Low success rate of seeds popping

[horribleherk]

I've never been the greatest at popping seeds I soak them until they crack & you can see the white tap root starting then into paper towel until I see a good root start & then into my medium last fall I had almost 100% success now it's almost 0% they just stop developing for some reason & refuse to pop above the surface I'm getting ready to order more seeds & want to get this sorted out first I would like to hear what others are doing & how it's working out I have some seeds to practice with before I try to pop any of my good stuff I'm kinda dumbfounded

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

Rapid rooter cubes my friend ... I just soak them, squeeze them out till they arent soggy and drop them in the tray ... stick the seed in and cover them with the dome ... throw it on a heat mat or other warm place (sometimes just on top of my T5 lamp) ... sprouts in 2 or 3 days usually. Ive had one seed not germinate in 3 years.

 

[horribleherk]

Rapid rooter cubes my friend ... I just soak them, squeeze them out till they arent soggy and drop them in the tray ... stick the seed in and cover them with the dome ... throw it on a heat mat or other warm place (sometimes just on top of my T5 lamp) ... sprouts in 2 or 3 days usually. Ive had one seed not germinate in 3 years.

I have a heat Matt & dome gotta get the bottom tray with the little squares funny thing I have no problem cloning just seeds do you poke a hole with a toothpick or something or use the existing hole??

 

[Amarok]

I put them on a wet paper towel in a warm place until the root emerges and then into coco/perlite. I want that root buried and protected from my clumsy fingers ASAP.
It can be a little tricky for the next day or so, managing moisture to avoid damping off. I usually half fill a 3" pot with moist but not wet medium, drop in the seed and cover with a very thin layer of dry coco. By the time the seed emerges it should be safe from damping off. Sometimes the seed case or inner membrane are stubborn and won't allow the cotyledons to open. You can use fine pliers but I find a drop of water directly on the seed will usually soften it up enough to open on its own.

A second benefit of half filling the little pot, beyond moisture control, is that once the seedling has finished its first little stretch I flll the pot the rest of the way to further support the stem.

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Dont think you have to go into the paper towel if you got a lil bit of that tail pokin out. I only put them in a towel if they dont crack open in the 24 hour soak when I do see the tail I move them to soil quick. Much like the lower two in the pic the top one is to long for my taste. I think you run a risk of damaging fine root hairs at that length. Just my opine from the pic not sure about your watering.

 

[horribleherk]

I put them on a wet paper towel in a warm place until the root emerges and then into coco/perlite. I want that root buried and protected from my clumsy fingers ASAP.
It can be a little tricky for the next day or so, managing moisture to avoid damping off. I usually half fill a 3" pot with moist but not wet medium, drop in the seed and cover with a very thin layer of dry coco. By the time the seed emerges it should be safe from damping off. Sometimes the seed case or inner membrane are stubborn and won't allow the cotyledons to open. You can use fine pliers but I find a drop of water directly on the seed will usually soften it up enough to open on its own.

A second benefit of half filling the little pot, beyond moisture control, is that once the seedling has finished its first little stretch I flll the pot the rest of the way to further support the stem.

Thanks for the input I've definitely gotta improve my success rate once they pop in cool it's just getting them to pop

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

I have a heat Matt & dome gotta get the bottom tray with the little squares funny thing I have no problem cloning just seeds do you poke a hole with a toothpick or something or use the existing hole??

I just use the existing hole in the rooters ... I used to push the seed down but I don't even bother anymore, literally just drop them in

 

[horribleherk]

Dont think you have to go into the paper towel if you got a lil bit of that tail pokin out. I only put them in a towel if they dont crack open in the 24 hour soak when I do see the tail I move them to soil quick. Much like the lower two in the pic the top one is to long for my taste. I think you run a risk of damaging fine root hairs at that length. Just my opine from the pic not sure about your watering.

That's what I usually do but lately when I cover them up they seem to quit developing usually when I get the white root by the following day they've broke the surface

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Make sure you let your soil dry out a bit not bone dry but not moist only water the root zone AS ABOVE SO BELOW helps me think of root size only enough water to make the tiny roots moist once they get a few inches (2) they can handle a bit more.

 

[Buzzer777]

I've never been the greatest at popping seeds I soak them until they crack & you can see the white tap root starting then into paper towel until I see a good root start & then into my medium last fall I had almost 100% success now it's almost 0% they just stop developing for some reason & refuse to pop above the surface I'm getting ready to order more seeds & want to get this sorted out first I would like to hear what others are doing & how it's working out I have some seeds to practice with before I try to pop any of my good stuff I'm kinda dumbfounded View attachment 17579 View attachment 17580 View attachment 17581

Something is wrong..Those tap roots should be white and not beige tinged. Could be the water, PH, disease or something that I am unaware of. Additionally those tap roots look very long and might be damaged when you transplant them. I stopped using paper towels in favor of coffee filters which won't let the roots become stuck in the paper. Once I see a 1/4" tap root..I put the seeds in a rockwool cube in a humidity dome with a heated mat (covered from the light with an opaque Solo cup). Once they break ground they are put under a seedling light and no longer in the domed environment. I might have lost a couple due to their genetics, but overall the success rate has been very good.

Good luck and happy growing.

 

[horribleherk]

Something is wrong..Those tap roots should be white and not beige tinged. Could be the water, PH, disease or something that I am unaware of. Additionally those tap roots look very long and might be damaged when you transplant them. I stopped using paper towels in favor of coffee filters which won't let the roots become stuck in the paper. Once I see a 1/4" tap root..I put the seeds in a rockwool cube in a humidity dome with a heated mat (covered from the light with an opaque Solo cup). Once they break ground they are put under a seedling light and no longer in the domed environment. I might have lost a couple due to their genetics, but overall the success rate has been very good.

Good luck and happy growing.

those seeds have been that way for about a week no change they're pretty much toast so you don't soak in water first just right to the filters ?

 

[Amos Otis]

I've done paper towels in tupperware for a decade - wet, but not soaked. Taps usually in 2 - 4 days, then straight to a wet, but not soaked peat pellet, half an inch deep. I put the pellets in McDonalds yogurt parfait cups [ eat parfait first and rinse cup ] with lids, then under a low watt fluorescent tube. They'll start cracking the surface in a day, at which point they get moved to cups of hydroton and into the veg room.

 

[horribleherk]

I've done paper towels in tupperware for a decade - wet, but not soaked. Taps usually in 2 - 4 days, then straight to a wet, but not soaked peat pellet, half an inch deep. I put the pellets in McDonalds yogurt parfait cups [ eat parfait first and rinse cup ] with lids, then under a low watt fluorescent tube. They'll start cracking the surface in a day, at which point they get moved to cups of hydroton and into the veg room.

Funny thing I've cloned in peat pellets but never used them for starting seeds lol

 

[Buzzer777]

those seeds have been that way for about a week no change they're pretty much toast so you don't soak in water first just right to the filters ?

Sorry, I do soak in a mixture of about 20% H2O2 and RO water until they sink or it's been 24 hrs. Then I move them to the humidity domed tray in coffee filters..MY BAD..but I really don't think that soaking is an absolute..I do it out of habit and to hopefully speed germination up.

 

[Amos Otis]

Funny thing I've cloned in peat pellets but never used them for starting seeds lol

For clones, I use rapid rooters, and put them in the same parfait cups w/lids. The rapid rooters stay moist for as long as it takes, whereas peat pellet dry out pretty quickly.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

For clones, I use rapid rooters, and put them in the same parfait cups w/lids. The rapid rooters stay moist for as long as it takes, whereas peat pellet dry out pretty quickly.

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I guess I need to get some parfait cups man ... Im the opposite of herk, I have no issues cracking seeds but I cant clone for the life of me... even with the rapid rooters. I used to do alright but for the last 6 months I haven't been able to get anything to take.

 

[Amos Otis]

I guess I need to get some parfait cups man ... Im the opposite of herk, I have no issues cracking seeds but I cant clone for the life of me... even with the rapid rooters. I used to do alright but for the last 6 months I haven't been able to get anything to take.

Having them in individual cups is very convenient, plus eating the yogurt parfait is bliss. I dip them in Quick Clone - it's rare when one doesn't take.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

Having them in individual cups is very convenient, plus eating the yogurt parfait is bliss. I dip them in Quick Clone - it's rare when one doesn't take.

View attachment 17611

I didn't even know McDonald's had parfait haha ... I feel mandated to go get one now

 

[Photon Pharms]

Thanks for the input I've definitely gotta improve my success rate once they pop in cool it's just getting them to pop

When I cam back to growing from a long hiatus, I went from getting literally anything to germ to absolutely nothing. I noticed I was way to generous with the water. Remember, you just need moisture at this point. You'd be surprised how little it takes in a peat pellet or rooter. Second, peat pellets or roosters, hahaha. Use em. And third was heat, i wasn't using it. Definitely use it and cook em. I've not paid attention and germwd seeds at well over 90 f substrate temp. Not recommended. But to show to always heed on the side of warmer. Same for the water, always heed on the side of drier. After that, my personal opinion is that paper towel looked really wet. Those seed shells seemed to be straight water logged. Could have been the pic or that soak. I soak too, but not until they crack typically. Unless it happens in 12 hours. Warm water also. Keep on heat mat, ended up getting one with a thermo, definitely worth it to me. Then I'd go into pellets or paper towel. I agree if the tails wagging, I'd skip the towel. Go into pellets or rooters once that tail's a wagging. Dome and heat for a day or two after they come up, and then I remove the dome for a couple hours, then the next day, like half a day if they are doing good, then off the next. Super stoned, didn't proof read or think before I typed, so hope that helps. I answered because I feel your pain, and so did my wife when I basically just started emptying my wallet into the trash, hahaha. Good luck my friend, and take care.

 

[Drynobbob]

Heat mat and not too wet. I'm OCD and it took forever to not overwater from the get go, either plugs too wet or adding water to tray too soon or misting plugs. Now just squeeze plug almost out, then make myself not mess with em. This last time I set some non starters behind door, forgot and four days later had some super stretchy starters. When plug was dried out