What to start seedlings in?

[Budley Doright]

After an epic battle with root rot and winning (I hope lol) I'm starting a second tray. I've tried many different ways to start my seedlings, rock wool, peat cubes, straight into hydro ton. I am wondering what everyone's preferred method is. I germinate my seeds in paper towel then transfer them into net pots in some thing listed above, I have root riot cubes as well. Just curious as too how others do it. FYI this is not a "how to germinate seeds" thread lol. I've been using paper towel for 30 years and for me it works the best and always have great success but I understand all of the reasons that others have to not use this method and they are all valid. I will be doing a flood and drain to start then run the pump 24/7 once roots are established, I find it seems to work well doing this, kind of like an NFT on overdrive lol.

 

[Anon Emaus]

Rapid rooter for me, set it on a 1/2-1" of hydroton in it's final resting place in bubbleponics bucket and the bubbles will keep it moist from then on out. Just sit back and wait.

 

[Major Blazer]

I've germ'd and sprouted every single seed ever in rockwool with almost perfect success.

I ran into one issue with one strain but they were freebie seeds that came with my seed order and something tells me that they were freebies for a reason, they were such shit.

What I do is soak them for about 30 min in 5.5 pH'd water, then transplant once I see a couple roots trying to bust out of the bottom. This last grow was the first time I drowned the bottom of the netpots using the current culture method and the same kind of net pots and they rooted super fast. Prior to, I was leaving a 1" gap and letting the airstones soak the hydroton.

 

[Budley Doright]

Ya I have to be real careful not to over water the things using RW, think I'll try the rapid rooters for the first time, see how it goes. Thanks all.

 

[monkz]

Paper towel until root is about an inch long. Then into rockwool. When the roots start coming out from the bottom of the rockwool, straight into the netpot with clay pebbles.

 

[blackforest]

I just got done cracking 6. All of them made it. Paper towel method and 36 hrs later I put them into rapid rooters at 5.8 ph water. A week later I put them into solo cups with happy frog. Key is to keep that moisture correct, not too wet, not too dry. It's easy to drown a freshly popped seedling.

 

[hondagrower420]

I just put my seeds in jiffy pellets. Wait for good roots and then into net pots & hydroton.

 

[Gregor Eisenhorn]

I've germ'd and sprouted every single seed ever in rockwool with almost perfect success.

I ran into one issue with one strain but they were freebie seeds that came with my seed order and something tells me that they were freebies for a reason, they were such shit.

What I do is soak them for about 30 min in 5.5 pH'd water, then transplant once I see a couple roots trying to bust out of the bottom. This last grow was the first time I drowned the bottom of the netpots using the current culture method and the same kind of net pots and they rooted super fast. Prior to, I was leaving a 1" gap and letting the airstones soak the hydroton.

Hey Blazer I was wondering, how long in general does it take for your seeds to sprout? I'm germinating for the first time in rockwool and basically soaked them overnight, removed excess water by shaking firmly three times and placed an already cracked seed (by using the paper towel method) in a small hole then covered lightly. It's been about three days and no success. I'm just nervous because I have little to non experience with rockwool. Cheers.

 

[Budley Doright]

Ok so learned a valuable lesson about rapid rooters. For the life of me I could not get the seedling in them without them falling to pieces lol. Sooo they are in just the hydroton as of last night. Perhaps I left them to long in the paper . They were exactly 48 hours in the paper and by then had gotten about two inches long and quite curly lol. I've only done the hydroton once before so we'll see how it goes. Its like the game "operation" to get them in a spot that is secure lol.

 

[Major Blazer]

Hey Blazer I was wondering, how long in general does it take for your seeds to sprout? I'm germinating for the first time in rockwool and basically soaked them overnight, removed excess water by shaking firmly three times and placed an already cracked seed (by using the paper towel method) in a small hole then covered lightly. It's been about three days and no success. I'm just nervous because I have little to non experience with rockwool. Cheers.

I don't place them in anything before hand, soak them, scuff them, etc; but usually by the 3rd day I have a small seedling sprouting.

Did you pH your water? Did you add anything else to it? I use pure R.O. water, only pH'd.

What's it look like when you peek inside?

 

[Anon Emaus]

Ok so learned a valuable lesson about rapid rooters. For the life of me I could not get the seedling in them without them falling to pieces lol. Sooo they are in just the hydroton as of last night. Perhaps I left them to long in the paper . They were exactly 48 hours in the paper and by then had gotten about two inches long and quite curly lol. I've only done the hydroton once before so we'll see how it goes. Its like the game "operation" to get them in a spot that is secure lol.

Skip the paper towel, the rapid rooter will act as the paper towel as well as the starting medium. Here's what i do:
1. Soak rapid rooter in Ph'd water, squeeze, absorb, squeeze, absorb
2. After it should be at the correct ph, I now squeeze it one last time so that the *"soakedness" is out of it, cuz I killed a lot of seeds on my first use of rapid rooter by drowning them by not getting that *"soakedness" out. *New word, just made it up, basically squeeze flat and get that excess water out, rooter will stay moist.
3. Take tweezers and dig a little hole in the round end of the rapid rooter, put seed in that hole and cover the hole with the rapid rooter pieces you dug out, set them in there kinda semi loose, not too hard packed.
4. Now i just set the Rapid Rooter on 1/2-1" of hydroton in my netpot with my bubbles on, the hydroton wicks the water from the bubbles and keeps the rapid rooter moist and the roots eventually find their way to the water.
5. Sit back and have a smoke

 

[Budley Doright]

Skip the paper towel, the rapid rooter will act as the paper towel as well as the starting medium. Here's what i do:
1. Soak rapid rooter in Ph'd water, squeeze, absorb, squeeze, absorb
2. After it should be at the correct ph, I now squeeze it one last time so that the *"soakedness" is out of it, cuz I killed a lot of seeds on my first use of rapid rooter by drowning them by not getting that *"soakedness" out. *New word, just made it up, basically squeeze flat and get that excess water out, rooter will stay moist.
3. Take tweezers and dig a little hole in the round end of the rapid rooter, put seed in that hole and cover the hole with the rapid rooter pieces you dug out, set them in there kinda semi loose, not too hard packed.
4. Now i just set the Rapid Rooter on 1/2-1" of hydroton in my netpot with my bubbles on, the hydroton wicks the water from the bubbles and keeps the rapid rooter moist and the roots eventually find their way to the water.
5. Sit back and have a smoke

Noted for next time lol. They seem to be doing well so far but temps are getting high. It's fucking 17c here on Christmas Eve, typically -5ish, out in the boat today, love that global warming .

 

[Alaric]

Just curious as too how others do it.

Sup Budley,

Glad your root issue is getting better.

Well------- here's how I "do it" and why.

I've finally reached a 100% medium free operation----except for starting seed.

16 oz plastic cups filled with vermiculite and 1/4 strength bloom soup (around 200-300 ppm, .7 conversion).

High RH, plant seed about a 1/8-1/4" deep-----and let it take off forming a nice root system.

Remove well rooted plant from cup and rinse the vermiculite off roots (completely). Nope----not once have I ever witnessed any shock.

just for grins, a few pics (you've probably already seen).



This is a clone but the same method.



I use a bucket and gently massage the roots in water----come off rather easily.


When I get to about this point-----I use my sink sprayer to remove the rest.


Off to the veg tubes.

Anyway---how I "do it".

A~~~

 

[Gregor Eisenhorn]

I don't place them in anything before hand, soak them, scuff them, etc; but usually by the 3rd day I have a small seedling sprouting.

Did you pH your water? Did you add anything else to it? I use pure R.O. water, only pH'd.

What's it look like when you peek inside?

pH'ed it to around 5,5-6 and used tap water with a 200 ppm. I did a sneak peak today like you suggested and was able to see that the tap root is slowley growing (thank God, I thought it was dry and dead) but it's still very small. I soaked another cube overnight for a clone I was planning to grow but I'm thinking that maybe I should transfer the small seed to the new cube? What do you think? It's wet and ready to go.

 

[Major Blazer]

Hmm, I've never gone in and messed about with seeds. I just leave them in their place and let them be, with a an occasional peek if I have a slow sprouter like you seem to.

Did you squeeze out the rockwool cube in advance? Grodan says not to - I follow their advice with the exception of covering the hole (they so not to, but I've been doing that for a minute). Is it kept in a warm, humid spot? I use my bathroom when I geminate seeds b/c the RH in there is always high and so is the temp. I also cover it in a plastic container I got years ago with some chinese take out lol. I vent it slightly, but what I'm looking for is condensation forming on the inside of the dome. Humidity should be high...hope this helps your little guy/gal.

 

[Major Blazer]

Well------- here's how I "do it" and why.

The lateral root growth on your clones is envy worthy. Nice job!

Do they regularly grow that way (laterally I mean)? Do you use any rooting hormones or just stick em in the vermiculite? How long did that take?

 

[Gregor Eisenhorn]

I didn't squeeze it, just gave it a firm shake four times to release the excess water. Ok thanks for the help Major, I'll be sure to keep those humidity levels and temperature in check. I was surprised when I saw a taproot showing so I'm sure everything will be all right and in a few days she'll emerge. I'm just not used to rockwool, I germinated before in paper towels and soil and that seemed to go faster, so that's why I'm panicking.

Thanks again for the tips.

 

[Alaric]

The lateral root growth on your clones is envy worthy. Nice job!

Do they regularly grow that way (laterally I mean)? Do you use any rooting hormones or just stick em in the vermiculite? How long did that take?

I rooted clones (mostly) and sometimes started seed using the cup method for years-----very reliable.

Yes, I used Oliva's gel on cuttings-----seemed to make a little difference. (don't believe the gel would root a pop sickle stick---like they claim, LOL)

The plants were usually ready about 2-3 weeks then the roots were rinsed.

That lateral growth was pretty typical.

Later on switched to aero cloning.

A~~~

 

[Budley Doright]

Hey Alaric, Merry Christmas . Hope all is well! Yes I've watched how you are doing things and I've been thinking of doing kind of the same thing but using foam discs to support the seedlings in the tray, starting them in the vermiculite is a great idea!!! Getting away from any media might be perfect as I'm thinking the rot started in the cube possibly. I'm back to a flooded root system now so see how this run turns out. Hopefully better than the last one, I'm way behind schedule due to stubborn never quit attitude lol.

 

[bird mcbride]

I find that when using rock wool it is best to use smaller pieces, no larger than 2"x 2"x h".

I like the soil method displayed earlier as it is perfect for non-medium grows.

I prefer Stimroot #2 powder with constantly good results.

Some of the hybrids will actually root in a cup of plain water.