Germination seeds

I up to listening to various ways to germinate my seeds. Because I never seem to get a high germination %. I'm always a nervous wreck when starting new seeds . I use Jiffey peat pellets. I soak them per directions. I place my seed 1/2" to 3/4 " deep then cover them with some peat from the pellet. I have my heater on 86°F. I have a small t5 flour light on them. I have my humidifier on and filled at all times. 18/6 light schedule. How wet should the peat pellet stay at all times? I'm thinking about switching from peat pellet to rapid rooters...??
Any advice will be helpful. Seed are expensive and I hate to ruin them. Need help

I've been using Rapid Rooters for over 25 years with nearly 100% success rate.
Soak in purified water......I add a few drops of hydrogen peroxided.
Squeeze out excess.
Place seed in hole......direction doesn't matter.
Tear off a piece of rooter and place over the hole.
Place in a drawer......no heat mat......no dome.....no light.....room temp around 78 is perfect.
Use an eye dropper or syringe to keep the rooter moist.
In 3-4 days they will pop.

10 for 10 within 4 days last time.
Good luck.

GKS said:

I up to listening to various ways to germinate my seeds. Because I never seem to get a high germination %. I'm always a nervous wreck when starting new seeds . I use Jiffey peat pellets. I soak them per directions. I place my seed 1/2" to 3/4 " deep then cover them with some peat from the pellet. I have my heater on 86°F. I have a small t5 flour light on them. I have my humidifier on and filled at all times. 18/6 light schedule. How wet should the peat pellet stay at all times? I'm thinking about switching from peat pellet to rapid rooters...??
Any advice will be helpful. Seed are expensive and I hate to ruin them. Need help

Click to expand...

Double up a moistened paper towel and put it in a plate. Lay your seeds on it. Cover with another moistened paper towel then place a same size plate upside down on top. Place in dark warm place. Check to make sure your towels don't dry out. Check frequently. Some sprout in a day. Others sometimes a week. I like to put the germinated seeds into a rapid rooter plug when the tap root is 1/4 inch long. Use tweezers to handle the sprouted seed making sure the tap root is facing downwards in the rapid rooter. Transplant to soil, coco or hydro when one set of leaves sprout. Works for me.

GKS said:

I up to listening to various ways to germinate my seeds. Because I never seem to get a high germination %. I'm always a nervous wreck when starting new seeds . I use Jiffey peat pellets. I soak them per directions. I place my seed 1/2" to 3/4 " deep then cover them with some peat from the pellet. I have my heater on 86°F. I have a small t5 flour light on them. I have my humidifier on and filled at all times. 18/6 light schedule. How wet should the peat pellet stay at all times? I'm thinking about switching from peat pellet to rapid rooters...??
Any advice will be helpful. Seed are expensive and I hate to ruin them. Need help

Click to expand...

Do what buzz said with the paper towels or use toilet paper it's just easier this way since you don't have to wait like 3-7 days to see if the seed will sprout and I used to use jiffy pellets but I don't anymore because they like to grow mold easy I just use miracle grow that has a tiny bit of nutes for my seedlings and I throw them in solo cups it's always worked great for me

I do a 12 hour soak in well water then plant in XL peat pellets, no heating mat or dome. I pre-hydrate the pucks a day or two ahead of time with aloe water and water them again after I plant. From then on I conservatively water only when the peat looks dry and feels light, every 2 days or so.

I don't use anything but Promix Hp and a solo cup. and have had a 99.9% rate of success.
1st. off cut small holes in the bottom of cup
2nd. fill cup and do not water yet.
3rd. I put seed below soil about 1/8 to a 1/4 inch below soil
4th. I use tap water out of my Well and slowly water soil until it's moist about two inches below.
5th. I use a LED about two feet above until they sprout usually about 4 to 7 days then I use a smaller less harsh light until they get 6 inches tall and back under LED.
I know there are many ways to start a seed, I've tried the emery board method, the damp paper towel, and a few others, but always go back to the old method and for me it works well.
Patients and not over watering is important I never pull the seed shell off either it will fall off on her own.

Growing more females from seeds
Increasing the level of Nitrogen makes more females So Higher levels of nitrogen and lower potassium will help make more females for the first two weeks Low temps increase the male numbers keeping them a bit warmer and higher humidity, More red light increases chances of Female while more blue well help males. Now I wouldn't suggest putting any nutes in just make sure your soils a good one like Promix HP.

This is in my method and has been tried and true to me over many years of doing so. As I am sure there are others out here with their methods that work just as will as mine do, I just like to keep it simple so I can weed out and issues if something does arise.

what ever method you use I wish you the best of luck and to keep us all posted on your success...

I've had 99% germination rate by simply soaking the seeds in a cup of water till the taproot comes out then you're good to go, I use to do the paper trick but meh.

Tks everyone for responding. I'm taking all methods into consideration.

Pretty much what everyone else said, heres some of my early problems when i killed alot of seeds hopefully it will help.

Those coco seed starter pods they dry out super quick so use the tray they come with and keep them hydrated.

My suggestion is soak them, paper towel until they pop, and then straight into soil about 5cm down. Dont over water in soil you will kill them. Its a fine balance, what i started doing that works is getting a spray bottle and spray them slightly when top soil looks dry. It worked for me went from below 50% germ to almost a 100.

Hope that helps.