I tried to get 20 seed started by wet paper towel in CD case and dark area wrapped in wet rag.
The seed are small. AF sativa. I have better luck with larger seed, but these are smaller. I think I might lose ten or more of these.
I am stressed out always at start up and this is worst fear having everything ready to go but seeds fail.
Will they replace failed seeds ?
I could use some advise.
Thank you.
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Personally, I would have them in a moist paper towel a inch or so apart then put them in a ziplock. Next I would find a good dark place to put them. Just use the cheaper paper towels. If that doesn’t work drop them in a glass of water for 24 hours in a very dark place. In fact you may want to try the class of water first. Keep an eye on them because you don’t want them to drown. What doesn’t pop open you may put them back to the Paper towel method for up to 10 days. The glass of water should have at least softened the shell for germination.What doesn’t pop open tell your supplier and they usually will replace them. They probably will ask you details on your germination steps.
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A lot of breeders will guarantee germination if you follow their steps and take pics.
I’ve heard that using an inner layer of unbleached coffee filters can prevent the baby tap roots from growing through the towel.
If you have some that sprout sooner than others, don’t wait to transplant them. Get em in the soil as soon as they’re ready. If you wait that’s when they can get stuck, I’ve lost a few that way.
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If one gets stuck just cut out the wet paper towel with your trim scissors around the tap root. Then plant sprout and stuck bit of paper towel both together. Don’t remove the towel bits.
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I am not familiar with your method. Is it an original idea or did a trusted friend suggest it.? Has it worked well for you in the past.?
I have done all the methods suggested and they all work great.
But I have to ask about the wet rag wrap? I would worry that would be too wet. Whenever I sprout I find I have less germinate if there is standing water whenever I use any paper or medium to hold the seeds. I usually just squeeze it out so it is damp, but not dripping. The beauty of using a baggie is that it keeps that moisture steady. No need for the wet rag wrap. I bet the cd case stays wet even though not air tight like a baggie. Not knocking it, just asking you more questions about your description I guess I would say.
The water shot glass method is good too, but the idea is as soon as it cracks you move it to a grow medium right away or it will drown. In baggies, if too wet it will grow mold sometimes before they germinate and then the whole batch of seeds gets sad. I just hope the wet rag wrap isn’t doing this for you.
When I make my seeds if I am lazy and don’t get them harvested and dried right away they sometimes fall down into the mothers soil. They sprout right there on top of the soil almost every time. Without any extra moisture besides what is evaporating or osmosis wicking up to the seed. Definitely not saturated with moisture. Volunteers I like to call them. They definitely don’t get any extra moisture when this happens.
Good luck and happy Sativa growing. I have also noticed Sativa seeds tend to be a lot smaller over all. More like poppy seeds sometimes and flat on the sides. You are not imagining that.
Of course an edit: ha. I would also humbly suggest doing 2x10seeds in separate sprout set ups. Instead of all 20 at once. Incase one goes bad and molds up on you it doesn’t spread to all 20 seeds. Also, when in a paper towel or coffee filter you can see the mold color transfer to and thru the paper. Like a sample growing on an agar plate. Whenever I see this I toss out the color bleeding seed and replace the paper nestling the rest of the seeds.
Fresh seeds should sprout in2-3ddays. Older seeds stored more than 2-3 years can take 10-15 days I have found. Small seeds too can take longer. If you are going past 5 days keep your eyes peeled for any color bleeding moldy seeds (I wish I had a photo to show you this). Ditch it and change the paper.
I have even had dud seeds (I gave up on) that I toss into a spare lil pot in my kitchen window sill. I cannot tell you how many times over the years that miraculously six months later I’ve had seedlings sprouting out of this pot. I think sometimes mother nature finds a way even long after we give up on them. I don’t count on this, but once it happened once, I do this every time just for my own shits and giggles. I am often surprised at how long a dormant seed can just decide to pop up out of the blue.
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Though a relative newbie, I’ve not lost a seed yet, and I’m well into the second hundred bucks worth.
I soak them only long enough for seeds to sink in a chobani cup half full of tap water. I cover the cup to block light. After anywhere from a few hours to overnight, once seeds sink, which means they’ve softened enough to free trapped air, plant them 1/4- 1/2” deep in the pot they’ll grow in if using soil. Low, distant, 18/6 light from the day they go in the pot. Keep moist with a drop or two of water daily until they’re sprouted and up an inch or so.
I’ve not lost a seed yet. The time you think they’re duds, another drop of water and another day.
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I will up date my seed starting method.
I am keeping too wet and I am confused on how dry to let them get.
But I already moved all seeds into prepared 5 gal. pot with clear cups over each to hold moisture.
I also have always run full cob light never off. AF grows fast.
Yes I learned enough from somewhere several years ago and got a few grows out of knowledge. Great to learn again. Thanks
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Water is a tough bit to learn. Success starts before you start seeds.
I’m using 5gal fabric pots with approximately three gallons (twelve quarts) of bagged fox farms ocean forest soil tempered with a central core of fox farms happy frog, which is supposed to be gentler on seedlings.
Load the pot, gently tamp, then water in the middle to moisten the soil but not floating. I end up with a ring around the edge of dry soil. It’s ok. That’s nutrients we will use later when watering it in.
I do all this the evening the seeds are soaking in the cup of water. By the time they sink, the damp soil has rested overnight, and temperature stabilized to match the room. Moist soil at room temperature minimizes any shock as our little plant is uncoiling itself and emerging.
Once a plant is oh, fist sized, I reduce watering interval to whatever time it takes for soil to be DRY a full inch below the surface. If you scratch and it’s still damp under the surface, it’s still damp. Water the next day. Note what the plant looks like when the soil is dry or damp ior wet. Learn to read for needs.
Remember that autoflowers are going to flip whether they’re truly ready or not. They can’t fully make up ground lost to shock. A happy veg stage builds the machinery necessary to make lots of potent, sticky buds later on. A heavily stressed plant wastes resources on repairs, that ultimately will reduce flower yield. The more things we do to help and not hinder early development make the difference in quality and weight at harvest.
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This how I start my seeds i have this container that lunch meat comes in put quarter inch hole in top
cut paper towel to fit put seeds in between then put warm water in it lift the paper towel drain water out put lid on then put in your underwear drawer for 48 hours they should be like this put them where you sleep where you keep it warmest it house
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Fresh tap roots always make me smile.
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Them little containers work awesome with starting seeds hand down
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@afid
I’m curious, you were planning on growing 20 plants indoors? What do you have for a tent? Pot size?
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@SlingShot if someone is growing 20 plants inside they going to need big ass tent unless there growing in cups
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I have had good results in past but only a few grows done.
I am able to function in society a lot better if I take my one tsp of edible sativa per day.
I figured out this method because smoking was unhealthy and wasted too much product.
This allows me to get a month worth of medicine out of each plant, at least.
So I grow 12 or 15 and trying 20 now at a time and I can have a years worth of medicine on hand.
I built a cob light set up years ago and it still works, I recently added a LED system.
My method has always been kindsoil, 5gal. breathable pots, cocoloco, warrior seed starter on top.
As they grow I move them around to stay in good lighting.
I have always chosen auto flower sativa seed. This helps me because the size stays more manageable.
I built a new room 13’x19’x9’ that is designed for this effort.
I know just enough to get decent results. I wish I new a lot more.
I would prefer just going to the doctor for this medicine, but I assume that would cost more and I am still under the impression it’s all illegal still in my area. I can’t keep up with info.
I know I would have died if I didn’t do this to save myself from the hell I feel everyday.
In my community if it makes you better they want to take it from you so they can continue to abuse you. and things are much worse in other places than me.
I don’t think my plants suffer much from my method, but I do believe they could be improved. but I am able to create my medicine so far.
I had a four year supply of seeds with my method but fifteen seeds extra have been started because the first batch didn’t sprout. I received a message saying it’s been past 90 days so they won’t send me replacement seeds. Which is basically saying there seeds can’t be stored while you build a new room to grow in.
I will buy seed from someone else next time.
So basically I like to turn my lights on and grow a year supply of medicine quickly. This helps my anxiety having my medicine supply stocked up.
Thank you all for helping me over the years.
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You are somewhat of an enigma. LOL
I’ve seen tents with 10 one gallon pots, so why not?
That sounds like quite a grow room you have. Though I’ve never done it, you might look into cloning. Not sure if you can clone Autos. I would suspect not but what do I know?
To me, this hobby is not fun until I get to late seedling stage. I wish I could go to a garden store and buy seedlings already sprouting in a little pot, you know like tomatoes or marigolds. Then I can take it from there. LOL But I am prevailing.
What I am doing is finding a tried and true method and sticking with it. I throw the seeds in a glass with warm water and put them on top of my hot water heater. Its dark and warm there. I bob the seeds to get them to sink. After 20 hours or so, I do the paper towel thing. Once the tap root shows, I put them in some potting soil. I use a 30/30/30 vermiculite, coor, peat. The excellent drainage insures the roots don’t drown. I have a little 30 w LED I use for seedlings and keep them under there until I see three nodes. Early, I was not hitting them with enough light. That mistake has a lasting effect of a stretched out plant all the way to harvest. Now I put that little light right on top of the plant. Also, during veg/flower, I keep my light right above burn level. About 10 inches.
Because I use pre-mixed (MixASoil) when I do transplant them into the 5 gal, I put the cup in the soil and cut the cup off and pull out the pieces. The nutrients in the Pre-Mix is too strong for seedlings so that gives the roots a buffer until the plant is ready for the more nutritious environment.
And then I just add nothing but water until I harvest.
For me, MixASoil was a game changer. It removes about 20 variables. All that is left is Light and Water.
I’m just trying to envision 20 pots. LOL
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I am currently in the same boat. Hope they remedy this problem for us.
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@SlingShot if it was me I would use the pods or the jeffy cups when you get ready to put them in bigger pot you just drop it in and they give it better root growth and the hot water tank could be to hot for sprouting you don’t want them hot you want them warm put them in the warmest place in your house i put mine in my underwear drawer in my bedroom i showed how i another trend on how i do mine but it depends on success on your sprouting seeds
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My water heater is OK. It is just slightly warm to touch. Not hot. It’s in a small room and its dark and humid in there.
Thanks
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