Newbie, looking for help with seedlings...

So I have a grow cabinet. In the cabinet, 1 CFL engery saving bulb(150watt 2700 lumen output) which is about 4 inches from the tops of the planters. Rather than using the paper towel method to germinate my seeds, I have placed the seeds point down about 1-2cm each in coconut cedar pellets. I left these in the seedling starter tub they came with, that has a clear lid(to build moisture). I left them in complete darkness for 24 hours. What I was hoping this would do is allow the root to pop. After the 24 hours of darkness I put the light on for 18 hours and 6 off. It is now the second day of having the light on, and I am really worried about the seeds. It seems as if the moved up from where they were planted...but being impatient( I KNOW THIS = bad) I carefully brushed a tad bit of the cedar off the top of the pellets to seed what the seeds were up to. Two LOOK good to me but this is where I need help... The white root appears healthy and is headed straight down. The seeds are cracked and upright, but still look like seeds minus the split they have with the root coming out. Since the two seeds were so close to already popping out, I now have them exposed to the light with the moist cedar kinda pressed around the root. The other two haven't moved up as much but definitely appear to have split. So I left the slow ones still covered and now just have the two healthier looking ones exposed to the direct light.

The seeds are Northern Lights x Cinderella 99

They are about 1 year old, since purchase.

With this said my questions that I hope to have answered are...

Assuming I didn't directly touch the seed with my fingers, did me moving some cedar around harm the seedlings?

Was leaving the two seeds exposed a good idea?

How long should it be till I see leaves?

Based on others experiences I feel like i should be seeing the first leaves by now?

How long of not seeing movement or anything else happening until I know they aren't going to make it?

1.Probably, the taproot and just seedlings in general are very fragile. But I doubt you killed it or even really stunted it.
2.No, these plants as said are very sensitive and this includes to light. A seed planted at a proper depth gives the plant a couple days of maturing before it breaks the surface allowing it to better resist primarily light stress.
3. Awhile. Germinating in soil can take upwards of two weeks before a seed even breaks the surface
4. /\

Basically it sounds like your impatient(as you said haha) and in a negative way for your plant. I don't think anything you've done so far will harm it but be careful in the future as I would honestly say that majority of issues I see with plants is new growers trying to overcompensate/tend for something on the plant.

age of seeds can mean slow initial growth, you said they were a year old since purchase so just give them time.

just keep wet bro they will do there thing and next time use paper towel first to sprout seed then be gentle put in soil i make a little hole and put it in cover keep wet and never had prob,do not mess with once planted.good luck bro!

indyman said:

just keep wet bro they will do there thing and next time use paper towel first to sprout seed then be gentle put in soil i make a little hole and put it in cover keep wet and never had prob,do not mess with once planted.good luck bro!

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you'll be fine, i grow in hydro but i handle my seedlings all the time and never have a prob, just wash your hands fbeore u touch the soil