Sprouting Seeds

[dt57]

Jw how to sprout seeds for a hydro set-up? I am not sure what medium to use while they are still growing, but i have them in a baggie so they have the tap roots already. any help at all on what type of material to use would be a great help. BTW i am using the DWC method.

[jremyperry123]

once the tap root is decent then put it into a rockwool cube with the taproot pointing down. Then pu rockwool into hydroton and hydroton into net pot and netpot into bucket. voila

[psionblue]

I found this guide to be excellent (it is from mandalaseeds.com):

Planting Seeds and Germination

Mandala Seeds places great emphasis on the quality of the seed stock and seeds from all products are fresh and viable. Seeds harvested from each mother plant are checked for the germination rate before they are approved for sale. In large tests our seeds achieve a germination rate of 99,6%. Our seed stock is refreshed annualy. Therefore seed vendors and customers can be certain to purchase and store viable seeds at any time.

Due to the attentive pollination methods and hand selection our seeds are mature and can be quite large. They also possess a particularly intact and hard seed hull. The robust genetics of our cannabis varieties, and our innovative Deluxe seed production methods, leads to the development of strong seeds with a good resistance against environmental factors. They prefer a nurturing substrate to germinate in – just as mother nature has meant it to be.

For an optimal germination result the seeds should be planted DIRECTLY into the substrate. We clearly advise against using pre-germination methods or soaking. Please do not place the seeds into a glass of water or in moist paper tissues. Due to the firm seed hull and size the seeds may require a slightly longer germination time. Some seeds sprout in record time and others take a bit longer. Once the seedling grows through the substrate it will develop vigorously.

What happens if one uses pre-germination methods?

Soaking seeds in water/wet paper towels is a method only required for old seeds (3+ years) that are drying up and losing germination power; and for pure land race equatorial strains such as from Africa. Both do not apply to our seeds. Fresh seeds have a healthy embryo whose cells are filled with water. Excess water causes the cells to bloat, depletes oxygen and leads to the tissue rotting away before the plant embryo can germinate. Old seeds have lost water, the embryo starts to shrivel, which is why germination rates drop the older the seeds are. These can soak up more water before adverse conditions cause them to rot.

Placing healthy & fresh seeds into water can lead to the development of fungi or bacteria on the seed hull. Lack of oxygen and contaminating substances in the water promote fungal growth which can be transported to the growing medium later on, or the seed simply rots away if left for too long in the water medium.

Once the seed sprouts in a glass of water or paper tissue it already has the taproot growing out of the cracked seed hull. While transplanting the germinated seed it is very difficult to prevent damage to the delicate taproot and also the seedling is "disturbed" in it’s natural development. Many sprouted seedlings handled in this way show retarded development, or even simply fail to appear out of the substrate after transplantation.

Germinating cannabis seeds is not difficult. All you need is some basic information on what is important and everything should work out fine.

Here are our tips for germination:

Please use high quality soil or rockwool starter cubes for germinating seeds (no Jiffys/peat pellets: the acidic pH of pure peat can inhibit germination of cannabis seeds).

Soil: take 8-10 cm (diameter) pots and fill them with quality potting soil. Press the soil slightly down and make a 1.3 – 2cm (0.5-0.8 inch) deep hole with a pencil or finger. Place the seed in a horizontal position in the hole. This is the easiest method. Fill the hole and gently tap down the soil. Use chlorine free water (preferably good mineral water without gas) with a pH of 6-6.5 to water the pots. The soil should be uniformly moist but not soggy or waterlogged. Use a spoon to water if necessary. Put the pots at a warm location. Temperatures at 25°C/75°F or higher accelerate germination. Take care that the soil does not dry out and that the pots don’t stand in the cold (ie. at or under 21°C/70°F). Don’t cover the pots with plastic wrap or place them in a propagator that’s completely covered. This prevents fresh air exchange and easily facilitates the spread of fungus in soil. The seeds then rot before they can germinate.

Within 3-5 days the seedlings should appear out of the soil.

As soon as the first pair of leaves grow on the seedlings, transplant them into 14-16 cm pots, so that they have sufficient space for their root development and nutrients. Seedlings require sufficient light (this applies to the strength and length of daylight or artificial light) and fresh air to grow.

Do not fertilize in the first weeks of growth. Rather, transplant into high quality soil and bigger pots as the plants grow larger.

Rockwool: immerse the rockwool cubes in water with a pH of 5.6-5-8. Let the water drip off. Place the seed in a horizontal position into the hole. This is the easiest method. Alternatively, you can also place the seed into the hole vertically with the rounded end facing up (cannabis seeds sprout by opening the shell at the pointy end where the taproot grows out). Cover the hole with a small piece of rockwool. Water the rockwool cubes with a weak nutrient solution of 15% (or EC 0,6) and pH 5,6-5,8. Put the rockwool cubes at a warm location. Temperatures at 25°C/75°F or higher accelerate germination. Take care that the rockwool cubes do not dry out or stand in the cold (ie. at or under 21°C/70°F). Within 3-4 days the seedlings should appear out of the cubes.

Once the seedlings appear water with a nutrient solution of EC 0,8. This can be increased to EC 1,0 as soon as the first leaves begin to grow. Seedlings require sufficient light (this applies to the strength and length of daylight or artificial light) and fresh air to grow.

Recommendations:

* Take advantage of our low prices and plant an extra 1-2 seeds if you don't use the whole pack of 10 seeds. Although we, and the plants, do everything in our power to produce 100% viable seeds please remember this is a biological product. Therefore, even if a seed looks perfect from the outside, it can't be prevented that a minor % of seeds does not germinate, or the seedling is not completely healthy. That's why it's a good idea to have an extra seed sprouting as a back-up and then you can always select the best seedlings for your grow.

* Keep your fingers from those ferts and potions. Yes, it happens again and again: growers feeding their seedlings on soil with mineral or biological fertilizers & rooting products, spraying them with home-made teas, or killing them not so softly with harsh bio-pesticides. Seedlings are baby plants with delicate young leaves and roots. Let's put it this way: you don't feed a T-bone steak to a baby.
Seedlings require 3 weeks to develop into stouter and tougher plants. During this phase of development a good soil mix provides all the nutrients they require.

* Don't forget to check your water pH with every watering and use vinegar or conc. lemon juice to adjust it downwards instead of mineral salts.

* Mandala strains are unique in their high level vigor and fast growth. For optimal plant growth you don't require to perk them up with root stimulators. The Mandala genetics already come with an in-built turbo boost. Root stimulators can in some cases be counterproductive.

We wish you success!

[dt57]

thanks for all the advice guess i will start getting it set up. I will start to take picture of the progess and show you guys how its coming along.

[61ph-hydroking]

what do hydro seeds look like

[psionblue]

Seeds are seeds. Hydro is just the method/medium.