My seeds won't sprout.

So this is about the 4th time I've planted seeds and they have not sprouted. I have used different seeds (Northern Lights and God Bud) and different soils (Happy Frog and Ocean Forest). I have had luck using both types of soil before. I am growing in a small rubbermaid setup that has 3 26W CFLs. The inside is coated with shiny mylar tape. When I plant them, I put them in red solo cups after they germinate. Any idea what my problem may be? I have tried different water, tap and poland spring, and still no luck. Should the soil always be moist in the first few days?

moist but not wet. I would use something that drains a little better. Do they have holes in the cups?

Sounds like their damping off.

have you tried germing them in a paper towel before you plant them? get a paper towel, wet it, fold it into quarters, and place bean in the middle.. place paper towel into a plastic bag.. i leave the bag open so that it still will get air, place bag in a dark environment.. and maybe on top of something warm like a cable box or stereo or dvd player... warm, but not hot.. you should see taproot in about three days, or faster, depending on strain and seed viability.. take out seed when you see white taproot and carefully place it with taproot facing down in your medium of choice..

hope this helps..

keep the soil nice an moist , and they were prob bunks, iv planted 25 seeds once 19 came up so 6 were bunks , are u letting the soil dry out too much?

The cups do have slits in the bottom for drainage.

I have been germinating the seeds using that paper towel method before planting them in any soil. They germinate fine.

I do let the soil dry till it gets very dry on the top and then I water them again. Should I try keeping them moist more constantly? I water once every day when the soil gets crusty at the top.

could it be cold where you are starting your plants. does your soil have nutrients? do you check your PH of the water?

then you want to keep them more moist. Moist until they develop 2 sets of leaves. Not soaking wet, but if the root tip completely dries out the plant dies.

try rapid rooters, it worked like magic for me.

I think I'm gonna try putting saran wrap on the top of the cups when I plant my next seeds. One other question is how far away should I place the cups from the lights after planting the seed? Should I do 2" or should I start off further away? I am using 3 26W CFLs.

KaleoXxX said:

could it be cold where you are starting your plants. does your soil have nutrients? do you check your PH of the water?

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Yep, newly germ seeds need temps in the mid 80s for the first week or so. Also I put saranwrap over the top of my cup after placing the germed seed in the soil. Keeps it nice and humid and helps retain moisture.

your seeds probably are not starting because your light is too far away. feel the top of your soil when its under the light, it should feel warm. dont mess with any saran wrap or anything like that.

I soak mine in PHed water with Hydro Thrive or Super Thrive in a dark container for 24 hours somewhere warm. I then look and they have tap root already bursting through, i use to put them in the paper towel after this but really its no use!! I just put them right into the soilless medium after that and keep the soil moist untill they have 2 leaves and then i usually water them every other day!! I also have a heat mat and themostat controller for the mat!! I also use a humiditiy dome and tray as well since that helps get roots faster!! Hope this helps!!

Here are the first few things that come to mind about seeds that don't pop off. I would assume that probably you mishandled them somehow. Possibly leaving enough moisture in their storage container to germinate and then kill them.

If you ordered your seeds then just hit up the bank about the bunk batch, if you got it out of a bag oh well better luck next time.

Thanks for all the advice. I am going to plant 2 seeds, one with the saran wrap and one without. Will make sure that the soil stays moist though until it develops a bit.

i think ur main problem would be heat! i had it before they wouldnt sprout because it wasnt warm enough for them i bet if you warmed them up they would sprout. the light thing isnt an issue you can leave in the dark untill they have sprouted through the soil ect

bigweeds said:

i think ur main problem would be heat! i had it before they wouldnt sprout because it wasnt warm enough for them i bet if you warmed them up they would sprout. the light thing isnt an issue you can leave in the dark untill they have sprouted through the soil ect

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just be mindful of too much heat. I've had beans that popped and then died because it was slightly too warm. Also the warmer it is,the quicker your medium dries out. If the tip of the seeds taproot dries out the sprout is a goner.

JonnyBtreed said:

just be mindful of too much heat. I've had beans that popped and then died because it was slightly too warm. Also the warmer it is,the quicker your medium dries out. If the tip of the seeds taproot dries out the sprout is a goner.

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The soil should be moist/damp NOT soaking wet. Get ur hands dirty and mix the soil and water to make a nice evenly moist mixture. Then plant your seed just under the soil..not too deep.

You most definately need to create a humidity dome over top, but not completely super air tight. I use saran wrap and stick a knife in the soul to create a teepee for your saran. I scotch tape the saran to the pot edge a few places to hold her down and it creates moisture inside the cup.

Put it under the light and wait. It shouldn't need anymore water till it sprouts up, but if it's lookin dry definately add some, it's gotta always stay damp. To add water to delicate seed, use a light spray bottle.

Soon as they pop through the soil remove the dome and don't let them dry out, but don't drown em.

I find using a spray bottle works awesome. Maybe ur little dudes were gettin' drowned and then dried up..too much bouncin'. Gotta baby em bro!

JonnyBtreed said:

just be mindful of too much heat. I've had beans that popped and then died because it was slightly too warm. Also the warmer it is,the quicker your medium dries out. If the tip of the seeds taproot dries out the sprout is a goner.

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Agreed, dont over do the heat jus warm

And we've got new growth. Thanks for all the help. I think the moisture factor was the biggest thing.