This isn't working at all!

I have tried the paper towel method with tap water and the spring water. My seeds always germinate but never sprout. I'm using fairly warm water ph'd at around 6.0-6.3.. I have tried keeping them in the dark for 10 days, using cfl lights my seedlings never sprout.

Only time I had two seedlings to sprout was when I was using nirvana seeds.. An than only two of the 5 sprouted.. They were ph'd at 6.0 and I have been using the jiffy peats. An I had a small greenhouse dome the jiffy peats came with..

So I thought ok maybe it's the soil, so I been mixing potting soil with perlite in red cups, again my plants are germinating but never sprouting.. I'm not over watering the seedlings I was told to water just until the soil was damp.. Even than it seems like I'm sprinkling water on the jiffy peats every day..

Somebody told me the soil has to be kept warm, so I had the jiffy peats in a zip lock bag on a heating pad, like wtf, at this point I'm convinced its obviously me doing something wrong here attitude seeds are going to keep giving me bad seeds right?

Should I get another greenhouse? And see if they sprout outside? I remember in elementary school when we planted seedlings we put them near the window so they could get some sunlight. I mean I need more tips here.

I put them in a glass of mild water, stick a plastic cup or something that will block light over that, put it on a heat pad overnight and put them in my medium the next day. I've lost one seeds out of countless.

Get some Advanced Sunshine Mix #4. Put it in a small cup a solo cup works well. Punch holes in the cup for drainage. Get the material nice and wet. Put your seeds on top (1 in each cup) and sprinkle a little more Sunshine mix on top about 1-2mm or 1/8". Now put your cup in the dark with a sandwich bag over the top. Check at the end of each 24 hour period. As soon as the seed raises up and then shucks it's shell put under a T5.

I get virtually 100% germination. You only need a heating pad in winter. Right now you are probably poaching them.

how deep do u plant them?

Well if they are germinating ,then seeds are good , So you are doing somthing wrong

most people wait til the tail root is at least a 1/4'' in lenth before putting in to a medium

Are you using a seedling starter potting soil , maybe your soil is to strong.

Seed depth and tail down. although the seedling would still make its way ,but maybe it would take longer.

I use 20oz cup, Fox farm happy frog soil add 20% perlite. plant germinated seed 3/8 inch deep then 30 ml of straight water

place Cup on top of 10lb cookie tin inside I place a 35 string of mini christmas lights inside cookie tin, this keep the tin at 82 deg f constant .in the one picture you will see a heat mat , that is what I was using ,and having trouble with untill I came up with the idea of the cookie tin and lights inside.seedling in red cup clones in blue cup,

I am getting 100% with this method ,and when I clone same method but place a cut in half 5 gal bucket over the cookie tin and dome I got from the bakery from a cake I bought for added humidity till clones take

OP.... Do you smoke ?
Do you clean your hands, as if you are doing surgery before you start on your seedlings?
The oils transfer from your fingers to your seeds...
Rubbing Alcohol your hands clean...
----
Seedlings, leave dome on until the seedling is out of soil...
Mist soil, with a mister spray bottle... not pouring water, which will disturb seed...
Potting soil 40%//Perlite 30%//Vermiculite 30% in my dixie cups...
No nutes for first week, after they have sprouted...
Put your CFL's as close to cup [2"] as you can... the cfl will gentle warm your soil...
You do not need humidity dome once seedling has sprouted...Clones need to stay under a dome for a week or so...not seedlings...
Mist soil....
Yes you can put your seedling in window that faces sun... then also keep light on it 24/7...
Good Luck... only touch your MJ with clean hands...

Sand4x105 said:

OP.... Do you smoke ?
Do you clean your hands, as if you are doing surgery before you start on your seedlings?
The oils transfer from your fingers to your seeds...
Rubbing Alcohol your hands clean...
----
Seedlings, leave dome on until the seedling is out of soil...
Mist soil, with a mister spray bottle... not pouring water, which will disturb seed...
Potting soil 40%//Perlite 30%//Vermiculite 30% in my dixie cups...
No nutes for first week, after they have sprouted...
Put your CFL's as close to cup [2"] as you can... the cfl will gentle warm your soil...
You do not need humidity dome once seedling has sprouted...Clones need to stay under a dome for a week or so...not seedlings...
Mist soil....
Yes you can put your seedling in window that faces sun... then also keep light on it 24/7...
Good Luck... only touch your MJ with clean hands...

Click to expand...

so I def need to get some sort of greenhouse dome? I never wash my hands or anything prior to planting.. So I should probably stop using the jiffy peats too?

woody333333 said:

how deep do u plant them?

Click to expand...

Im planting as deep as the size of the seed itself.. I never pat the soil down on top of the seed, I hear that could make it hard for the seedling to sprout too.. I just cover It and mist the soil til it's damp but nothing ever happens

Dome not needed after sprout...
Turn a clear dixie cup upside down for a dome per cup....
Clean your hands...
Wash your work space...
Any type of seedling soil will work ... just mix it with perilite/vermiculite if you can...
---
Personally I grow from clones I cut...
However, when I did seeds, I soaked them in water over night, then planted them in a good mixture [see above]...
Germinations in soil, which, I think, you handling your sprouted seed with root exposed handled with unclean hands is your issue....
Good Luck!

Check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8LtxXxnabU

I simply do the basics.
Gently pinch the seeds, if it cracks, its a bad/dried out seed. if its firm, your good.
A cup of water at room temperature and drop seeds in.
Place it somewhere high so the rising warmth keeps the cup semi warmed over night.
24 hours later the little roots should show.
Make a little dent in the soil about half a finger nails length en drop the seed in and cover it very lightly. Dont push or press it.
5 days later the ladies pop up.

GeeJay216 said:

Im planting as deep as the size of the seed itself.. I never pat the soil down on top of the seed, I hear that could make it hard for the seedling to sprout too.. I just cover It and mist the soil til it's damp but nothing ever happens

Click to expand...

u pour soil from the bag plant then mist?........... if so u should start soaking the whole cup then planting maybe u are smashing the soil down 2 much on top the seed........... maybe not moist enough to begin with

Method I use, dont want to tout this as the best method but its always worked for me

When the seed has germinated and you've got a 1/4 to 1/2 inch root coming out of the seed, I bury the root part and basically leave the seed case sitting on top of the soil, them crumble a mere 1mm or so ove the seed case, usuall just a day till its pushing up and growing from there.

Sand4x105 said:

Dome not needed after sprout...
Turn a clear dixie cup upside down for a dome per cup....
Clean your hands...
Wash your work space...
Any type of seedling soil will work ... just mix it with perilite/vermiculite if you can...
---
Personally I grow from clones I cut...
However, when I did seeds, I soaked them in water over night, then planted them in a good mixture [see above]...
Germinations in soil, which, I think, you handling your sprouted seed with root exposed handled with unclean hands is your issue....
Good Luck!

Click to expand...

Ok gotcha, so is there anything I can do for my seedling that I already have planted an have seen no results for yet? I planted her Sunday.. She's in a zip locked bag, n the dark as of now I'm keeping the soil moist.. Or is she a goner since I didn't wash my hands prior?

Bilbo Baggins said:

Method I use, dont want to tout this as the best method but its always worked for me

When the seed has germinated and you've got a 1/4 to 1/2 inch root coming out of the seed, I bury the root part and basically leave the seed case sitting on top of the soil, them crumble a mere 1mm or so ove the seed case, usuall just a day till its pushing up and growing from there.

Click to expand...

I have thought about trying that, I just thought there was so rule as to why that wouldn't be good for her. But I will try this as well

used a soiless mix ...I sprout in rockwool and never get issues...soil can be a problem , try no#4 sunshine mix if you cant get rockwool..anyway havin said that make sure to treat your RW accordingly...good luck!

richinweed said:

used a soiless mix ...I sprout in rockwool and never get issues...soil can be a problem , try no#4 sunshine mix if you cant get rockwool..anyway havin said that make sure to treat your RW accordingly...good luck!

Click to expand...

So with the rock wool, I have seen videos where folks end up getting mold on the main steam from using Rockwool why is that? That's the only reason why I haven't tried using that yet

FUCK! So I decided to come home early and first wash my hands with alcohol and dig in my soil to see what the hell is going on. She was going sideways under the soil. So I brushed off the top layer of soil so she can grow up now. This is what she looks like now.

Think she will survive?

Ya you look good.. I had the sideways thing happen the first cpl times.. You don't need to go crazy with the alcohol.. Just wash your hands "like you're going to surgery," or like you just took a shit and are going to eat some chicken wings.. Less is more, sounds like you're doing too much.. Do you know your RH? Good luck.

blowincherrypie said:

Ya you look good.. I had the sideways thing happen the first cpl times.. You don't need to go crazy with the alcohol.. Just wash your hands "like you're going to surgery," or like you just took a shit and are going to eat some chicken wings.. Less is more, sounds like you're doing too much.. Do you know your RH? Good luck.

Click to expand...

Ok cool! An what is RH?