Germination problem...never happened to me...

Hi guys I bought some Royal Queen seeds, more specifically Royal Dwarf. I bought 3 seed because I was planning to grow only one plant at once, and I've never had any trouble in germinate seeds. So I started with the first one seed. I've always planted seed directly in the final pot to avoid transplantation. I've never had any problem this way, but I have to admit that it' a long time since the last time I've done it. I decided to do it in a different way this time because the final pot it's full of a mix of 33% peat moss, 33% compost/humus, 33% perlite-vermiculite and I am afraid that it's a bit too rich soil for a seed to sprout.

For the first seed i used a simple plastic cup with peat moss, and I think i over watered it. It took 7 days for the seed do germinate but the sprout was, and still is, weak and not growing whatsoever. I tried to save it using some dry peat moss to absorb the excess of water but as I told you 8 days after it still look the same.
It was the first time i tryed to germinate in a plastic cup and overwaterin wasn't a concern because when in the past I've planted directly in the final pot, over watering was simply impossible.

For the second seed used again a plastic cup with peat moss, but for watering it I used a dropper to keep the soil around the seed well wet but at the same time the rest of the soil was almost dry. The idea was that in this way if I over watered the soil around the seed, the drier soil would have absorbed any excess of water. I've also opend dozens of little hole in the plastic cup to provide areation and, again, to prevent over watering.

Well it's 7 days today and the motherfucker is still close...not even crack opened...

The temperature is constantly between 20-22 °C and 55-60% humidity.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong...In my memory a seed never took more than 5/6 day to sprout strong and beautiful. Seeing the seed still close after 7 days...i don't know it's so sad...I have the seeds since the 11th and now I think I have to star it all over again...

Those temps might be a little on the low side.
I try to keep germinating seeds around 27-32 (80-90).
Sounds like everything else is good.
Best of luck and happy growin'

I personally keep it a lot warmer and more humid.

This is the method I use and I've had very close to 100% germination from seeds I've purchased:

1. Put seeds in cup of warm water that has been pH'd to 5.8
2. Put cup in dark (I use a small cardboard box), close it up, and place on top of warm object (I use a heating pad set to low)
3. Make sure the temperature in the box stays between 75° F - 85° F (24° C - 29° C) and 80% - 100% humidity
4. Check seeds after 12 hours and gently tap any that are still floating to see if they will sink
5. Check seeds after an additional 24 hours and plant any that show a taproot 3-4mm or longer into a small pot or cup in starter soil or rooting plugs in the soil you plan to grow out in.
6. Check on remaining seeds every 12 hours. If they don't pop within 72hours from when they were put in the cup of water, then I still put them in rooting plugs and let them do their thing for a week. If they don't pop after that then I toss them.

I also keep the heating pad under the seedling, and the humidity above 80%, until they get into the vegetation state and then I drop it down to 70%.

It looks like both of you think it's more a matter of temperature rather than watering...
I thought my temperature was right. This is what royal seeds suggest for germination:

My thermometer, next to the plastic cups with the seeds sais that during the day usually I have 22°C.
And I also knew that to much humidity could be even worse and 60-90% should be the best...

If you say so I'm going to put everything inside the grow room where I can reach around 24-25 °C and if necessary I can use a humidifier to increase the humidity of the room(it's to big to fit in the grow room which is 1x1x2,5 foot)

Two weeks and still nothing...it's so sad

I've personally found they germinate faster at a higher temp than they suggest. If you Google "Cannabis seed germination temps" you will see that most suggest the ideal temperature is 78°F (26°C).

Well...lets see what happen...after 7 day since I planted this seed, if you are right, I should see some improvement, if not it will mean the seed is not going to sprout, and I will start it all over again with a new one.
I might try this:
1-Soak the seed in a cup of water at room temperature 24-26°C for 12 hour and keep it in the dark. I've read to not leave the seed longer than 16 hour because it will actually reduce the chance for successful germination. For what i know it is a good way to jump start the seed germination but it's better to not leave the seed too long in the water. Not to the point that the root start to come out. It might works anyway, but leave the seed in the water too long might actually decrease the chanches.
2-Keep, for all the gemination period, temperature between 24 and 26 °C (I can't go higher then this even turning off the fan because my leds run pretty cold) and the humidity beetween 60 and 90%.
3-After 12-16 hours, Royalseedqueen suggest me to use the kitchen towel method, but having another step makes me kind of nervous so I'll probably just put the seed, as you said, "3-4mm or longer into a small pot or cup in starter soil".

And then moist and wait...

I don't bother putting them in paper towels. When I first started out I damaged so many taproots from them sticking to the paper towel.

I maintain constant temp until germ and save my paper towels to clean my anal opening.
No Toilet paper.

IF using the paper towel method and your tap root has grown into it, cut off the paper towel around the tap and plant the bean with the lil piece of paper towel attached. The paper towel will degrade leaving your taproot undamaged.

I have yet to damage a taproot using the paper towel method, stuck or not.

I say go back to doing what you were doing if it was working for you. I plant straight into soil and have damn near 100% germination rate. The ones that didn't sprout were probably not viable. FFOF is probably hotter than that blend you have and I've used it for starting seeds. It can be a little rough on the seedlings in the beginning but they grow out of it. Maybe use some of that mix you have and cut it with some more peat and perlite.

Good luck.

Hi everybody.
Following your advice it's now almost 24 hours that my seeds are costantly at 25°C and 75% humidity. We are now in the 8th day since I planted the second seed (the first has to be dead, loos alive but has to be dead). I just checked and it's still closed.
So it looks like I have to go with the third seed...unfortunately for my situation I have to go with one seed at a time because I have enough space for just one plant and I don't want to trow away a seed if I plant two of them and both sprout.

I really hope this goes well because it's been 16 day that I'm trying to have a seedling...I'm so demoralize right now...I'm afraid that whatever I do will be wrong...