Auto Flower Germination Problems! Help!

  • Thread starter Panacea79
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Panacea79

Panacea79

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Hey there everyone. This is gonna be a short one...okay, so I've been doing my indoor 'micro grow' thing for about 8 months or so now. I decided back then that I was gonna stick with autos for awhile for numerous reasons but anyway. I using a small, Mylar lined tent with a 4" intake fan, a 4 inch ventech 400cfm to a carbon/charcoal scrubber. Growing in soil with CFL's but, again, that's not why I'm posting/pleading.
I've had some relatively positive results being a self-taught newb but for some reason I am having A LOT OF PROBLEMS getting the most important part down: germinating.
I've tried basically EVERY method from old school 'take seed, put-it-in-soil/peat pellet then under a CFL. WITH and WITHOUT A HUMIDITY DOME; in the dark/in the light; on a heating mat, off a heat Matt.
I've tried the soak-in-cup of water then onto paper towel till 'tail' appears, sometimes skipping the paper towel if tap root was visible and THEN putting them in peat pellet; in my soil mix; in vermiculite; putting those back in the dark to finish germinating; putting them under the light and waiting for them to pop but......long story short: IVE BEEN HAVING VERY BAD LUCK GETTING MY SEEDS TO SPROUT.

Anyone who has any ideas or methods PLEASE SHARE!! Thanx!
 
str8smokn

str8smokn

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You've done it correctly almost every time,you are probably overwatering once in their medium. All it takes is a couple of drops of water around the sprout to keep moist. Mmmmoist.
STR8
 
Panacea79

Panacea79

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Near the sprout? U mean the little white tail? That could be it. But how about the seeds that I put STRAIGHT into the medium or pellet?
 
str8smokn

str8smokn

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I mean after you have cupped it.
Once the seed has cracked and you see the white tap root,fill a 12oz solo cup with seed starter soil // not potting soil ie ..Fox Farm, the tap root goes down and seed shell faces up just a 1/4 inch below surface.
Once in cup you should only have to water once day or everyother day considering what starter soil you are using..seed starter soil should stay damp or hold moisture in for a bit..you can then put the top 1/2 of water bottle over sprout,with lid on/off to adjust humi..
And Miracle Grow soil does have some weed killer in it from what I've heard/read.
STR8
 
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Panacea79

Panacea79

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Ok, thanx. I just transferred a seed that I germed in cup of water overnight, then into a pt folded and moistened placed between 2 small plates and then onto a heat mat overnight that I hooked up to a timer to be ON for 1/2 h, then OFF for 1/2 hr overnight. Saw tail this morning, took a peat pellet then kind of cored out a hole into the center and filled with vermiculite, placed the seed, tail down and covered it with vermiculite and misted it. That being all said my biggest question is (and kind of has been about the germination process) is: what now? What's the biggest variable for a successful sprout? Light? Heat? Humidity? Moisture? Etc?
Btw I did the whole cup o water/paper towel/pellet method because out of ALL the methods I've tried with quite a few seeds THIS ONE NEVER FAILED on giving me a sprout and at LEAST cotyledons above soil. I just wanted to hear some feedback and ideas from y'all on what everyone else's "sure fire/go to germing method was...
Thanx again

P.s. Btw I have them in the jiffy humidity dome, in the dark and on the mat since I've read they don't need the light unless there's leaves or if you're using a light for a heat source. Fingers crossed. Oh and they're autos btw in case that matters. OG Kush and Sour Diesel
 
str8smokn

str8smokn

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Being Autos, as soon as you have anything above soil you need to put them into the pot they will be finishing in.. You can put a CFL above them with a top 1/2 of a plastics water bottle with cap-that way you can control humidity..once in at least a 3.5 gal pot you will only be watering drops around plant ( just to make damp) maybe daily. You won't water full pot for atleast 1 -2 weeks after growth.your soil should hold some moisture..
Are you going to be in soil or Co-co?
What kind of heat mat...seedling mat or body ache heat mat?
If a body heat mat then you are probably cooking them..
STR8
 
Panacea79

Panacea79

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It's a seedling mat. Unfortunately there's no temp control. Box says "10 to 20 degrees warmer than your grow room floor" or in my case the bottom of the cabinet above my stove, hehe. But good news! I see a sprout from my sour d and im pretty sure you're right about the watering/moisture level. I STOPPED misting or watering the pellets and pots and actually turn the oven on for a couple hours a day (very low, 190 or so) to provide an environment temperature-wise that's more conducive to germination. Thanx for the input cuz I really needed someone to help me realize that I just needed to keep it simple cuz I definitely over analyze and worry that I'm doing something wrong. If you plant it, it will grow....well with some nurturing.
 
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