Trouble germinating Northern Lights + Big Bud Auto :(

Beginner Autoflower Suport
#1

Hello. I am having the worst time trying to germinate these seeds. I watched the videos, it seems like I’m doing everything right, but I still haven’t been successful. I got a tiny taproot on one, but it never popped the seed, I assumed it was defective, threw it away and planted another one. That one hasn’t even given me a taproot yet. These are indica seeds–Northern Lights x Big Bud Autoflower.

I’m concerned so I’m wondering what I should do. I check on it three times a day. Nothing. I’m considering maybe putting the plate on a heating pad? Maybe it isn’t warm enough? I’m in New England and the seasons are changing, fall is in full swing here.

The sativa haze strain I started with it looks fine. It gave me a nice long taproot, really quickly. Now it is producing a fourth set of tiny leaves. Yesterday I transplanted it into a nice big terracotta pot because the root structure rose to the top of the solo cup already. That one germinated and seems super happy under these really hot fluorescent lights in the kitchen here, so I’m worried if I put the Indica seed I’m trying to germinate on a heating pad it will be overkill.

I dunno. If you have any thoughts or tips, please comment.

Stay safe :sunny:

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#2

@Nightlark welcome to the HCC forum. Sorry for your troubles. Just to double check, you are using purified water and not tap water correct? And are you using the soaking method or the paper towel method?

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#3

Yes. I put a little algae in the water–sea magic. I soaked it for three days and now she is in paper towels on a plate.

#4

Three days is way too long. You can drown them and suffocate them like that. The longest you should soak is 12 to 24 hours and then put them in a moist paper towel until they germinate.

I’ll soak the stubborn ones over night and then put them in a moist paper towel on a plate with a bowl over the top like a humidity dome. Usually set that on my ps4, under my TV by the power strip, or on a propagation pad. So far I have only had one seed not sprout on me out of all the ones I have started from HCC.

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#5

Oxygenating your water first helps a lot. Shake it vigorously for a bit before you wet the towels or soak your seeds. Using a water stone will help too.

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#6

Welcome @Nightlark, I also use the paper towel method with a high rate of success. Soaking for more than 24 hrs is not recommended. In fact, I never soak my seeds in standing water. First, I fold the paper towel a couple of times. Next I wet the paper towel and place seeds in the crease and fold it over so the seeds are completely covered. Then I place the paper towel in a tupperware with small vent holes in the lid or with the lid cracked if you don’t want to ruin your tupperware. Now place tupperware in a dark warm place and be sure to keep the paper towel moist, not completely saturated. I usually saturate the paper towel when seeds are first placed in. Usually, within a day or two they’re sprouting. Hope this helps :v::+1::sunglasses:

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#7

@Nightlark. You can also use the Jiffy pods. I have great success with them. I have started adding kelp to my water I soak them in. They germinate fine and grow like crazy from the start. Plant the pod in whatever size you want after that. Just another option

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#8

I’ve used the Jiffy pods and had great success. Also some Indicas (especially some Purple types) can be rather slow to finicky. Sometimes just very, very LIGHTLY, scratching the outside of the dry seed (before the 12-24 hr soak) with a small nail-file or emery board. (Just BARELY scratching the surface to rough it up slightly and break up any waxes). I did this once with a Hindu Kush (auto) that didn’t wanna pop and lo and behold, the sometimes can take up to 3 days with the paper-towel method. Indicas can just sometimes be a bit slow, even the auto’s on occasion. Best of luck and happy growing! :slight_smile:
Warmly,
Jackie

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#9

Everyone has their own special way of germinating. Here is mine:
I soak seed 12 or more hrs in hydrogen peroxide. This helps with any bacteria that may have come in contact with the seed. Then I rinse - TAP WATER - is fine for rinsing. I place seed in a lightproof sealing container (about the size of a cigg case) after folding 1 full sheet paper towel in 4. I soak the paper towel with DISTILLED H2O. Then I cut NON BLEACHED coffee filters to fit the case. Around 6 pieces. I place the seed in between the filters. The filters should be wet /damp from soaking up the soak from paper towel. I use this method because the tap roots do NOT STCK to the coffee filters. I have a regular lamp that i place a melamine dish over the lampshade, place the sealed germinating container on the plate and I have tap roots by the second day. I do turn off the lamp at night but my temps never go below 76 in the house. I change out the coffee filters every germination. Some seeds have bacteria and will leave it behind and it can kill seedlings. I buy peat pods, soak in Distilled water, and place the tap root into the center of the pod. We want the seed on it so we have somnething to grab and not touch / contaminate the emerging root with bacteria from our skin. I place seed pod in little plastic cup like dentist gives you to rins your mouth. I place that under lights, seed right at top of pod. I get true leaves by 3rd day. NO FEEDING until you have reached at least 3 nodes. No feeding if you go into soil. Everything is there to get you to flower and more. I have tried nutes during veg, flower…Not much of a difference except sometimes nutes change the flavor of your bud (not for the better). I have used speedveg in early stages to kick start veg times but that is only when we have stress (like this brutal summer where temps went 115+ for over 2 weeks). Indoors / hydro is a different story after germination

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#10

I also use the jiffy pods they work really well

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#11

I also had trouble with these seeds. Of the 16 seeds I only got 9 to germinate. The taproot on all 9 was very small compared to the other seeds I was germinating at the same time. Of the 9 seeds only 4 actually produced a seedling. I started White Widow Autos and Girl Scout Cookie Autos at the same time and was 100% on germination.

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#12

The four was they autos too

#13

DPoppy -where did you get the seeds from?

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#14

If they are from homegrown I’ve never had a problem getting replacements
Send Support a message explaining the problem
They’ll usually ask how you germinated them and as long as u use the recommended method they send you replacements for free i just had the same problem with gorilla glue #4 auto and they replaced the 7 with no problem for free

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#15

I asked because I am having issues with my order from HG. I tried to germy 5 seeds of GG4 and ONLY 1 sprouted, that is 80% failure… I thought maybe my seeding environment was bad so I took some seeds from alternate vendor - GSCookie, GDP, and they sprouted no prob. I am struggling with responses from their C/S at this time. Hope it is not a trend.

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#16

That’s what I’m doing now :slight_smile: They are sitting under a very hot light I’ve left on to keep them warm so I put a plate on top of the greenhouse to cut down the light. I hope it works :slight_smile:

#17

Hello! thanks for all the comments and advice. I haven’t been successful germinating these yet, so I’m trying the jiffy pods because I’ve had good luck growing other plants with those :slight_smile: Here in New England, the law limits the home grow to six plants, so I didn’t try to germinate all eight at the same time, and I still have four more I can try. I tried the hydrogen peroxide method (though I forgot to rinse) I’m planting the rest of the greenhouse soon with other plants just to keep the environment inside the greenhouse a little more humid.

The sativa is doing great, though. She’s downstairs in her window for a couple of days and I’m drying her out a little. She’s stretched out, and goes through these huge growth bursts; which I think is hilarious because she’s a sativa. I ordered some bag planters to transfer her to later, but now she’s in a nice terra-cotta pot I think will last a few more weeks. I don’t have a grow room or anything set up, just some huge east facing windows in a room where I can control the humidity and temperature. I use that algae you mix with water for fertilizer, and I’ve always been impressed by how well any plans does with that. I have cats, so I feel a lot better about using something they can eat.

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#18

There seems to be something up with their gg4 im not sure why but my initial order had the same problem 7 out of 16 failed and although the process was a little slow response wise hgcc did replace all 7 and they were alot better then the original ones.

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#19

I guess I must be doing something wrong. I bought 4 and got 8 for free so 12 seeds total. They told me that 10% or less will not be addressed. I do not understand. 10% of 12 is 1.2 and already have 4 out of 5 that failed. Do they base it on the total order (my order was 68 seeds total so does that mean more than 7 of the germination’s must fail? If so, I will not make big orders anymore. Dang, I jumped all over the 2 for 1 / free seed deal about month / month and a half ago and bought 92 seeds. Is it only 30 days from order to file?

#20

@Nightlark.
I know I’m late to the party but I’m in a four season climate and when it gets cool I put my germinating seeds on top of the fridge. It is a gentle warmth that won’t cook them.

I scarify my seeds in a pill bottle lined with sandpaper. I then put them in a cup with tap and H2O2. H2O2 is a debriding solution that will disinfect any pathogens as well as break down the resin that coats the seeds. No need to rinse as H2O2 will break down (into its individual components of hydrogen and oxygen leaving you only water behind)within 24 hrs as long as it is dissolved in an aqueous solution.
I have had seeds soak as long as 50 hours and crack.
I just drop them into whichever medium I’m using after they sport a tail.
I plant 1/4" deep.

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