Seedlings Toppling Over :(

[nebulius]

ever do a paper towel/cheese cloth/shot glass/whatever germination method?

do that until the taproot pops out of the seed (2-3 days) then just drop it in coco that's been dampened with water pH'd @ 6 1cm below the surface and it should take off from there

thank you for the suggestion
The germination method is not the problem, all my seeds are germinating.
I was replying to paulycali because he said not to germinate in soil, so I was asking which medium he recommends to start in if I plan on growing in coco.

 

[Carl Sagan]

:D

starting seedlings in a dome and suddenly taking it off is like telling a cripple to get out of their wheelchair and start walking

 

[nebulius]

:D

starting seedlings in a dome and suddenly taking it off is like telling a cripple to get out of their wheelchair and start walking

is this practice only for cuttings/clones?

 

[caregiverken]

I have my fingers crossed for that seedling Neb.

 

[Carl Sagan]

is this practice only for cuttings/clones?

primarily, yes. I mean, you can totally do it with your germinated seed in coco for 1-2 days, but the moment it truly breaks the surface of the coco its smart to let it breathe. I mean, I live in CO and we have NO HUMIDITY here, and mine are perfectly fine.

they've gotta "grow up" in the environment they will be living in, it's a pretty smooth transition for em. i've never had a seed fail that was germinated then put in coco. im positive your methods should be solid from here on out!

 

[nebulius]

Thanks Carl, appreciate the help. ;)
I really worry about the humidity, so I appreciate that insight. The RH naturally is between 20-30 outside so I am always battling low RH. Indoors I usually can keep it between 40-55% in veg. Cuttings I have grown in the past usually get twisting in the upper leaves that are developing. Then after a few weeks they adjust. Getting a portable swap cooler in the next few days to help with the heat and low humidity.

 

[Carl Sagan]

nice! that should help!

with my ghetto home grow at the moment i'm ecstatic if i ever reach 50% RH. I can sometimes these days because my 12-week veg plants contribute a bit. but honestly everything's always been fine even when the RH is too low to register.

the moment i have roots on my clones i stick em under a T5 with no dome, despite the lack of humidity. i was always afraid of them dying suddenly from shock, but as i clones more and more, i ended up worrying about the dome PRE TRANSPLANT a lot less. when i see roots i let the cup/whatever dry out so they stretch for air before i feed them weak nutes for the first time.

 

[nebulius]

I have my fingers crossed for that seedling Neb.

Thanks Ken!:)
I've been germing them 1 at a time cause I knew there were going to be a few bumps. So I guess on the bright side I didn't kill my whole pack, yet, lol.

Score so far: One dead:confused::mad::(:rolleyes:.......and one hanging on for dear life.:oops:

 

[philly kush]

I have this happen sometimes too...I have no idea what causes it.o_O

.It does seem to save some when I prop them up..gotta be careful though

I use a pipecleaners...and add loose soil around the weak stem

View attachment 221898

coffee stirrers work well 2 i usually grab a hand full from any gas stop joint. Good 1 Ken

 

[doubletree]

staking seedlings can be bad as it stops them from strengthening themselves up. if theyre falling over then you have to stake them, but its still not a good thing to do. as long as its not damping off causing them to fall over they should recover fine.

 

[caregiverken]

holding up one the one I damped off didn't save it...so yeah...I hate when that happens:mad:

 

[420alldaze]

sorry man, obviously she had weight isssues.. lol 42o

 

[TylerDurden119]

i had similar issues when i started poppin seeds. really inconsistent survival rates once popped. went thru a bunch of diff methods till i found what works best for ME, ur gona have to find what works for you. i had issues with damping off and found jiffy pellets for the first stretch are good as i can water from underneath in a tray. then i throw it in a party cup and fill it JUST above the pellet. i lost 400 in seeds cause i filled em to 1/2" from the leafset. all damped off. i was gutted. realized my mistake and been golden with my routine ever since.very hard lesson.

i find the dome closed is no bueno, i use it with the vents open. but whatever works for you is the key.

 

[paulycali]

You don't really need the dome but i prefer them for sure. I really just use them for the germinating process and once the seedling has popped through the soil i take the dome off. I either use a dome or i put a plastic baggie over the beer cup. Both work great. Start the seeds in starter plugs. Rockwool works fine but i would use a starter plug instead of the rockwool. Call your local hydro store or one out in cali and ask what they carry and or reccomend for germinating seedlings prior to transplanting into coco. There are many new products out there great for seed starting with coco. Just can't remember them off the top of my head. Check out GH for sure.

Oh yeah i never said not to start them in soil. All i was saying is use starter plugs that are made specifically for seed starting. A great product to help ease growers with the germination and seedling process. They work great. Your best bet for sure

This is how i germinate my seeds:

1) Place seeds in a cup filled with room temperature water. Distilled is best but use what you got
2) Place plastic baggie over cup. Use rubberband to secure
3) Place cup filled with seeds in a warm dark place. No light
4) Wait 24hrs then check on the seeds. When they are ready they usually sink to the bottom. Some will have cracked open already. If so they are ready to plant and no need for the next step.
5) Place the seeds that haven't cracked open in a warm paper towel and place them in a plastic bag and place in warm dark place. Or you can skip this step and just plant away. I like to at least soak them which i feel gives the seeds a little jumpstart.
6) After 12-24 hrs open baggie and paper towel and check to see if the seeds have cracked open
7) Hopefully you seeds cracked and its time to place the taproot of the seed in the pereferred medium being used. Take your pinky and push into the desired planting area about a 1/4-1/2 inch into. Or halfway to the first line crease on your pinky finger. Perfect depth
8) I either use soil or a starter plug. Whatever i got around at the moment. If i use soil i would place the seed ready to be planted into a beer cup. I would them water with a spray mister. Very little water and then cover each beer cup with a plastic baggie. You can spray the inside of the baggie prior to covering to help increase humidity. If i use starter plugs i place the seeds in the plugs and cover them in a humidome. I then place a 2ftx1ft T-5 light right on the dome itself. That puts the light appx. 6-8" from the seedlings. Using plugs allows me to add beneficial myccoryzee bacteria once roots are visable. Much quicker than waiting on the beer cups to be ready for transplanting. The plugs allow a jumpstart for the seedlings as they are able to be fed benefcials much sooner.
9) Once seeds have popped through the soil and have stood up properly i then remove the plastic baggie or humidome and let the games begin

Hopefully this helps not only you but many other farmers out there. There are many methods out there. Try them and find out which works best. Good luck and i sure hope for the best

Peace out and have a happy growing of a day :)

 

[outwest]

primarily, yes. I mean, you can totally do it with your germinated seed in coco for 1-2 days, but the moment it truly breaks the surface of the coco its smart to let it breathe. I mean, I live in CO and we have NO HUMIDITY here, and mine are perfectly fine.

they've gotta "grow up" in the environment they will be living in, it's a pretty smooth transition for em. i've never had a seed fail that was germinated then put in coco. im positive your methods should be solid from here on out!

+1 for the Rockies. I run a humidifier, but that keeps my room at about 55% RH.

outwest

 

[El Cerebro]

Burying the lower stem as it gets taller will encourage more root growth as if it were part of the taproot (uh, because it is). Ever notice all the little bumps on a seedlings lower stem below the cotyledon, those can be more roots for your vegging pleasure. A friend here just mentioned how this also can prevent elephant's foot if done during transplant (or by top-dress if you leave enough room in the container).

 

[kolah]

El Cerebro nails it. I even do something similar with my tomato plants. I pick off the leaves and bury about 8-12 inches of the stem underground and let it build a super strong root base. With MJ, you can mound your soil all the way up to the first set of leaves (or higher if you choose)

 

[420alldaze]

thats what i do all the time and it works. great advice for all.

42o

 

[AdvancedBioHydroponics]

Not sure if its been mentioned but Root Plugs is the best way. Never understood why peeps use paper towels and all these other ways to germ seeds, makes no sense. The LAST thing you want to do is handle the tap root of a new seedling.

Soak your seed for 12 to 18 hours then pop them directly into a root plug .....done. Using this method the only way we ever lost a seed was if the seed was not viable to begin with. This is the way we were taught in a class room also, just a FYI. You do not want to handle the seeds at all if possible. Using a wet q-tip will allow you to "grab" (the seed will stick to the end of the wet q-tip) the seed after it has soaked and place it carefully into the root plug.

Again, the tap root of a new seedling should not be handled and the seed should already be in place when the tap root emerges.

 

[TylerDurden119]

Burying the lower stem as it gets taller will encourage more root growth as if it were part of the taproot (uh, because it is). Ever notice all the little bumps on a seedlings lower stem below the cotyledon, those can be more roots for your vegging pleasure. A friend here just mentioned how this also can prevent elephant's foot if done during transplant (or by top-dress if you leave enough room in the container).

i read that somehwere else before and wound up losing a whole seed run cause i tried it out! This should really be said with a caveat that you shouldn't bury the stem whlie the seedlings are young. thats how i lost a pack of starbud, chem romance and sharksbreath. topped the dirt to help stabilize the stem, as well as getting the benefit of added root development. all my seedlings damped off within a cpl days, no extra watering from the initial transplant. i think if your going to do this you should wait until the stem hardens/woodens up a bit IMO.