Using peat pellets?

[420swed]

Alright i have 10 Northern lights seeds and 5 mazar x afghan seeds and iam going to vegged them indoors for 1 month then put them outdoors.... So i was wondering if i should place the seeds straight into the peat pellets or should i germinate them first then put them into the peat pellets?

 

[FCSoldier]

either way should work...I have better luck putting the seed in before germinating, but I tend to think most would prefer to germinate first.(all seeds I have started in the peat pellets sprouted...not all seeds I try to germinate work out) I would say try a few each way and see what works best for you.

 

[420swed]

alright but i cant afford to fuck up any seeds because i just bought 10 northern lights seeds and i have no more money so iam looking for the best way for them to sprout.

 

[FCSoldier]

lol, you will get many opinions on that, but I don't think any one way is the best.(Otherwise we would all do it that way)Everyone grows different according to what their experience, conditions, and funds provide them, what works for someone else may not always work for you...I'm sure others will offer their advice and possibly be of more help to you.

 

[420swed]

yeh did you put them under a light when you were germinating them or kept them by a window?

 

[FCSoldier]

I tried keeping my seeds in darkness while germinating in a glass of water and have tried germinating on a plate between wet paper towels on a window sill just dont have very good success with either way(maybe I do something wrong)...when I use the peat pellets I put them under the light(cfl) the whole time.

 

[420swed]

I tried keeping my seeds in darkness while germinating in a glass of water and have tried germinating on a plated between wet paper towels on a window sill(maybe I do something wrong)...when I use the peat pellets I put them under the light(cfl) the whole time.

Alright you mean fill a cup 1/4 of the way with water and just drop the seeds in till they sprout right? And thanks alot for the quick responses. +rep

 

[FCSoldier]

pretty much yeah, I don't think the amount of water matters much though...as soon as they sprout a root I would put them in a medium with the root facing down.

 

[Skunk Baxter]

For germinating, I just take a little plastic measuring cup - like the ones that comes on a bottle of cough syrup - fill it half full of water, and throw the seeds in. After they've been floating for an hour or two, I push 'em down under the water so they stay completely covered. I leave them in there on the kitchen counter for a day, then put them directly into the soil or other growing medium and put them in a tray by a sunny window. That's it, and I always get 95-100% germination rates.

As for the peat pellets, I'm going to go against the grain here and suggest you not even use them. I used them for several years, and they worked OK, but I gave them up a couple of years ago and I've been a lot happier ever since. Too often, I found that the peat powder absorbed water unevenly, especially if you let them dry out too much between waterings, and it was too difficult to maintain an even moisture profile throughout the entire pellet - if I pulled a pellet apart, I'd sometimes find parts of the pellet that were dry as dust, and other parts that were completely soaked.

So now for all my outdoor grows, I just take 3-inch peat pots, and fill them with soil. It's much easier to maintain a consistent level of moisture in the growing medium, and I also found that the plants develop much better root systems in the soil than they did in the peat pellets. I'll never use the pellets again.

 

[FCSoldier]

as for peat pellets moistening unevenly try properly watering and not letting over dry...sounds simple...but, must be the pellets fault for not telling you it wanted more water more often...

 

[Skunk Baxter]

as for peat pellets moistening unevenly try properly watering and not letting over dry...sounds simple...but, must be the pellets fault for not telling you it wanted more water more often...

Clever.

Two things. First of all, shit happens. They dry at very uneven rates. You pick up a couple of pellets, they both feel like they're about the same weight, and you figure neither one needs water. You come home that night, and one's dry as a bone. Maybe it's closer to the edge of the tray, or it got more direct sunlight, whatever.

Or you go out of town on an overnighter. A couple of them dry out. It happens. When you've got upwards of 70 or 80 plants, and you're always walking a fine line between overwatering and underwatering, you're going to err on the dry side every now and then - which is exactly the way it should be, because given a choice between going a little too dry and a little too wet, you're better off going a little dry. It's a lot easier to make a quick correction to an underwatered seedling than an overwatered seedling.

Second, why use a less-forgiving growing medium instead of a more-forgiving medium, when there is no advantage at all to using the less-forgiving medium, and the more-forgiving medium is clearly better in some respects? It's just common sense. Make it as simple as possible, give yourself every advantage you can.

 

[Jriggs]

I honestly put mine in peet pellets, and if i dont i kick myself afterwards cause i suck at germanating any other way.

What i have is a humidity dome, i soak the peat pellets in warm water and let them expand.
I then put htem in the humidity done ontop of my 2 external hard drives that pretty much constantly run -- this creates heat.
I am always sucseful but sometimes to muh so -- you need to check em every day! -- otherwise it will stretch with this meathod and fast!

 

[420swed]

Ok its been 18 hours since i put the seeds in a cup of water and i looked today and they are still floating but 1 seed cracked and i can see the root and the seed is still floating. Should i push the seed down until it sinks or take it out now and place in jiffy cups or peat pellets?

 

[FCSoldier]

Clever.

Two things. First of all, shit happens. They dry at very uneven rates. You pick up a couple of pellets, they both feel like they're about the same weight, and you figure neither one needs water. You come home that night, and one's dry as a bone. Maybe it's closer to the edge of the tray, or it got more direct sunlight, whatever.

ok, so you misjudged...not the pellets fault you don't provide the right conditions...I use indoors

Or you go out of town on an overnighter. A couple of them dry out. It happens. When you've got upwards of 70 or 80 plants, and you're always walking a fine line between overwatering and underwatering, you're going to err on the dry side every now and then - which is exactly the way it should be, because given a choice between going a little too dry and a little too wet, you're better off going a little dry. It's a lot easier to make a quick correction to an underwatered seedling than an overwatered seedling.

make time for your plants...(maybe you don't have proper conditions for the pellets in your situation)

Second, why use a less-forgiving growing medium instead of a more-forgiving medium, when there is no advantage at all to using the less-forgiving medium, and the more-forgiving medium is clearly better in some respects? It's just common sense. Make it as simple as possible, give yourself every advantage you can.

ok super grower, you tell me what the "best" medium is...wouldn't we all be using it...everyone has their own style, don't get upset because you couldn't or wouldn't use them to potential

All I was saying is if you use them properly they can work very well for you... If you disagree then that is your opinion, but you shouldn't act as if it you know the "best" way to do it...(more than likely you would be able to judge the best growing medium for your conditions)


So what does your common sense tell you to do?
Mine says to do what works for me, not for you(which I have also tried other ways), and to try and help others from my experience by giving them options...

I know now its time for you to say you've grown more bud than I've seen in my life etc. lets just skip all that say you must be right, I know thats what you wanna hear.



Good luck 420.

 

[Da Chef]

this is very interesting. i have been asking myself all these same questions. i am newbie though so i am just trying out the peat pellets. what i did was put the seeds in a cup of water for a day and then put them into peat pellets and they have been sitting in the peat pellets in a dark closet with a tupperware over them as a dome. two of the seeds cracked in the water 5 others didnt. should my peat pellets have light on them? the package for the peat pellets said to leave them in the dark until they sprout then put them in the light.

as far as using them or not using them. i have no idea. this is my first time using them and ill tell ya'll how it goes for me. i am just using bagseeds for now. i got some a.m.s. seeds on the way tho!

from what i have read though it seems you leave them in the dark while they germinate and once you see them break the surface of the grow medium you are to put them in light. its only been three days since i put mine in peat pellets though and none of them have sprouted.

 

[FCSoldier]

from what I have read after they are germinated, they grow upwards seeking light, if there is none there for it to find, it may not come up as quickly...

 

[420swed]

Alright i just have one more question . When the seeds germinate should i put them in the peat pellets or in a small pot with organic soil?

 

[Skunk Baxter]

ok super grower, you tell me what the "best" medium is...wouldn't we all be using it...everyone has their own style, don't get upset because you couldn't or wouldn't use them to potential

All I was saying is if you use them properly they can work very well for you... If you disagree then that is your opinion, but you shouldn't act as if it you know the "best" way to do it...(more than likely you would be able to judge the best growing medium for your conditions)


So what does your common sense tell you to do?
Mine says to do what works for me, not for you(which I have also tried other ways), and to try and help others from my experience by giving them options...

I know now its time for you to say you've grown more bud than I've seen in my life etc. lets just skip all that say you must be right, I know thats what you wanna hear.

Why don't you put down the bong for a few minutes and try a little oxygen for a change, and see if that improves your reading ability? First, you're arguing with things I never even said (hint: the word "best"), and second, you're using one of the same points I'm making in order to disagree with me, and you're too stoned to even realize it. And then you cap it all by making up what you think I'm going to say next, and criticizing that.

And all this from the kid who earlier said -

you will get many opinions on that, but I don't think any one way is the best.(Otherwise we would all do it that way)Everyone grows different according to what their experience, conditions, and funds provide them, what works for someone else may not always work for you...I'm sure others will offer their advice and possibly be of more help to you.

So somebody posts an opinion different than yours, based on their own experiences, and you respond with smartass remarks and then go straight to misquoting them and insulting them. Which is it? Everbody's got their own experiences and opinions, or anyone whose experiences and opinions are different than yours is doing something wrong? You just having a bad day, or are you always this childish, illogical, and confrontational?

 

[supdro]

I germinate first and then easily drop the germ babies into the moistened peat pods. works every time!!

 

[Skunk Baxter]

Alright i just have one more question . When the seeds germinate should i put them in the peat pellets or in a small pot with organic soil?

Whatever you're most comfortable with. Like i said, either works, but in my experience, I like soil better. Obviously, some people are more comfortable with peat, and it works fine for them. I find that soil gives you a lot more margin for error, and it's a lot easier to control the moisture profile in the medium. I also get better root system development in soil, and I find that plants I start in soil pots generally root out better when I transplant them outdoors, although that's not a universal truth - just something that's happened enough times that I've definitely taken note. These are all pluses to me, and outweigh any advantages I find in peat pellets.

Why not start some of your plants in peat and others in soil? See which medium you prefer, so you have some experiences of your own on which to base your decision next year. It's not like one or the other will be a total failure, and you'll lose every seedling in that particular medium - they'll both probably do fine, but you can take note of the differences and see which one you like working with better than the other.