Germination Problem Please Help

Hi.

My buddy has been growing for a couple years and had his first germination problem, EVER. He placed 50 seeds on a soaked paper towel with a weak nutrient solution and then on a plate and wrapped it up in plastic wrap, and then threw it on a heat mat. He has been doing this ever since he started and NEVER a problem. Though this time, all the seeds germinated and a small taproot appeared and he then he put them in riot rooters and nothing happened. Only the first 10 seeds that germinated survived and the rest died, the inside was a white goo, like when he squeezed the seed it was like popping a pimple (gross I know lol).

Here are a few ideas that he has, that may have caused this:

1. Is it OK to use tap water to germinate and water seedlings, and if not what should be done to make the water OK?

2. When he was adding water to the paper towel he may have grabbing the jug with a not so weak nutrient solution, would this cause the affect that he is seeing.

3. I know it is possible to drown seeds, but people germinate seeds in glasses of water even, so I find it hard to believe that he drowned them, but is it possible?

4. could the heat mat have gotten to hot for the seeds, it is a gardening heat mat though.

Maybe someone here knows the causes of this, if so please let me know, as he would HATE to repeat the again.

Thanks so much.

Wats good G. Just use a bottle of water G that should be more the Coo. Ur homeboy dosnt have to use nutrients. I would put the seeds in a contaner n put it under a light it takes well shit some seed 24 hrs 2 pop open depending on the strand G so homeboy don't drown them. Stay up G

Bottled water ain't that great though, most bottled water has crazy ass PH rangeing from 4 to 9. Search it up, one guy actually tested about 25 different bottled waters and he gave the PH of each.

Id assume a PH of 6.5 to 7 is good, but tap water also has nutrients, so can someone chime in if tap water is OK to use.

Thanks again

I use tap water. I do a 10-15 minute soaking then put them directly into moist potting soil. Everyone is always scarred to use tap. If your worried, just go to your water company's website and download the annual report. It'll tell you the pH, hardness, and exact ppm of micronutrients. If your in the US, chances are your water is fine.

Here is the annual report for the water company, if someone that know about this stuff could look it over, that would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.epcor.com/water/reports-edmonton/Documents/wq-edmonton-2010.pdf

Thanks!

Your friend should be using plain tap water and probably should be labelling his solutions as not to poor unknown contents onto his seeds, I am very suprised he has been growing for years and making these newbie mistakes.

What type of nutes is he adding to his water?

regards,

He has been using Dutch Master Nutrients A and B, and like I said he doesn't think he managed to screw up the solution, BUT there is a possibility as he just can't think of many reasons why this could have happened. But sense he is not 100% he didn't screw it up, that is real newb aha =( and he has been only growing for 3 years so by the way I worded it, it may have seem longer.

Thanks!

I know the problem. It's caused from extra hard seed shells. Some strains do this. The tap root pops out and then stalls because the seed shell wont split. Using nutes could have caused it to stall. Then bacteria or fungus take over from dirty hands, most of the germs on your hands come from under the fingernails. Once the seed shell splits, the seed only has so much time to escape before bacteria or fungus turn it into mush. I had this happen a couple of times. If you lightly sand the seed down with sand paper and use gloves, the problem will diminish. Also dont use nutes, just distilled water. Anyone using nutes on seeds, does not know what they are doing. Black seeds dont usually germinate because the seeds are so damn tough.

Sounds to me like contamination when he transferred to the riot rooters. You would want to use whatever water you are going to be using for the whole grow. For instance, I use RO water with the pH adjusted for the desired range. Nutes are unneeded because the seed has all the nutrients it needs for a while. Did the paper towel get dry? Did he cover the plate with another plate? There seems to be way too many possibilities. Did he get from a different faucet in the house?

Well seeds do not need nutes at all untill like three or four set of true leaves. You, oops I mean HE, probably fried them with the nutes

He grabbed one of those big clear/blue jugs of water from a grocery store, it says demineralized and ozonized on the side and the brand is Canadian Springs. Is this OK to use for germination?

Thanks!!

It'd be fine but Distilled Water is best. Spring water still has a low ppm.

Thanks!!!!!