Seedling Process

jimbonorman

jimbonorman

Well-Known Member
Hi folks, I’m having trouble at the seedling stage once the seeds pop up. my germination rates are great but roughly half my seedlings die on me. Here’s my setup:

happy frog soil w/ perlite and Dynomyco
RH 60ish (can fluctuate from 55 to 65)
Temps: daytime 74-77, nighttime 69-71
Tap water ph’d to 6.5
PPFD 200ish
Heat mat

I typically use solo cups and put a dome or upside down clear cup with a small hole for some air access on top of the solo cup to keep the humidity high until they pop. I recently had two seeds that popped, I removed the dome, they stopped growing and fell over in a couple days. So I had another pop after that and kept the dome on for a day or two because I thought maybe I shocked the first two by taking the dome off too quickly, but now this one is also looking not so great. Gave it a bit of water but not too much as i have drowned them in the past. Will see how it looks in the morning.

I guess my basic question is this: does anyone have a solid process or foolproof setup for the seedling stage? It’s a real hurdle for me right now and I haven’t got a repeatable process. I feel like it’s a total guessing game once they come out of the dirt…and if they make it to veg then it’s blind luck. Its driving me nuts. Would love to hear any tips or tried and true processes for nurturing seedlings.
 
HenryTheEighth

HenryTheEighth

Well-Known Member
jimbonorman said:
Hi folks, I’m having trouble at the seedling stage once the seeds pop up. my germination rates are great but roughly half my seedlings die on me. Here’s my setup:

happy frog soil w/ perlite and Dynomyco
RH 60ish (can fluctuate from 55 to 65)
Temps: daytime 74-77, nighttime 69-71
Tap water ph’d to 6.5
PPFD 200ish
Heat mat

I typically use solo cups and put a dome or upside down clear cup with a small hole for some air access on top of the solo cup to keep the humidity high until they pop. I recently had two seeds that popped, I removed the dome, they stopped growing and fell over in a couple days. So I had another pop after that and kept the dome on for a day or two because I thought maybe I shocked the first two by taking the dome off too quickly, but now this one is also looking not so great. Gave it a bit of water but not too much as i have drowned them in the past. Will see how it looks in the morning.

I guess my basic question is this: does anyone have a solid process or foolproof setup for the seedling stage? It’s a real hurdle for me right now and I haven’t got a repeatable process. I feel like it’s a total guessing game once they come out of the dirt…and if they make it to veg then it’s blind luck. Its driving me nuts. Would love to hear any tips or tried and true processes for nurturing seedlings.
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I would change your starter soil to a seed raising mix or coco. Feed organic tomato liquid food half strength mixed.
Ditch the heat mat thing. Ditch the cups.
Make your whole tent a bit warmer and more humid by putting a small radiant heater in it.
It sounds like you are killing them with wet feet and cold if they fall over.
 
jimbonorman

jimbonorman

Well-Known Member
HenryTheEighth said:
I would change your starter soil to a seed raising mix or coco. Feed organic tomato liquid food half strength mixed.
Ditch the heat mat thing. Ditch the cups.
Make your whole tent a bit warmer and more humid by putting a small radiant heater in it.
It sounds like you are killing them with wet feet and cold if they fall over.
Click to expand...
Why kill the heat mat, though? It keeps the medium warm - I assumed that was a good thing. Warm feet, no?
 
jimbonorman

jimbonorman

Well-Known Member
I’m tempted to get these all-in-one seed starter domes that allow you to gradually reduce humidity before transferring them to the tent environment. Seems like something that can provide a bit more of a guarantee for survival in the first week. Anyone use those bulky things?
 
tree beard

tree beard

Well-Known Member
jimbonorman said:
I’m tempted to get these all-in-one seed starter domes that allow you to gradually reduce humidity before transferring them to the tent environment. Seems like something that can provide a bit more of a guarantee for survival in the first week. Anyone use those bulky things?
Click to expand...
I do, and just like you, I kill everything that I plant (from seed). Clones, no problem, seeds = dead.. I don't get it, it seems like just one squirt too much, or one squirt shy from the spray bottle and my seedlings are dead without fail. In fact, I'm about to kill 2 more that just popped.. yay!!

20240113_091512.jpg
 
jimbonorman

jimbonorman

Well-Known Member
tree beard said:
I do, and just like you, I kill everything that I plant (from seed). Clones, no problem, seeds = dead.. I don't get it, it seems like just one squirt too much, or one squirt shy from the spray bottle and my seedlings are dead without fail. In fact, I'm about to kill 2 more that just popped.. yay!!

View attachment 5360705
Click to expand...
Glad I’m not alone!

Are you having any better luck with this contraption?
 
UnknownRemedy

UnknownRemedy

Well-Known Member
jimbonorman said:
Why kill the heat mat, though? It keeps the medium warm - I assumed that was a good thing. Warm feet, no?
Click to expand...
I germinated and currently growing 2 plants in an insulated closet that gets little to no heat. With lights on 24/7, my temps were only like 70-73f. I used plastic wrap as the humidity dome, and a heat mat on the floor
It's definitely possible to germinate with your setup. You can see the leaf curl from the roots getting cold when I switched to 18/6, and little mutated because this was the slow growing runt that almost died.
1000004636.jpg
 
secretmicrogrow420

secretmicrogrow420

Well-Known Member
jimbonorman said:
I’m tempted to get these all-in-one seed starter domes that allow you to gradually reduce humidity before transferring them to the tent environment. Seems like something that can provide a bit more of a guarantee for survival in the first week. Anyone use those bulky things?
Click to expand...
why are you using humidity domes for seedlings? thats for clones bro.

first off the seed produces roots at the same time that it pops his head out of the ground like at this time its producing roots. humidity domes are mainly for clones, you need too keep humidity high because the clones have no roots. the seedling has and is building a root system.

clones do not have root's at all so you need a humidity dome. seedlings do have roots they can drink water and nutrients from the medium they are planted in so why do you need a humidity dome?

my 2 cents humidity domes for seedlings is pure bro science. i have been growing with my older brother since 2013 and we have never had problems with seedling's dying after germinating. the reason you use humidity domes are when a plant does not have root's.
 
jimbonorman

jimbonorman

Well-Known Member
UnknownRemedy said:
I germinated and currently growing 2 plants in an insulated closet that gets little to no heat. With lights on 24/7, my temps were only like 70-73f. I used plastic wrap as the humidity dome, and a heat mat on the floor
It's definitely possible to germinate with your setup. You can see the leaf curl from the roots getting cold when I switched to 18/6, and little mutated because this was the slow growing runt that almost died.
View attachment 5360736
Click to expand...
What was your humidity?
 
jimbonorman

jimbonorman

Well-Known Member
secretmicrogrow420 said:
why are you using humidity domes for seedlings? thats for clones bro.

first off the seed produces roots at the same time that it pops his head out of the ground like at this time its producing roots. humidity domes are mainly for clones, you need too keep humidity high because the clones have no roots. the seedling has and is building a root system.

clones do not have root's at all so you need a humidity dome. seedlings do have roots they can drink water and nutrients from the medium they are planted in so why do you need a humidity dome?

my 2 cents humidity domes for seedlings is pure bro science. i have been growing with my older brother since 2013 and we have never had problems with seedling's dying after germinating. the reason you use humidity domes are when a plant does not have root's.
Click to expand...
What’s your humidity?
 
jimbonorman

jimbonorman

Well-Known Member
Sweaty_Guy said:
Let’s see a picture of these seedlings.
Click to expand...
This is a Grimm Bros seed so i reckon this is pure user error and not a genetic deficiency. As soon as it popped up it stopped growing. A little dirt pile was making it bend and I thought it would muscle through and keep growing but it just kind of stopped. After a day or two I took the dome off and moved the little dirt pile a bit but it’s been like this for another day and I don’t think it’s going to bounce back
 

Attachments

UnknownRemedy

UnknownRemedy

Well-Known Member
secretmicrogrow420 said:
why are you using humidity domes for seedlings? thats for clones bro.

first off the seed produces roots at the same time that it pops his head out of the ground like at this time its producing roots. humidity domes are mainly for clones, you need too keep humidity high because the clones have no roots. the seedling has and is building a root system.

clones do not have root's at all so you need a humidity dome. seedlings do have roots they can drink water and nutrients from the medium they are planted in so why do you need a humidity dome?

my 2 cents humidity domes for seedlings is pure bro science. i have been growing with my older brother since 2013 and we have never had problems with seedling's dying after germinating. the reason you use humidity domes are when a plant does not have root's.
Click to expand...
jimbonorman said:
What was your humidity?
Click to expand...
I keep a small humidifier and kept the humidity around 65-70, but I only used the plastic wrap as a humidity dome until the seed popped the soil. As soon as you see a seedling popping even just a little bit you keep the humidity in your tent up in the 60's and remove the dome.
 
Sweaty_Guy

Sweaty_Guy

Member
jimbonorman said:
This is a Grimm Bros seed so i reckon this is pure user error and not a genetic deficiency. As soon as it popped up it stopped growing. A little dirt pile was making it bend and I thought it would muscle through and keep growing but it just kind of stopped. After a day or two I took the dome off and moved the little dirt pile a bit but it’s been like this for another day and I don’t think it’s going to bounce back
Click to expand...
Did you bury that seed three inches deep or did you add more soil around it, either way it doesn’t look dead so just leave it.

My main reason for asking for the picture was to see if you’re overwatering which you clearly aren’t so that’s good!
 
Sweaty_Guy

Sweaty_Guy

Member
Like everyone said ditch the humidity dome, people like me grow just fine in extremely low humidity. Give it a tiny dribble of water and just leave it, remember less is more so just leave it alone lol. Post another picture tomorrow or the next day.
 
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