Hello all. I am an absolute beginner when it comes to cultivation. I have taken over ten seeds (some bag seeds and some feminized white widow seeds from attitude seed bank) and tried to germ them on Wednesday. I put 3 on a plate layered in damp paper towels and another 3 in a gladware bowl layered in damp paper towels on the top of my warm tv with a black blanket over it. I have taken 5 seeds and placed them in 5, 16-ounce cups filled with foxfarm organic soil ( about a half inch deep each) then placed them in my grow box 3.5 inches away from my 3 cfl light set up and nothing! No sprouts, no cotyledons or anything! I've been reading grow journals and tutorials that are stickied on GC forums for a good while now and thought I at least had a good chance at germination. I thought the hard part would have been veggin or flowering but I can't even get these damn seeds to start! I have 4 more bag seeds remaining and would appreciate any help that could get these bad boys sprouted. I'm sad as hell watching these cups and plates.
U don't need lights on them right away. Before planting in soil did a taproot pop? I normally don't plant in soil until I see a taproot, then once into some soil, 4-5 days later it should sprout. There is also the shot glass method of germinating. Filled the glass with warm water, let the seeds float and cover the glass in a dark cup. In 24 hours, seeds should sink, those that do, u can try putting them in plates with wet napkins to get them to show their taproot. How long has it been since u planted them in cups?
Let's address these one group at a time. 3 on a plate - Are you keeping these in a warm, dark place? If you touch the paper towel is it warm or cool to the touch? 3 in tupperware - I know that they are on the back of your TV, but again is the paper towel warm or cool to the touch? 5 in soil - Are you keeping the soil moist and warm? In all three cases, you may just need to show a little more patience. I have had seeds take a week or more to germinate. I wouldn't be too worried about it at this point. Just make sure the conditions are right and you should have no problems getting them to grow. Good luck.
Thank you both! No tap root was visible. I was frustrated that the plate seeds didn't sprout so I decoded to germ some in soil instead. So I guess I should learn patience. Well I'll try to pass time by taking pics of my set up and posting them
@mad4reef They are cool to touch for both plate and bowl. The soil is moist and warm. Plate is in light and bowl is in the dark.
If the paper towels are cool to the touch, you need to find a way to warm them up a bit. A heat mat works great. You don't want to cook them, but you need the temps to be 78 degrees +. Good luck.
Whenever I'm germin I just soak some coffee filters in water, throw the seeds in, fold it up, put that in a ziplock bag. then throw the bag on top of my router..... it stays warm. 2.5 days later, come back and BAM. sprouts.
Hey there op! It hasn't been that long since you've planted them so just give them some time and hopefully you can get something to come up.. It all just depends on the method you use and the genetics in the seed.. I'm currently in my second grow.. Kinda third grow.. (perpetual) I think I've found a good method to germ though that isn't very hard to do.. Materials.. shotglass, distilled water, solo cup, a 2nd solo cup with soil 3/4 to the top of the cup.. Place the seed in the shotglass of distilled water and set it in a dark WARM place underneath the solocup to help prevent light from getting to the girl.. About now is the time you want to prepare and water the soil you'll be planting the seedling in.. After a day check your seed.. If it hasn't sank gently tap it with some tweezers.. If it doesn't sink it is not viable.. If it does when you see the seed opening and a tap root barely coming out you are ready to plant.. Take the presoaken soil and make a small indent in the soil and with tweezers place your seed in the indent.. Place a little soil over top.. Should have a sprout in a day or two.. So far I'm 6 for 6 this way with the latest being two 8 miles high that I started in a shot glass tuesday.. Transferred over yesterday morning.. Already they both have sprouted.. After the initial stretch the reason the solocup isn't filled all the way is you can reduce the stretch by adding in more soil up to the cotes..
Thanks soo much everyone! I've started a journal in the indoor section called grow university (remedial version) I'll be keeping that updated daily to keep u all posted
I'm a beginner also, but I have very experienced friends who taught me this method. Using it I have successfully germinated every seed I tried, which is a total of 13. Use a coffee mug, fill about 3/4 or more with water-preferably r/o water. place it on seedling mat or other surface that will keep the temp up. put seeds in water. cover mug with tin foil. poke plastic tube attached to air pump through foil to oxygenate water. you should have tap roots within 36 hours. I usually get taps within 24 but let them go 36 just to get them a little longer. good luck
my favorite form of germinating seeds is to put them in a cup full of room temp water, then place the cup with wate/seeds in a dark place, a drawer that i dont open much usually does the trick. all the seeds that sink to the bottom of the water after about a day or so are usually good to start veg once they develop a taproot(little white string that comes out of seed). anything that is still floating after 2 or so days will not work, usually a old seed. hope this helps