on top of my dvd player for some warmth...seeds usually develop tap roots and i pull them out of the water as soon as the tap root shows and place them in plantation seedling soil in a germination kit (bout 2-3in. of soil, in tray covered with dome, on top Rating: 5

[bejay]

would probably try leaving out the peroxide 1 part to five parts sounds like alot and it could be affecting them.
dont really thinks it makes a difference wether you soak them or put them in a paper towel to germ they both seem to work fine but you should try to plant them as soon as you start to see a tap root.
you might check the temp of you soil seeing how you are not really having trouble until you put them in soil if its to warm it may be affecting them but they should grow well in a high humidity environment.

[stinkyattic]

You may be planting too deep.
Also, you may have too much bottom heat- if you have the dome over as well, I woudl not be too surprised to see rot.

[the image reaper]

possibilities: 1. soil kept too damp, Pythium Wilt ruining sprouts, 2. too rich soil, I've had better results with cheap, mild soil, transplanting into the 'good stuff' after the first couple weeks ...
EASY No-Touch germination method : as an experiment, I dropped dry seeds into Rapid-Rooters, in my home-made bubble cloner ... planted 13 seeds, 11 sprouted within 40 hours, with zero input from me ... turned it on, walked away, came back to sprouted seedlings :thumbsup:

[curious101]

Ok, so i have went at it again...this time i've adjusted my thermostats temp from 85 to 80F and placed the sensor inside the dome on top of the soil...haven't watered since they were placed in soil 24hrs ago...do you recommend a humidity dome or would you recommend not using one for germination...the seeds this time were placed into soil at the first sign of seed cracking before tap root had time to poke out much if at all...i know the problem is not planting too deeply because i just place them on top and put a lil soil down with a light spray (not even 1/4 of an inch)...any other advice...how do u germ seeds? Currently also put 6 directly into soil without presoaking and put em under 2 45w cfl's bout 3 inches above the soil...little in house experiment...let me know what else i could try...i've dropped the temp 5deg. F to 80 and the dome now has a little air because the small wire for the temp. gauge allows some air but i would imagine little...now my mat turns off and on which is different because before at 85 it never shut off...let u kno what happens and thanks in advance for advice

[Duke420]

total darkness in a damp paper towel = results in just a few days.

[bejay]

have soaked seeds and also used paper towel in ziplock bag to germinate, both work fine for germination purposes, thats not your problem but still think you may be using way to much peroxide.
would use the dome.

[curious101]

thanks beejay...i didn't use peroxide on this new pack i started...but i must add that in my Ask Ed Book, Ed recommends 1 part peroxide and 5 parts water when presoaking to prevent the spread of bacteria, fungus, etc...but i didn't use any peroxide this time and dropped my heat mat 5deg F...let u kno how it goes...they're now Nirvana PPP