please help!!!!

I have a 3x3 setup matte white walls, 2 65w 4100k cfls, 2 55w 2700k cfls, MG soil (I know its not the best just limited to selections, a fan for circulation, and temps stay around 70-75. My problem is I have germinated my seeds, planted them but im not getting any sprouts. What's going on??? Any ideas??

how long has it been? it can take a couple of days for the sprouts to break the surface. how deep did you bury them? and did you pace them the right way up?

i have had probably a 99% germ. success rate, and what i do is...paper towel method, i put it is a mason jar, and usually day 2,or at most 3 days i have a taproot. and all i do is put the taproot in the ground, and just leave the top of the seed visible. i water 2 times a day probably, and in about 3-4 days they are sprouted, and seed shell dropped. what kind of MG soil? you may be burnin those things out before they can start of it is any time released brand.

Your 4100k lights are useless. Keep the soil wet, it takes time bro.

I would take stock of all three replies to your post, Banksy.

It takes time, often days for a seed to sprout. How long have they been buried? How deep? Is the soil moist? I also use the paper towel method, much like gobskii, and although I haven't done a soil grow (I use rock wool + clay pebbles), I can't count the number of times I've read that MG soil can kill plants super quick. MG soil is often loaded with nutes, and seedlings shouldn't be introduced to nutes too soon, as they draw nutrients from the shell of the seed.

Peace.

SunnyJim said:

I would take stock of all three replies to your post, Banksy.

It takes time, often days for a seed to sprout. How long have they been buried? How deep? Is the soil moist? I also use the paper towel method, much like gobskii, and although I haven't done a soil grow (I use rock wool + clay pebbles), I can't count the number of times I've read that MG soil can kill plants super quick. MG soil is often loaded with nutes, and seedlings shouldn't be introduced to nutes too soon, as they draw nutrients from the shell of the seed.

Peace.

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Wise words, you deserve some rep.
We need more people/growers like you.

Nice Ol Bud said:

Wise words, you deserve some rep.
We need more people/growers like you.

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Wow - thanks Ol Bud! I think we need more growers like you than like me. I'm just regurgitating what I've read on these forums. So much golden information if you take the time to read through other people's posts.

I'm still a novice and I make mistakes along the way, but I have learned to be patient. With my first grow, I was expecting jungle-like growth overnight. A couple grows have taught me that as long as I troll these forums for information and I patiently monitor my grow daily, there is no reason why anyone shouldn't be able to return a decent yield. Growers generally get back in yield what they put into the grow in terms of effort.

I also completely agree with your comment re: the bulb spectrum. 4100K is useless as that spectrum is pitched between the 6400K needed for vegging and the 2700K needed for flowering.

Banksy, once the seedlings punch through the soil, and if you have a few bucks to spare, I would consider switching your existing bulbs out for some 6400K. Your plants will really thank you for it in the long run. Also, check if your MG soil contains nutes - if it does, you might be murdering your seeds. Try to buy some unfertilized potting soil, and make sure you have a decent mix of perlite with it.

Good luck, and don't get discouraged from the slow start to your grow. With a little care and attention (and reading on these forums), you'll be amazed and what can be achieved. Post some pics of your setup if you get a chance, and answer some of the questions in your thread.

Jim out.

I got the taproot planted it facing downward maybe a couple centimeters deep about 4 days ago. I had this problem the first time I tried it too so im thinking what was said about the soil burning them could be a big possibility. Thanks to everyone for the help.any suggestions on soil thati could buy at a home depot or loses?

Like I said, I haven't done a soil grow, but I've read here on RIU that Fox Farm Ocean Forest is great stuff. Can you go out and buy yourself a bag of that nearby? Also, are you monitoring the temperature in your grow environment, and are you balancing the pH of the water you're using (assuming you aren't collecting rain water from outside)?

A way I've always had success with is using jiffy pots ( peat pots that the roots grow through). Just fill em with your soil, put the seed in about 1/2" down and lightly cover it. Then water till a littler runs out the bottom and the sides will get damp. After that let it sit out for an hour or two and then close it up in a ziplock baggie to lock in moisture. You can leave the bag slightly open if you get mold but you shouldn't need to water it at all until it sprouts (3-7 days later) after that you can plant it in your pot or w/e

Also about the bulbs, thisis my second grow and I was experimenting with 12/12 from seed since I am only looking for a small personal stash. I am going to veg for a couple weeks then switch it over, should I still get the 6400-6700k bulbs?

I saw several people refer foxfarm on riu but cannot find it in any local stores. Im using water from the faucet, leaving it out for 24-48 hours to rid of any chlorine and let it adjust to room temp

It really depends on your budget, dude. I've read that vegging plants benefit more from 6400K, and flowering plants benefit from 2700K.

If you're doing a 12/12 from seed, and you have some spare money, I would still use 6400K for the first few weeks until you have confirmed the sex and they start showing early signs of flowering. I would then switch out most of the 6400K for 2700K, maybe leaving a 70/30 split of 2700K and 6400K bulbs.

It's really up to you, though. If this is just an experiment to see if you can actually produce some bud, maybe just stick to the bulbs you have and wait for the results. No sense in spending more money until you know for sure that you've got everything right for a grow (soil, pH, temperature, humidity, nutrient cycle, bug control, etc).

5000K or 6500K spectrum is for 18/6(Summer time)(Veg)
2300K or 2700K spectrum is for 12/12(Fall time)(Flowering).
Thats for CFLs.

banksy89 said:

I saw several people refer foxfarm on riu but cannot find it in any local stores. Im using water from the faucet, leaving it out for 24-48 hours to rid of any chlorine and let it adjust to room temp

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It might be worth asking someone at a local garden center if they can order some Ocean Forest for you to collect in-store, unless you're happy to order it online.

Balancing the pH of your water is pretty essential. Leaving it out for a day or two is definitely a good start, but it isn't a substitute for checking if the water is too alkaline or acidic. Too much of one or the other can lead to nute lock in the plant, preventing the roots from absorbing the nutrients you're giving them.

I'm pretty sure my current grow has been slow to start because my pH pen stopped working and I wasn't balancing the water. Having bought a new pen recently, my baby plant seems to be benefiting from balanced water.

Ok great thanks for the help everyone.