Need help after germinating seeds

LeeroysBackInJailAgain · Jul 21, 2022

Hello all! I'm new to this and I'm having an issue getting my germinated seeds to sprout after transplanting them from paper towel into medium. I've failed at multiple attempts already. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
For the first two, I used Pro-Mix Veg & Herb mix. I only learned afterward that it has slow-release nutrients which apparently is not good for newborn plants. I'm thinking that might have killed them. I also think I over-watered them initially which might have killed them also. Rookie mistake on my part. For the other two, I switched to Pro Mix HP with a sprinkle of extra perlite. Seems to be a much better medium, but the germinated seeds have been sitting in it for 32+ hours and still no sign of life.
I'm not sure what to think. It has been abnormally hot and humid where I am over the last few days, could that be a contributing factor? Also something to note, I germinated the seeds using straight tap water with no issue, but when watering after transplant, I used rainwater with PH down mixed in. Could that have killed them, perhaps? I'm trying to keep the soil moist at all times, but I read that plants need a wet/dry cycle. Is that the same for a seed that's just been germinated? Should I let the soil dry out completely before re-watering, if there's no sprout?
Any help to get these babies up and out of the soil would be greatly appreciated.

crossfader · Jul 21, 2022

"A picture is worth a thousand words"... Post a clear photo or 2 if you are able, it will help you in getting answers though Pro Mix isn't the likely culprit. Good luck

Beazy · Jul 21, 2022

How long was the taproot when you put in pro mix ? How deep did you plant them ? If JUST cracked and and taproot under say an inch or so I’d say wait em out another day or 2

Madbud · Jul 21, 2022

You are doing it all wrong, paper towels are for the pros. Get half a solo cup of soil, damp. Put the seed half inch deep, cover with saran wrap and a rubber band or baggie. Leave it on a windowsill for a week. Then when a set of leaves appears, take the wrap off. Wait til the cup is light to water. If the seedling stretched, add more soil. Its that simple.

Shaded_One · Jul 21, 2022

You are going to get a lot of advice and it's going to make your head spin. K I S S.

Take your seed and plant it directly into soil. Water your soil fully. Cover these pots with a humidity dome and place under a low intensity light. 3-10 days later you should have some seedlings. "Should I let the soil dry out completely before re-watering, if there's no sprout?" you should at no point EVER let your soil go dry when you are germinating seeds. That's why you use a humidity dome - it keeps the soil moist.

Why are you messing around with pH down and all this other crap? ps welcome to the farm

Buzzzz · Jul 21, 2022

LeeroysBackInJailAgain said:
Hello all! I'm new to this and I'm having an issue getting my germinated seeds to sprout after transplanting them from paper towel into medium. I've failed at multiple attempts already. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
For the first two, I used Pro-Mix Veg & Herb mix. I only learned afterward that it has slow-release nutrients which apparently is not good for newborn plants. I'm thinking that might have killed them. I also think I over-watered them initially which might have killed them also. Rookie mistake on my part. For the other two, I switched to Pro Mix HP with a sprinkle of extra perlite. Seems to be a much better medium, but the germinated seeds have been sitting in it for 32+ hours and still no sign of life.
I'm not sure what to think. It has been abnormally hot and humid where I am over the last few days, could that be a contributing factor? Also something to note, I germinated the seeds using straight tap water with no issue, but when watering after transplant, I used rainwater with PH down mixed in. Could that have killed them, perhaps? I'm trying to keep the soil moist at all times, but I read that plants need a wet/dry cycle. Is that the same for a seed that's just been germinated? Should I let the soil dry out completely before re-watering, if there's no sprout?
Any help to get these babies up and out of the soil would be greatly appreciated.

Wait till the radicle shows,put a depression in the medium with seed covered a bit,you're maybe putting them too deep

quirk · Jul 21, 2022

If I can't help a fellow grower, I will not confuse them.

MacroLogos · Jul 21, 2022

LeeroysBackInJailAgain said:
Hello all! I'm new to this and I'm having an issue getting my germinated seeds to sprout after transplanting them from paper towel into medium. I've failed at multiple attempts already. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
For the first two, I used Pro-Mix Veg & Herb mix. I only learned afterward that it has slow-release nutrients which apparently is not good for newborn plants. I'm thinking that might have killed them. I also think I over-watered them initially which might have killed them also. Rookie mistake on my part. For the other two, I switched to Pro Mix HP with a sprinkle of extra perlite. Seems to be a much better medium, but the germinated seeds have been sitting in it for 32+ hours and still no sign of life.
I'm not sure what to think. It has been abnormally hot and humid where I am over the last few days, could that be a contributing factor? Also something to note, I germinated the seeds using straight tap water with no issue, but when watering after transplant, I used rainwater with PH down mixed in. Could that have killed them, perhaps? I'm trying to keep the soil moist at all times, but I read that plants need a wet/dry cycle. Is that the same for a seed that's just been germinated? Should I let the soil dry out completely before re-watering, if there's no sprout?
Any help to get these babies up and out of the soil would be greatly appreciated.

Practice with tomato seeds if you're buying expensive seed. Once you can sprout and transplant those, you're golden.

Me, I cut rockwoll cubes into 8 tiny cubes and sprout in those, and once roots poke out the bottom, I transplant to 4" baby cups 1/2 full of a Foxfarm soil (red "solo" cups work too).

I don't add any nutrients because we use new soil every grow and 4" baby cups have everything needed to carry the plant to the next pot size (or into the ground).

You need wet/dry cycles after transplant, but during germination I wet my rock cubes 2x a day.

The pics ARE tomatos & 2 basile sprouts (we're not sprouting herb from seeds atm, we clone).

Look close at the 2 basil sprouts in the 2nd pic... notice how I am only watering around the cube? Those were just transplanted and have tiny roots... and soaking the 4" cup would overwater at this point. I'll baby them for about a week, then soak the cup and wait till it feels "dry" before another soaking...

Edinburgh · Jul 21, 2022

Buy a bag of fox farm ocean forest add a bit of perlite, clay pebbles are a must for good drainage, you sow your bean 1/2 Inc deep, I cut a pen 1/2inc and use as a tool to make the hole at right depth, first when your seedlings pop water lightly around the seedlings until there big enough to get a real watering, you want your light high so your seedlings are reaching for the light not shying away or burning, I assume your growing autoflowers bc you do not transplant a photoperiod into a large pot, you start in a solo cup and transplant as much as you want, even now I have 2 autoflowers and only water once a week however I do have ac running, download the cannabis Bible there are things that must be done correctly, ie watering, pH testing, ext these are small things if you don't do at right time or correctly will mess up your grow, folk think cannabis will grow anywhere bc it is a weed and to a certain extent there right, but to grow it correctly takes time and experience, autoflowers and photoperiod plants are different animals and thus are run differently, a good auto bean will germinate in 24 hours and pop in 48 hours a 72 hour process, photoperiod strains are a bit slower, once you gain experience you just grow them is all. But until you gain that experience you will make mistakes we all have, that's why we are here to help.

LeeroysBackInJailAgain · Jul 21, 2022

Thanks for the responses, guys. 45+ hours later and still no sprout. Its been very hot and humid here, 95+ degrees with 80-90% RH. I'm wondering if it's stunting their growth. Not giving up hope!

Beazy said:
How long was the taproot when you put in pro mix ? How deep did you plant them ? If JUST cracked and and taproot under say an inch or so I’d say wait em out another day or 2

They weren't long at all, maybe 1/3 of an inch. Maybe i should have let them grow a bit longer. Gonna wait it out.

Madbud said:
You are doing it all wrong, paper towels are for the pros. Get half a solo cup of soil, damp. Put the seed half inch deep, cover with saran wrap and a rubber band or baggie. Leave it on a windowsill for a week. Then when a set of leaves appears, take the wrap off. Wait til the cup is light to water. If the seedling stretched, add more soil. Its that simple.

Is the humidity dome necessary if its really humid already? I am done with the paper towel method!

Shaded_One said:
You are going to get a lot of advice and it's going to make your head spin. K I S S.

Take your seed and plant it directly into soil. Water your soil fully. Cover these pots with a humidity dome and place under a low intensity light. 3-10 days later you should have some seedlings. "Should I let the soil dry out completely before re-watering, if there's no sprout?" you should at no point EVER let your soil go dry when you are germinating seeds. That's why you use a humidity dome - it keeps the soil moist.

Why are you messing around with pH down and all this other crap? ps welcome to the farm

You're right, maybe i'm overthinking everything, smothering the girls with love that they're suffocating. I placed them under my 1000W grow light, is that too much light? Maybe thats why they arent taking off like they should? Gonna switch to lower intensity light. Damn i feel like a noob.

MacroLogos said:
Practice with tomato seeds if you're buying expensive seed. Once you can sprout and transplant those, you're golden.

Me, I cut rockwoll cubes into 8 tiny cubes and sprout in those, and once roots poke out the bottom, I transplant to 4" baby cups 1/2 full of a Foxfarm soil (red "solo" cups work too).

I don't add any nutrients because we use new soil every grow and 4" baby cups have everything needed to carry the plant to the next pot size (or into the ground).

You need wet/dry cycles after transplant, but during germination I wet my rock cubes 2x a day.

The pics ARE tomatos & 2 basile sprouts (we're not sprouting herb from seeds atm, we clone).

Look close at the 2 basil sprouts in the 2nd pic... notice how I am only watering around the cube? Those were just transplanted and have tiny roots... and soaking the 4" cup would overwater at this point. I'll baby them for about a week, then soak the cup and wait till it feels "dry" before another soaking...

Interesting setup. How do you know when to water? Do you measure by weight?

Edinburgh said:
Buy a bag of fox farm ocean forest add a bit of perlite, clay pebbles are a must for good drainage, you sow your bean 1/2 Inc deep, I cut a pen 1/2inc and use as a tool to make the hole at right depth, first when your seedlings pop water lightly around the seedlings until there big enough to get a real watering, you want your light high so your seedlings are reaching for the light not shying away or burning, I assume your growing autoflowers bc you do not transplant a photoperiod into a large pot, you start in a solo cup and transplant as much as you want, even now I have 2 autoflowers and only water once a week however I do have ac running, download the cannabis Bible there are things that must be done correctly, ie watering, pH testing, ext these are small things if you don't do at right time or correctly will mess up your grow, folk think cannabis will grow anywhere bc it is a weed and to a certain extent there right, but to grow it correctly takes time and experience, autoflowers and photoperiod plants are different animals and thus are run differently, a good auto bean will germinate in 24 hours and pop in 48 hours a 72 hour process, photoperiod strains are a bit slower, once you gain experience you just grow them is all. But until you gain that experience you will make mistakes we all have, that's why we are here to help.

That's a beauty! Thanks for the tips. Good to know I'm being helped by people with experience. I hope to become like you one day.

crossfader said:
"A picture is worth a thousand words"... Post a clear photo or 2 if you are able, it will help you in getting answers though Pro Mix isn't the likely culprit. Good luck

I placed them into these little flower pots, they aren't very big but bigger than the solo cups. This was right before watering. Does the soil look too dry? Maybe because I over-watered the first two seeds, I'm being too careful now and not giving them enough water!

MacroLogos · Jul 21, 2022

LeeroysBackInJailAgain said:
Interesting setup. How do you know when to water? Do you measure by weight?

After successful transplant... I water by feel, not on a schedual. I check everything 2x a day.

Before then, I make an educated guess about where roots are at and try to water just the roots. I do this 1x a day (unless the cup if feeling heavy).

Madbud · Jul 22, 2022

<<Is the humidity dome necessary if its really humid already? I am done with the paper towel method!>>
Yes it is still necessary to maintain the moisture in the soil. You’ll see condensation, just let it drop back on the soil. Here’s an extra tip, soak the seed overnight in water first. Even “new” seeds can be old.

MacroLogos · Jul 22, 2022

Got root.

Here's those Roma sprouts getting transplanted...

Then they move back under a generic 20w LED to veg.

The 2x4 tent temp could be a bit lower and humidity a bit higher... but it works.

87°f @ 57% gives us a VPD of ~1.95 kPa.

80°f @ 75% would give us a VPD of ~1.1 kPa.

The ideal VPD in veg is between 0.8-1.1 kPa.

freezeland2 · Jul 22, 2022

Madbud said:
You are doing it all wrong, paper towels are for the pros. Get half a solo cup of soil, damp. Put the seed half inch deep, cover with saran wrap and a rubber band or baggie. Leave it on a windowsill for a week. Then when a set of leaves appears, take the wrap off. Wait til the cup is light to water. If the seedling stretched, add more soil. Its that simple.

Same here except for the Saran Wrap and window sill. But yea, no ritual here either. Just plant the seed already and let Mother Nature rock. She knows what she is doing. If it doesn’t grow drop another bean.

Need help after germinating seeds

Need help after germinating seeds

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Need help after germinating seeds

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