sprouting issues

Hi gang,

I'm an pro at germinating seeds, but to actually get them to sprout i've been having HUGE ISSUES!

i've grown twice before a couple years back with no issues, but alas, i guess i'm still a noob..

I've kept the seeds at 21 degrees Centigrade, using the paper towel method between two plates. Once the seed has cracked and the tap root reaching about 1/4 of an inch (some times just a couple of millimeters) i planted them in my little cups of soil 1/4 an inch in, taproot facing up, under a 125w blue fluorescent grow bulb.

After a week or so nothing. I check the seeds and it seems the tap root has rotted or even withered away. So i figured the soil must be two wet or perhaps to cold so I upped the temp of water gave them just tiny drops of water when planted, as i've been told the seed holds most of the food to help them sprout anyways.

Then i began to think that it was the seed company i've been buying from, Green House Seed Co. as i've heard alot of stick about em. out of 19 fem seeds i planted, which were AMS, arjans ultra haze 2 and white widow, only 2 seeds survived. the ww and the auh2.

so i went to royal queen paid out a shiteload for the award winning amnesia haze and the same has happened to 4 of them, death of the tap root, the 5th i kept till last cause i knew this would happen!

I used to think it was soil issues, however i'm using canna pro mix, then i experimented and used the all mix, no different.

HELP!!!!

is it possible to not only germinate but sprout the baby leaf shoot in the paper towels? does a seed need light to sprout? if not i could keep the soil their in warmer on the radiators until they do so?
i've paid so much fricken money, i've done hours upon days of research, i thought i was doing everything right. And i'm getting really depressed.

Ok well have you tried another method of germ? Maybe this one doesn't work for you...I stick it right in the soil or a jiffy puck put it in a dark, warm area and make sure they are moist not wet I leave them in there till the false leaves open...about a week...you could also try soaking google it I have had success with it

first off, the tap root should be facing down. Second you want the soil to be slightly moist, not wet and not dry. What I would recommend is just get your little cups out, fill them with soil. I fill about 25%, moisten, fill another 25%, moisten. Do that until you have all the soil you want. That way it is moist all the way thru and you don't have to worry. Then put the ungerminated seed in about 1/4". Put it under my flourescent grow lights on 18/6 with the light about 3" from the soil surface. usually 48-72 hours later you should have sprouts about an inch high. The soil will most likely still be moist enough that you don't have to water. If you do, then just use a mister and get the top portion of the soil moist. You don't want it too wet or the sprout will suffer. Then once it's growing, water it about every 3 days or so.

I second Kerovan's suggestion/methodology. Let them germinate in a more natural way like that and remove the paper towels/handling/positioning/transplanting human stuff from the equation.

21-26 degrees Celsius should work.

Kerovan said:

first off, the tap root should be facing down.

Click to expand...

this is incorrect.
https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/newbie-central/244567d1227019260-question-up.gif
I suspect your soil is too wet and cool.
I can't see what your doing wrong but I'd stick with less pricey seeds till you get the bugs ironed out.

frmrboi said:

this is incorrect.
https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/newbie-central/244567d1227019260-question-up.gif

Click to expand...

sorry, but I disagree. The tap root should be pointing down.

thanks for the feedback guys.

Went down to the local hydro shop found out the root of the problem, pun intended. The EC in my sil is far too high. I've been using all mix and the canna pro.. they've basically been burning the tap root with an EC of about 2.5 the guy coined it when he said, 'it's like trying to force a doughnut down a babys throat'. He's given me some canna seedmix which is less than half the EC, which i'm sure i don't need, coulda just bought some cheep clear soil ah well i was greatful for the guy helping me out..

As for the tap root thing, the debate seems almost 50/50 but i like to stick with up

http://www.amsterdammarijuanaseeds.info/how-to-position-sow-cannabis-seeds-in-soil.html

thanks dudes x

ocd spelling... *soil and *cheap

Terrorbeard said:

thanks for the feedback guys.

Went down to the local hydro shop found out the root of the problem, pun intended. The EC in my sil is far too high. I've been using all mix and the canna pro.. they've basically been burning the tap root with an EC of about 2.5 the guy coined it when he said, 'it's like trying to force a doughnut down a babys throat'. He's given me some canna seedmix which is less than half the EC, which i'm sure i don't need, coulda just bought some cheep clear soil ah well i was greatful for the guy helping me out..

As for the tap root thing, the debate seems almost 50/50 but i like to stick with up

http://www.amsterdammarijuanaseeds.info/how-to-position-sow-cannabis-seeds-in-soil.html

thanks dudes x

Click to expand...

Terror,

I've germinated hundreds of seeds (sucessfully) and this is the first I've ever heard of the pointy end or tap root "up" thing. When I was doing it directly in the soil (not soaking first) I just dropped them randomly in a 1/2" deep hole I'd poked in the soil with a pencil point.

The last couple of years I've taken to soaking them between paper towels first (until they split open) because it seems to speed up the process and help them all start closer together time wise. When transferring them into the potting mix I've always been putting the tap root down and it hasn't seemed to have caused any problems.

That article you posted a link to sure seemed to make sense and here in around a month when I'm ready to start some more seeds I'll be giving it a try on a couple of seeds to see if it makes a difference. But being as there's just so much over complicated bullshit out there about weed growing in general I'm more than a little skeptical about it.

I've been using Jiffy Organic seed starting mix with good results. Of course I can also get them to start out good in the standard Miracle Grow potting mix. I just like to sift that thru a screen to get out all the larger, rougher pieces first. That's mainly why I've come to favor the Jiffy mix (it comes right out of the bag in a nice fine particle size).

I try and keep things in the 65 to 75 (F) temp range while germinating. I don't do any of that misting thing but rather just keep the soil thouroughly watered as needed. I start my seedling out under flourescent lights (on 18/6) and keep them there for around 2 weeks before moving them under the bigger more intense lighting.

Jack

Jack in the Bud said:

Terror,

I've germinated hundreds of seeds (sucessfully) and this is the first I've ever heard of the pointy end or tap root "up" thing. When I was doing it directly in the soil (not soaking first) I just dropped them randomly in a 1/2" deep hole I'd poked in the soil with a pencil point.

The last couple of years I've taken to soaking them between paper towels first (until they split open) because it seems to speed up the process and help them all start closer together time wise. When transferring them into the potting mix I've always been putting the tap root down and it hasn't seemed to have caused any problems.

That article you posted a link to sure seemed to make sense and here in around a month when I'm ready to start some more seeds I'll be giving it a try on a couple of seeds to see if it makes a difference. But being as there's just so much over complicated bullshit out there about weed growing in general I'm more than a little skeptical about it.

I've been using Jiffy Organic seed starting mix with good results. Of course I can also get them to start out good in the standard Miracle Grow potting mix. I just like to sift that thru a screen to get out all the larger, rougher pieces first. That's mainly why I've come to favor the Jiffy mix (it comes right out of the bag in a nice fine particle size).

I try and keep things in the 65 to 75 (F) temp range while germinating. I don't do any of that misting thing but rather just keep the soil thouroughly watered as needed. I start my seedling out under flourescent lights (on 18/6) and keep them there for around 2 weeks before moving them under the bigger more intense lighting.

Jack

Click to expand...

nice jack, well please let me know how it differs for you. i've read some posts about experiments some with up some with down and they've said the ups came through first.. however i guess people just do what works for them.. kudos on the over skeptical complicated bull shit, geeze its a weed after all.. you can grow it anywhere...

think i might try your screening of the soil, lost a few seedlings through tight medium...

take it ez

also, further more i found a better solution.

root riot ladies and gents.. it works like a charm

iread it somewhere and tried it a few times now bck to putting it down and i like the heating pad

i germ in paper towel in cups i start out with seeds completly covered in water i cover with another cup to provide darkness and humidity --the next day if not split i pour off excess leaving it damp i cover return to heating pad until split and nub is showing --i then puti n starter soil about 3/8 inch down with point down--cover with a baggie and rubberband (creates a little greenhouse affect makes seed break soil sooner)--once seeds show i remove baggie start misting place under flouresent tube --they stay on heating pad til transplant 3 to 5 weeks-- at transplant they go to cfls till flower time--then to eye hortiluk hps and a cmh by philips til chop down

here but dont do this

How To Germinate Marijuana Seeds Marijuana Seeds Germination Photos Marijuana Seeds Storage Marijuana Seeds Gallery Quality of Viable Marijuana Seeds

Marijuana Seeds Positioning in Soil

Marijuana seeds should be placed with the POINTED END UP into a prepared cannabis seeds germination bed or just good soil at a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. The embryo tap root emerges from the pointed (stylar) end and the natural method of growth is for this root to make a turn and grow downward (see the illustration) This bend formed by the downward curve of the taproot is what emerges from the soil and the friction of dragging the cannabis seeds upward helps the new plant to loosen and cast off the seed case when it breaks through the surface. If the cannabis seeds are placed with the pointed end down, the embryo will be required to expend a great deal of its stored energy for twisting and turning to position the tap root when it realizes that it is heading the wrong way (see illustration of germinating marijuana seeds) The seedling will need this energy to exert the forces required to later lift its head (now enclosed by the two halves of the seed case) above the soil, cast off the seed case and then spread its two embryo leaves and begin the life-giving photosynthetic process. This is a critical stage in growth and carelessness in placing the marijuana seeds will exhaust even the most hearty seedling and result in a slow start and a feeble plant in later life. Cannabis seeds should be placed in a small hole at a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. An excellent medium for germination is a mixture of rich humus and fine sand, such as the type used for aquariums. The soil needs a ph of 7.5 to 8.0 and should not be so moist that it sticks to your fingers. If the medium is too moist, the seeds will rot and ferment before they can sprout. A simple test for moisture is to stick a pencil into the soil and if soil adheres to it when removed, then it is too moist. Sort of like when you test a cake by sticking a straw into it to see if it is baked through to the middle. The ideal is not too moist, and not too dry - and be sure that the soil is well-drained. Research has shown that a soil temperature that is at, or slightly above, the air temperature promotes the best survival rates and growth.
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ive always put the tap root down except one of my last plants and it took longer/ looked like a malformed plant but that could be from a bad genome or something but i always suspected cause i put it in upside down and it had too much time trying to correct its grow path under the soil.... also tao nailed it when he said u should be handling the seedling less with your hands because ive heard that oils from the human hand can play a big role in stopping the plant from growing plus the small micro roots can get damaged/destroyed when handled. im always very gentle. also it could be your soil, i always use fox farms and never has issues. hope i helped good luck my man and keep it green!

Dwezelitsame has it down to a science....I must sgree a heating/germination pad has doubled my germ to sprout rates.....baggie-domes are great!.....I've recently tried some "Ultimate Grow Kit" from Nirvana....the little germ peat cup and that bit of bacteria powder promotes some strong sprouts....

In my opinion, the only purpose of germinating a seed prior to placing it in a final medium is simply to determine whether it's a viable seed. Once it cracks, you know it's viable and it should planted immediately. Don't let the tap root grow a 1/4 inch before planting. Tap roots are fragile and may not survive, or may take time to recover from the planting process. If the seed has just cracked and at most there's a tip of the tap root poking out, it won't matter if it's upside down, sideways or whatever.

guys..
in all honesty...
as i started this thread over a month ago, i've learnt alot..

i've gone through about 20 high quality seeds.. lost about 16 putting them through the stresses of moving from paper towel to soil.. i usually put the tap root up..

anyhow, with root riot cubes it doesn't matter which way you plant them...

i soak seeds for 12/24 hours then stick em in the cubes and i've had 90% germination rate.. its the lowest stress... keeping them in the same medium.. removing all the unnatural human stuff..

a seed needs the right balance of moisture and air and optimum temp at exactly 69.8 degrees fahrenheit..

root riot gives that perfect balance of air and moisture as they are made of coco.. you dip em in water and squeeze the excess water.. stick em on the radior in a mini green house and once they've sprouted stick them in whatever medium you have.. honestly, i highly recommend them to anyone...

http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=8464

reps appreciated