Germination Problems in the Tropics

Greetings all!!

So I have recently moved from the states to Central America, and had brought seeds acquired from High Grade Seeds with me; mainly Kona Gold, Ak-47, and some Querkle.. I have tried, but despite my best efforts have not been able to successfully germinate any of them.. Being a grower back in the states I had no problems starting seeds by soaking them or floating them on top of water until they cracked.. Unfortunately, down here when I attempted the same method, they did not sprout but instead developed a bacteria/film that attached to them. This is with sterilized water as well as having a cheesecloth covering placed over the glass jar. I have even tried just leaving them in dirt covered, making sure that they remained moist, but to no avail.. The seeds I have collected down here have sprouted just fine and I have had no problem with. However I desire a strain with an excellent genetic pedigree, of which, I would like to breed with perhaps a vigorous local strain. Although before I spend more money to order more seeds, I would like to be able to germinate the remaining 3 seeds I have left.

The current method I am trialing is to soak them over night, (the bacteria does not creep in until day 2 or 3) then placing each one in a styrofoam cup full of soil on the East side of mi casa. I then place a jar over them and treat them as if they are in a terrarium by checking them twice a day to be sure of proper moisture. This is day 5 of the process and the seeds have not changed in the slightest. I have also scarified one of the seeds to see if that would expedite the process.

If anyone has had experience with this or has an idea how to get these seeds to crack please chime in.. I have 7 local strains growing but unless I get that 1 in a million strain then these will probably be hash plants since most of the plants around here tend to have hermaphroditic traits... Despite the constant 12/12 here I keep them under a porch light every other night so they get approximately 36 hours on, and 12 off... I am not sure if this will extent the veg cycle but I am going to experiment nonetheless..

Thanks for lookin and keep it growin!

Use the paper towel and plastic zip lock baggie to germ them, it should help keep out any unwanted bacteria til it forms a nice tap root.

Thatguywhome said:

Greetings all!!

So I have recently moved from the states to Central America, and had brought seeds acquired from High Grade Seeds with me; mainly Kona Gold, Ak-47, and some Querkle.. I have tried, but despite my best efforts have not been able to successfully germinate any of them.. Being a grower back in the states I had no problems starting seeds by soaking them or floating them on top of water until they cracked.. Unfortunately, down here when I attempted the same method, they did not sprout but instead developed a bacteria/film that attached to them. This is with sterilized water as well as having a cheesecloth covering placed over the glass jar. I have even tried just leaving them in dirt covered, making sure that they remained moist, but to no avail.. The seeds I have collected down here have sprouted just fine and I have had no problem with. However I desire a strain with an excellent genetic pedigree, of which, I would like to breed with perhaps a vigorous local strain. Although before I spend more money to order more seeds, I would like to be able to germinate the remaining 3 seeds I have left.

The current method I am trialing is to soak them over night, (the bacteria does not creep in until day 2 or 3) then placing each one in a styrofoam cup full of soil on the East side of mi casa. I then place a jar over them and treat them as if they are in a terrarium by checking them twice a day to be sure of proper moisture. This is day 5 of the process and the seeds have not changed in the slightest. I have also scarified one of the seeds to see if that would expedite the process.

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Don't soak the seeds at all. Do not place them in any kind of jar/dome or anywhere with restricted airflow. Fresher high quality seeds do not need to be soaked at all, nor do they need high humidity. Also I wouldn't use straight topsoil (outdoor dirt) as even if it seems to be fertile it is very likely too dense/heavy for container growing and may contain pests. I would recommend a bagged soil/less mix, without a lot of nutrients.

I've never had issues just putting seeds about half inch deep into a hole, covering with [per-moistened] soil and watering. Keep the media at 72*(F) or above, avoid sudden temperature changes. Don't keep the media saturated (this can lead to damping off/rot), it has to be able to be allowed to dry out some but not completely. Water again only when the surface has just about dried out completely. If you use a good sized container it should take about 3-4 days or longer to dry out, depending on the conditions (air circulation, RH, temperature, etc.).