Germination Help? Can't seem to get by the first step!!

Okay, so I will explain to you my whole germination process, and the results.
1st Try: I put 1 Nirvana AutoFem Northern Lights seed in a shotglass of ph 5.8 water for 6 hours, then transferred over to sealed tupperware with paper towels on top of my cable box (its warm) with a shirt over it to block light out. Waited a few days, it cracked open but the taproot barely came out and was no longer fully white, it kind of was a bit darker.

2nd Try: Read that I should keep it in water longer, and that pH doesn't really matter that much if its RO water. I used some purified bottled water, that states on the label that it's been through Reverse-Osmosis. Put the seed (same kind) in a glass with this water for just about 72 hours, it cracked fine and had a tiny white taproot coming out of it, but not long enough to plant. I then put it in tupperware with papertowel (dampened with the RO water) and on and off the heat so it doesn't get too hot. This one shows a bit more hope, but then again... It's still been 3 days in the water, 2 nights in the paper towel, and it's still not even long enough to plant yet... Not to mention this taproot isn't completely white either...

Is there any tips or suggestions anyone could please give me to get better germination? Or if this sounds right and just need to give it more time?
I'm a little concerned about the taproot not being fully white, I'm not sure what that is about. Just any tips are accepted.

Thanks!

plant the seed directly into a damp jiffy puck or RW.
Dont mess with it for 3 to 5 days, just barley keep it damp.

But many have good luck using the method you describe. As soon as you see tap root. plant it in your medium.
dont let the seeds just sit around for days after they crack.
That said I have seen some say they grew tap roots "x inches" long before they planted.

Maby you just need to do less and let the seed do more.

lokie said:

plant the seed directly into a damp jiffy puck or RW.
Dont mess with it for 3 to 5 days, just barley keep it damp.

But many have good luck using the method you describe. As soon as you see tap root. plant it in your medium.
dont let the seeds just sit around for days after they crack.
That said I have seen some say they grew tap roots "x inches" long before they planted.

Maby you just need to do less and let the seed do more.

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Couldn't have been worded better. I am going to put the seed in the RW now, the RW has been soaked in pH 5.8 water for a few days now so it's definitely ready. Should I leave the actual shell of the seed above the whole of the rockwool? Or put it inside the rockwool? After that I will put in a homemade humidity dome. (essentially just a tall cup with a flat lid, and put it upside down, and will put the RW on the flat lid, and screw the cup on) I'll upload pics.
Thanks.

No taproot is necessary to plant...with that said the above post has it right...get some jiffy pucks and wet them so they puff up...add a seed and wait...I always put my newly seeded jiffy pucks in ziploc bags if I only have a few, that way I don't have to water them...if I have a lot then I use the jiffy dome tray thing...

missnu said:

No taproot is necessary to plant...with that said the above post has it right...get some jiffy pucks and wet them so they puff up...add a seed and wait...I always put my newly seeded jiffy pucks in ziploc bags if I only have a few, that way I don't have to water them...if I have a lot then I use the jiffy dome tray thing...

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Thanks for the tip! Mine is now in the dome, should I add light or wait for first true leaves after the cotyledons? Im uploading a picture now.

ooohhh and sometimes heat from appliances is too much heat...for real, I have the best luck with a jiffy puck in a bag, not necessarily warm...just moist and room temp and it will happen.

Here's the pictures of the dome, and the actual seed in the RW.

Well you can set them under light, but there is really no reason or benefit...with no leaves a seed can use no light...although they don't need dark to germinate, they just don't use the light...so no need for light til you have leaves

Well you can set them under light, but there is really no reason or benefit...with no leaves a seed can use no light...although they don't need dark to germinate, they just don't use the light...so no need for light til you have leaves


so in that last pic you have switched to rockwool? Did you let that rockwool soak for 24 hrs in ph'ed water?? YOu shouldn't be able to see the seed at all...plant the whole seed into your medium and leave it alone for one week...after one week put it under lights...if you don't already have a plant wait one more week and if you still have no plant then that one is not going to happen either...just stick the whole seed into dirt so you can't see it anymore, then add a dome and wait for a plant to come up.

missnu said:

Well you can set them under light, but there is really no reason or benefit...with no leaves a seed can use no light...although they don't need dark to germinate, they just don't use the light...so no need for light til you have leaves

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Okay, for now it will just stay in my closet in that cup for 3-5 days. I'll check it on day 3, and if no true leaves I'll leave it till day 5. I'm going to try and not tamper with it. It is my first "Real" grow, so you can probably see where I'm coming from when I say I want to see the thing every day, but I don't want to add extra stress on it for no reason.

I soak for 10-15 minutes at the most using regular city water. I see more people run into problems doing the overnight soaking then any other method. I think it causes the seed to root. When you soak all your trying to do is flush out a hormone, which triggers sprouting. A quick soaking is all you need. Give it a try.

missnu said:

Well you can set them under light, but there is really no reason or benefit...with no leaves a seed can use no light...although they don't need dark to germinate, they just don't use the light...so no need for light til you have leaves


so in that last pic you have switched to rockwool? Did you let that rockwool soak for 24 hrs in ph'ed water?? YOu shouldn't be able to see the seed at all...plant the whole seed into your medium and leave it alone for one week...after one week put it under lights...if you don't already have a plant wait one more week and if you still have no plant then that one is not going to happen either...just stick the whole seed into dirt so you can't see it anymore, then add a dome and wait for a plant to come up.

Click to expand...

Yes, that rockwool has been pH treated in water. I will go ahead and push it all the way in there and leave it alone. I appreciate the help very much! I am hoping I have success in this attempt!

I put lights on not because the seeds need it, but because it adds warmth. Also by turning the lights on at the time of sowing, when they do pop, it drastically reduces how much they stretch.

Vindicated said:

I soak for 10-15 minutes at the most using regular city water. I see more people run into problems doing the overnight soaking then any other method. I think it causes the seed to root. When you soak all your trying to do is flush out a hormone, which triggers sprouting. A quick soaking is all you need. Give it a try.

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Thank you for this tip! I am going to go ahead and give this one a few days to see how well she comes along. If no success I'll try your method. The first seed I did a 6 hour soak, someone had recommended on a forum saying that 24 is not required.

Vindicated said:

I put lights on not because the seeds need it, but because it adds warmth. Also by turning the lights on at the time of sowing, when they do pop, it drastically reduces how much they stretch.

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I'm growing with CFL's so I doubt that will give it warmth through that thick cup.. But what I do have is a heating pad I could put on like the lowest setting and set the cup on that. You think it's worth a shot?

well heating pads can help and hurt germination...I say this because sometimes they stay they perfect tip and only slightly heat the seeds which makes them sprout super fast...but>>> BUT>>> Just as often heating pads get too hot and kill the seeds or seedlings you are trying to grow...so you can risk losing the plant to save a day off seed time...or you can maybe wait an extra day and end up with a plant.

missnu said:

well heating pads can help and hurt germination...I say this because sometimes they stay they perfect tip and only slightly heat the seeds which makes them sprout super fast...but>>> BUT>>> Just as often heating pads get too hot and kill the seeds or seedlings you are trying to grow...so you can risk losing the plant to save a day off seed time...or you can maybe wait an extra day and end up with a plant.

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I had just heated up the heating pad on Low to check how hot it gets, and it gets way too hot.. Hotter than the cable box. My room already is kind of warm if I keep all my fans / window A/C off. My bedroom was built on to the house, so it has no vent ducting. I'll just keep her in the closet till I see those leaves

My method (Never failed): Soak 2 cotton pads (the ones ur mom uses to remove makeup), lightly squeeze them out so they are damp, choose a plum seed (better chances of germination), place between pads and cover with a party cup in a warm place (i don't use any heating devices)-(EVERYTIME mine germinated after 24hours)-(i plant when the root is about 1/2in. long)

JOKable25 said:

My method (Never failed): Soak 2 cotton pads (the ones ur mom uses to remove makeup), lightly squeeze them out so they are damp, choose a plum seed (better chances of germination), place between pads and cover with a party cup in a warm place (i don't use any heating devices)-(EVERYTIME mine germinated after 24hours)-(i plant when the root is about 1/2in. long)

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plum seeds will bare sweet fruit although I imagin the smoke is harsh. Choose a PLUMP seed.

I've always wanted a heating pad, but I'm to cheap to buy one. I raised my lights to take the pic, but it's only a single 200 Watt 6500K CFL. Notice how when the seeds first sprout they don't stretch, instead they stay very compact. I don't have a fan, I'm not feeding them anything, no pre-germination, and I'm using city tap water. Even as my plants grows the spacing is just about perfect. To me, this is how they should look. These are in one gallon smart pots. The lights hung 4" to 6" away.

Some seeds were tiny, some were big, some sank right away and some floated. None of that mattered because they all look great. Indicas and Sativas all getting along together. Really the only thing special I did was add a thin layer of coir after they sprouted, and this was simply to prevent bugs from having a place to lay their eggs.