Squidbilly
Well-Known Member
This of course is just my humble opinion but the method below I feel needs to be shared with everyone who is starting to grow from seed, especially those of us who are maybe doing if for the first time.
There is so much conflicting info about what the best method is for germinating/sprouting seeds. Believe me, I tried almost EVERY method, and killed many seeds/seedlings in the process.
I won't talk too much about other methods but I will say this; If you are a new grower, please don't use the paper towel method! It's just not needed and will only slow things down and might lead to the possibility of you damaging the tap root when you place it in a medium.
Here is the method:
-Tray
-2" Humidity dome
-Root Riot(or other starter plug)tray insert
-Root Riot(or other starter plug)
-Heat Mat(they sell these specifically for doing this, they are the same size as the tray so they fit perfectly underneath and heat it evenly)
Step 1:
Straighten a paper clip, take a plug, and stick the paper clip down through the center, presumably in the direction the tap root wants to travel
Step 2:
Take your plug and squeeze it in water that has a ph between 5.5-6.0 so the plug absorbs the water. Take it out of the water and squeeze the excess water out of the plug. You should be able to squeeze the plug firmly and just see water emerge from the surface.
Step 3:
You should never handle your seeds with your hands, but it's not a huge deal if you do. I think it's easier to use tweezers anyway.
Take your seeds pointed end down and place them about an 1/8-1/4 inch below the surface.
Step 4:
Place plugs in their insert, in the tray. I like to put a little thermometer and hydrometer in there(you can get a pair of the two for a lizard tank at pet smart). Then I mist the dome, put it on and place the whole thing on top of the heat mat. They sell heat mats that are adjustable, but the cheaper ones that aren't work just as well, also a good reason to keep a thermometer in there.
Step 5:
Put a shop light, T5, or CFL 2"-12" above your propagator and leave the lights on for 20hrs and off for 4(you can also use 24/0 or 18/6, I like 20/4) Once seeds break the surface, get them as close as possible without burning them. I usually put my T5 fixture nearly ontop of my humidity dome.
Now you just need to check on your plugs once or twice a day to make sure they don't completely dry out. If they are almost completely dry, just dunk them HALFWAY into a cup of ph 5.5-6.0 water. Literally, dunk them for a second, and place them back in the heater propagator. Repeat this process until you have a healthy tap root emerging from the bottom of the plug and a nice little sprout emerging from the surface.
Here's a good rule of thumb for the germinating/sprouting environment:
75-85 degrees 75-85% Realitive Humidity. Keep it in that range and your golden! It's really easy to do that using this method!
If the realitive humidity in your veg area is above 50%, you can take the dome off once you have a healthy sprout. If it's below 50%, slowly remove the dome over a couple days to acclimate it to the lower humidity levels.
The dome should only be used to sprout your seeds.
I usually have a tap root emerging from the plug in 2-3days, a healthy sprout in 3-5 days, and my dome is off no later then a week from planting the seed if your wondering how things should be progressing.
After you have the dome off, and a tap root coming out of the bottom of the plug, it's time to tansplant into your prefered medium. The root riots and be transplanted in soil or hydro, no problem.
LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES! This has been the easiest and most effective method for me, and probably one of the best tools for growing. You might as well buy a 7" dome while your at it. This exact same set up is great for taking clones when used with the 7" dome.
So for $50.00 you have a heated propagator for starting seeds and taking clones. No need for an expensive clone machine or another set up just for clones!
There is so much conflicting info about what the best method is for germinating/sprouting seeds. Believe me, I tried almost EVERY method, and killed many seeds/seedlings in the process.
I won't talk too much about other methods but I will say this; If you are a new grower, please don't use the paper towel method! It's just not needed and will only slow things down and might lead to the possibility of you damaging the tap root when you place it in a medium.
Here is the method:
-Tray
-2" Humidity dome
-Root Riot(or other starter plug)tray insert
-Root Riot(or other starter plug)
-Heat Mat(they sell these specifically for doing this, they are the same size as the tray so they fit perfectly underneath and heat it evenly)
Step 1:
Straighten a paper clip, take a plug, and stick the paper clip down through the center, presumably in the direction the tap root wants to travel
Step 2:
Take your plug and squeeze it in water that has a ph between 5.5-6.0 so the plug absorbs the water. Take it out of the water and squeeze the excess water out of the plug. You should be able to squeeze the plug firmly and just see water emerge from the surface.
Step 3:
You should never handle your seeds with your hands, but it's not a huge deal if you do. I think it's easier to use tweezers anyway.
Take your seeds pointed end down and place them about an 1/8-1/4 inch below the surface.
Step 4:
Place plugs in their insert, in the tray. I like to put a little thermometer and hydrometer in there(you can get a pair of the two for a lizard tank at pet smart). Then I mist the dome, put it on and place the whole thing on top of the heat mat. They sell heat mats that are adjustable, but the cheaper ones that aren't work just as well, also a good reason to keep a thermometer in there.
Step 5:
Put a shop light, T5, or CFL 2"-12" above your propagator and leave the lights on for 20hrs and off for 4(you can also use 24/0 or 18/6, I like 20/4) Once seeds break the surface, get them as close as possible without burning them. I usually put my T5 fixture nearly ontop of my humidity dome.
Now you just need to check on your plugs once or twice a day to make sure they don't completely dry out. If they are almost completely dry, just dunk them HALFWAY into a cup of ph 5.5-6.0 water. Literally, dunk them for a second, and place them back in the heater propagator. Repeat this process until you have a healthy tap root emerging from the bottom of the plug and a nice little sprout emerging from the surface.
Here's a good rule of thumb for the germinating/sprouting environment:
75-85 degrees 75-85% Realitive Humidity. Keep it in that range and your golden! It's really easy to do that using this method!
If the realitive humidity in your veg area is above 50%, you can take the dome off once you have a healthy sprout. If it's below 50%, slowly remove the dome over a couple days to acclimate it to the lower humidity levels.
The dome should only be used to sprout your seeds.
I usually have a tap root emerging from the plug in 2-3days, a healthy sprout in 3-5 days, and my dome is off no later then a week from planting the seed if your wondering how things should be progressing.
After you have the dome off, and a tap root coming out of the bottom of the plug, it's time to tansplant into your prefered medium. The root riots and be transplanted in soil or hydro, no problem.
LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES! This has been the easiest and most effective method for me, and probably one of the best tools for growing. You might as well buy a 7" dome while your at it. This exact same set up is great for taking clones when used with the 7" dome.
So for $50.00 you have a heated propagator for starting seeds and taking clones. No need for an expensive clone machine or another set up just for clones!
