So I have just washed some coco to prepare it for planting and was wondering if I could just plant straight into it while it is still saturated or if I should leave it out in the sun for a few hours to allow the excess water to evaporate first. I feel like I need to ask because the last 12 seeds I tried to start in coco would pop above ground and then shrivel and die for no real apparent reason before it manages to put out its first true leaves.
Its gotta be damp. Great humidity boost. Don't let it dry out either. But don't soak it. Try starting the seed in a party cup in doors?
That is exactly what I have been trying to do and they do the same thing every time, I use a 36w 2 foot fluro inside a mini propagation tent. The seeds are just bagseeds because I do not want to waste the money I sent buying seeds on failing. This is what typically happens, the seedling sprouts and then falls over due to what appears to be a "pinched" or weak point and then shrivels and dies.
Sprout in paper towel first mate then into solos, better odds and gives you less chance of your tap root growing weird or whatever. You are also not wasting space for shit that will never happen. How deep did you plant that one?
First, fill the cup the rest of the way up. It allows the actual plant to get better airflow and light. A "pinched" stem is a sign or damping off which is basically an infection cuased by various pathogens in the medium and perpetuated by overly wet conditions. It might be worth a try to either bake the coco to kill pathogens or buy a new brick.
Cheers I didnt think about sterilizing the coco at all, it is a really crappy brunnings brand which I assume isn't ph'ed or buffered and I try to plant in the first 3cm and germinating in paper towels is something I have done in the past but I want tk keep things as simple as possible so straight into coco and into the propagation tent they go. I have tried a new batch with the coco watered with a light h34d formula mix to see if that helps at all.
That is what I have been doing kind of. I rinse my coco in ph 5.8 tap water until it runs clear and ec is low. Then I run through the h3ad formula at 25% strength. Let that drain and plant my seed. To avoid adding any more nutrients as well as possibly washing out the salts from the initial dose I water from the bottom if needed until they sprout. It also prevents the coco from get to soaked, as the coco will only draw enough water to make it moist without oversaturating.
Giving the coco another wash and charging it with the nutes worked great, ive started a grow journal in the indoor section. http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-medical-marijuana-growing/1361690-storics-indoor-tent-adventure-coco-dtw-600w-vert-bulb.html