Starting seeds in Rapid Rooters?

Resinhound

Resinhound

Well-Known Member
i use rapid rooters all the time,dont have a problem with the hole size,soak the rooter,squeeze out excess water,stick the rooter in the final pot im going to grow in and stick the seed in the hole.I dont care if it's pointy side up or any of that bullshit.When I water its only a tiny bit and only AROUND the rooter,just enough to keep it moist and then i leave it alone for a week only adding a slight bit of water everyday to keep the rooter moist.I germ 1 seed at a time,dont have "back ups" or any of that bullshit and never have any issues germinating seeds.Im convinced most germination problems are either bad seeds or people overcomplicating a simple proven system.

Earlyriser76 said:
temp inside the rooter is 3 degrees lower than the ambient air temp
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stop messing with your rooters once the seed is in there and let them sprout,waaay overcomplicating this.
 
intenseneal

intenseneal

Well-Known Member
Gregor Eisenhorn said:
So you just place your seed into a root plugs and 24h later you have a sprotu? Or did I miss something? :D
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Yep pretty much. I just did 2 seeds and 1 split and had a tap root over night and the other split later that day. I was pretty impressed with how fast it was. Roots developed really fast as well i give credit to the bubble cloner, healthy large root mass after about 14 days and moved into solo cuts with soil. Here they are at 19 days from going into the root plug in a cloner. Chilling under the leds next to the cloner. This method so far for me has worked out much better and faster than using the plug tray and dome and i never used or liked the paper towel method.20160118_202237.jpg
 
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Gregor Eisenhorn

Gregor Eisenhorn

Well-Known Member
az2000 said:
I just looked at an RR. The hole is 1" deep. It may be rooting, working it's way up. If it wasn't fully seated, the root may be growing down in free space (taking awhile to get leverage to push out). If it were fully seated, it could take awhile to grow that tall (to poke out).

I would just wait. You could lift away some of the material you put on top. But, that's usually a bad idea. If it's your first grow, it's better to resist urges like that.
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Damn, I just checked to see if anything was going on in there and I did notice that the seed was a bit too far down... the worst was that nothing happened. Not even a crack in the seed. I don't get it, the rooter was moist all the time, shurly the seed should have cracked by now? Anyway I took the seed out gently and placed it in a glass of RO water... I'll take it out in a few hours and start again.
 
Resinhound

Resinhound

Well-Known Member
Sometimes with older seeds or if they have a thick hull its helpful to soak the seeds,water has to enter the interior of the seed to activate the embryo.Ive seen seeds pop after being kept moist in soil for two weeks.I wouldn't soak them more than 18-24 hours though..you can drown them.
 
Gregor Eisenhorn

Gregor Eisenhorn

Well-Known Member
I soaked them for about 4h (the seed sank straight away) and scarified the hull so I think this time it will crack. I also flipped the rapid rooter upside down, made a new hole and just pushed it down slightly and covered it with some material. Although I planted the seed point up, there's a lot of mixed opinions on what side to plant.
 
Resinhound

Resinhound

Well-Known Member
ya it doesnt matter how the seed is in there thats bullshit,as long as the embryo is viable and water makes it into the interior of the seed..(sinking is a good indicator) the seed will sprout.Most important thing is to just leave it alone now,dont go crazy with the water just keep the rooter moist.
 
intenseneal

intenseneal

Well-Known Member
My root plugs stay soaked due to the popping bubbles in the cloner. I feel it works out better to keep them soaked not just moist. With the root plugs its impossible to have too much water as to drown the seed due the the porous nature of the plugs, as long as you dont submerge them in water that is. Some seeds just take longer to crack and pop a root. It all depends in the strain, thickness of the shell, how old the seeds are and how much vigor the seeds have.
 
A

az2000

Well-Known Member
Gregor Eisenhorn said:
Anyway I took the seed out gently and placed it in a glass of RO water... I'll take it out in a few hours and start again.
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I soak in 1% hydrogen peroxide (1 part ordinary 3% and 2 parts water). It precipitates oxygen bubbles which form on the shell, holding it to the surface. Less chance of drowning. And, it disinfects germs on the shell, which could be good (you don't know how they were handled, what conditions they were exposed to). Some people have to "soak until it sinks." You can tap the floating seed to see if it sinks. The oxygen bubbles will form again, holding it to the surface.

I would definitely turn the Rapid Rooter upside-down, poke your own hole about 1/4" deep. Just wide enough for the seed to slide into. The stem hole it comes with is too deep and wide. The material needs to make contact with the shell, and the sprout shouldn't have to reach that high just to break ground.
 
Gregor Eisenhorn

Gregor Eisenhorn

Well-Known Member
az2000 said:
I soak in 1% hydrogen peroxide (1 part ordinary 3% and 2 parts water). It precipitates oxygen bubbles which form on the shell, holding it to the surface. Less chance of drowning. And, it disinfects germs on the shell, which could be good (you don't know how they were handled, what conditions they were exposed to). Some people have to "soak until it sinks." You can tap the floating seed to see if it sinks. The oxygen bubbles will form again, holding it to the surface.

I would definitely turn the Rapid Rooter upside-down, poke your own hole about 1/4" deep. Just wide enough for the seed to slide into. The stem hole it comes with is too deep and wide. The material needs to make contact with the shell, and the sprout shouldn't have to reach that high just to break ground.
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Thanks az, I have some hydrogen 3% although ti ays hydrogenii peroxidum, probably the same thing. I'll definitely give it a try on my next seed.
 
Rick the ruller

Rick the ruller

Member
Sativied said:
Sounds like a recipe for cooking rotten seeds.

Don't use a dome with seedlings, 66% is fine, so is 40... Seeds and seedlings do not require high air humidity level. And don't put the rapid rooters in a layer of water. Instead add a layer of perlite or hydroton, put the rapid roots on those and water them. Try to keep the temp below 80.

I too soak seeds in (warm yet cooling down) water for 12-24 hours before planting them.

And place them under light...
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Rick the ruller

Rick the ruller

Member
No ligjt, 75 to 80, long as your keeping the rooter damp humity does not matter at this time, far as light when it breaks through needs light , far as nutes.. Will that's to the grower and what your growing in soil, coir needs calimag now it's got roots it's growing. Good luck and good growing
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