First time grow set backs. Please Help!!!!!!

Hey guys, this is my first grow and i have been having some major set backs. My problem is this. I soak my seeds in distilled water for 24-48 hrs or until they crack and then put them in a damp rag and a plastic bag until they show root. Then i transfer them into 1" rock wool cubes, rapid rooters or my Aerogarden deluxe. I have the same results weather i put them in rock wool , rapid rooter sponges or the Aerogarden. Could i be getting a bunch of bunk seeds?? This is my exact germination method WWW.GREENHOUSESEEDS.NL - Green House Seed Co. Amsterdam Since 1985. I am using distilled water with a pH of 5.5. Once i have planted them they never seem to sprout or develop any further. I have had only one Big Bud that has actually sprouted in my AG. How long should it take for them to pop up once i put them in the cubes and stick them under CFL's???? I am doing everything like green house recommends. I even have the tray on a seed heating mat with the dome on it and it is under CFL's. All of the seeds i am getting are from dr.chronic, planet skunk and the breeders and strains are Ceres= Northern lights x Skunk#1, Nirvana = Big Bud, Dr.Chronic = Lowryder#2, White Label= White Ice. Could the seeds be getting too hot with the seed heating mat??? Any advise would be much appreciated. I have been at this since 1/11/08.

Stop using rockwool after germination plant the seeds in a a good soil mix, rockwool is not best for beginners use it when u have had a couple of grows

My set up is for hydro not soil. How would i transfer them to hydro once they have started in soil??

ooo did not know u were doing hydro set up i stick 2 soil so i cant realy help bro sorry but y u doing hydro for ur first grow or is this your fist hydro grow?

HazyEyes said:

ooo did not know u were doing hydro set up i stick 2 soil so i cant realy help bro sorry but y u doing hydro for ur first grow or is this your fist hydro grow?

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My first hydro grow and with seed bank seeds.

Am i the only one that has ever had this kind of problem????

soaking them in water then putting them into a papper towen doesn't help usaly your supose to put the seeds into a damp paper towel and in a ziplock back??? (please correct me on this one) and in a cool dark place and they should stat to grow oh and it can take up to 1 month (some people have had it take that long)

I'm no expert by any means. Just started growing myself. If I had to guess and it's just a guess. I would not use any chem at all on them at all until they are well up an started. I think when they are that small and young any chems you would use on them would hurt them. I'm sure you could you chems but I would think it would have to be very very very small amounts. Look under my profile. I just sprouted 8 seeds with jiffy pelets. look over my profile for a post I put up yestrday there are pics of the seedlings. I had an issue this morning but that issue has gone away. Not sure why, but it just went away. No problems at all. I also germinate the seeds with a damp towel and plastic bag. Never tried the cup of water and I'm scared too. I just have this feeling that I can drown the seed once it cracks if I'm not on top of the game. Try just going natural with it.

how long did you give them... some seeds of the same strains take more time. be patient.. germination can take some time

dont use any nutes untill they have at least two nodes.

Rockwool is easy , just make sure its wet and stays damp . put seed in . and leave. dont touch it for a week , dont touch it at all, just make sure they stay damp.

remember ...dont touch , just water for first few weeks..

I put my seeds in a moist (not soaked) paper towel and put it in between two plates, then the plates go under my cable modem to stay warm (not on top, as it's too hot since the seeds are right on top of it). They all sprouted in a day or two, except maybe one or two that were duds. This is with random bagseeds by the way.

I think the main reason people have trouble germinating is lack of warmth. Seeds stay dormant when it's too cold because that's when its usually winter time, and plants hate winter. and they open up when it's warm like spring, and only when it's warm.

The ideal temp is around 80-85F i think.

I am not using any nutes. I am only using distilled water with the pH adjusted to 5.5. This is my germination method WWW.GREENHOUSESEEDS.NL - Green House Seed Co. Amsterdam Since 1985. The problem that i am having is that after they crack and start to develop a root i transfer them into 1" rock wool cubes soaked in distilled water with the pH of 5.5. After they have been planted they never seem to develop any further. They never sprout. I even have a seed heating mat that i am using.

Well, i don't know anything about rockwool, but if it's soaked (dripping wet), it's probably too wet and you could be drowning the seedlings. that's just a wild guess though, i have no idea how rockwool works, just that too much water is a bad thing.

How long has it taken for your seeds to sprout after you have planted them??

new to forum.. where to go to post new thread?

after germination i also put seeds into cubes cuz i got hydroponic setup too
and overwatered them in the beginning and i guess it's a common mistake.
the second one was i opened up two cubes to make sure seeds are still there =o)))
just keep the cubes slightly dump and in warm place.

stickyicky77 said:

How long has it taken for your seeds to sprout after you have planted them??

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Usually took between half a day to 2 days. from when i planted them to when the popped the surface.

When you plant your seeds in the rockwool, do you ever soak the rockwool in a ph'd water solution 24 hours prior to planting them... If I remember correctly, you should soak them in a 5.5 ph solution 24 hours before planting the seeds. When you soak rockwool, you want to shake off any excess water but don't squeeze the cube because there is built in air pockets that give it the ability to hold water for longer. Also, how long is the tap root when you are planting your seeds and which way do you point them when planting them... I've had several seeds that have not been able to grow through rockwool, some will end up with the root growing upwards and sometimes the root will just not grow. Rockwool is not the best medium to start a seed in, I believe there is things called coco plugs or something. They are much better to use than rockwool, even though I myself still use rockwool for my germinated seeds. Another thing I would try is to test the ph of the water coming out of the rockwool once it has been soaked to ensure that the ph is where you want it.... I read somewhere that the ph for new seeds should be around 6, not 5.5, but I could be wrong. Either way, give us updates and we're always here to help ya... Good luck on your grow, how the baby ladies will turn out ok.

ive transferred soil to hydro before. i use netpots and rockwool generally. In reference to that question, I cut a one inch slab of rockwool and put it on the bottom of the netpot, take the rootball and trim the roots to fit the remaining area of the cup, and set it on top. the roots will grow through and your good to go. As far as your germination problems, no nutes needed as the seed is food itself. the seeds are very sensitive so you want to plant them idealy before the white root pops out. once the seed breaks, gently place it 1/2 inch into your growing medium. the root should be facing down if it comes out. dont worry about the ph at this point all it needs is moisture. i pop mine in pure water. just fill a glass halfway and put the seeds in. if the seeds dont pop in 48 hours your probably looking at duds. make sure you use floros to light your seedlings and keep the bulb a few inches from the plants or they will stretch and probably die. make sure your growing medium is not too soaked. plants need air also, which is why i like rockwool. soak the rockwool and then squeeze most the water out. good luck.

rockwool is the shit if you know how to use it. yes, they hold extra water but their real advantage is holding air. sqeezing excess water is essential. your normally supposed to ph balance them but i dont bother. just watering them with ph balanced water works fine, especially if you start them young. ive used everything from peat to coco and ive found anything that can hold air and water well to work best. dont bother with peat or coco start plugs. they absorb too much water in a high humidity environ. llike your cloning chamber should be. rockwool will also do this to an extent so pick them up and if they are heavy give thema squeeze once awhile to make sure they get air or their roots will rot.