Germinating In Starter Plugs

[Moshe]

@gooch: According to the USPS tracking site, my pH meter is in my town's post office, showing the delivery day today, and I'm waiting for the next screw up. We get our mail delivered somewhere between 5-6 PM (can you believe it?), and it may arrive then, or if I'm really fortunate, by an earlier truck delivery upon which I am not counting. My other seed has not yet germinated (and I still feel terrible about losing the first seedling to carelessness), but it's still early. How's your grow room doing?

 

[Moshe]

@gooch: According to the USPS tracking site, my pH meter is in my town's post office, showing the delivery day today, and I'm waiting for the next screw up. We get our mail delivered somewhere between 5-6 PM (can you believe it?), and it may arrive then, or if I'm really fortunate, by an earlier truck delivery upon which I am not counting. My other seed has not yet germinated (and I still feel terrible about losing the first seedling to carelessness), but it's still early. How's your grow room doing?

 

[G00ch]

Well just as well as you one of mine did not make it one shot up for some reason one is doing well, I am having minor issues with my envy and flow but I am slowly working it out

 

[Moshe]

@gooch: One of yours didn't make it? What happened? Unlike you, I originally had only two plants, and now only one (while the other seed is ostensibly germinating), which looks so lonely and depressing standing there. Bob told me that germinating with the grow lights is no problem. I'm sure he's right.

 

[G00ch]

I posted a link to my grow on here has all the info check it out

 

[G00ch]

Yes you can certainly germinate in the light, the key is to keep the soil warm and moist. Yes i had 3 1 didnt make it , one short up, and one is starting out nice

 

[Moshe]

@gooch: Sorry about the one that didn't make it. I'm glad to report that my pH meter finally arrived yesterday. My single plant has multiple layers of leaves, and I think it's doing OK. The other is still germinating without yet sprouting. Based on the first time, it should sprout tomorrow (I think). I'll be calling Bob later for further instructions of getting the correct pH, nutes, and I think a change of lighting(?). Talk with you later.

 

[Moshe]

@gooch: Well, wouldn't you know it? Bob has me using distilled water since he doesn't know much about my local water. However, as I read the instructions to my new HM PH-200 meter, I find that it doesn't measure distilled water. Great! I took a pH reading of my tap water, and it came out to about 7.0. I hope this isn't going to be a problem. What's next?

 

[G00ch]

ok well 7 ph is not bad, I am not sure why he recommended using distilled, i prefer filtered water myself. With tap water the issues you might run into are the PPM Parts Per Million. Do you have a dissolved solids tester? I think you do so whever testing water or nutrient solutions you want to measure both the ph and the nutrient ppm

Also once you add nutes to distilled water you should be able to measure it, it shouldnt hurt the tester to try, but there would be no reason to test just distilled water

 

[G00ch]

I mentioned on page 1
Some things you should invest in.
PH meter ideally one that does ppm also
a bottle of ph up
a bottle of ph down
if your tap water is higher then 6.5 then its not going to be a good outcome for growing in hydro as you need a ph of between 5.5 and 6.5 ish in order for the nutrients to uptake to the plant. test your water with the ph tester and adjust it with the ph up and down after you add your nutrients

 

[Moshe]

@gooch: PPM? Good God! Something else to worry about? Is thee no end to this? In any event, Bob says my tap water shouldn't be a problem if I leave gallon jugs of it uncovered over night. So far, he's been right about everything, and I guess I'll let him call the shots. Yes, of course I have the pH Up and Down solutions. As for the pH meter testing distilled water with nutes, I'll have to call the company and ask them.

 

[G00ch]

There are a few major factors when growing in hydro, water source, ph, nutrient ppm, lights, medium
im pretty sure the meter is not going to explode if you put it in distilled water
Its my understanding that you want a ph between 5.5 and 6.5 for hydro systems, I am not sure why letting it sit overnight is going to adjust the ph?

 

[Moshe]

GOOch: Well, prior to reading the fine print on my pH meter's instructions, I tried to measure the pH of a cup of distilled water, and the meter would erratically not settle on any number- up and down non stop. Although Bob explained to me the reason that there is some benefit in leaving tap water uncovered overnight, I cannot yet repeat it. One way or the other though, he says we can do the hydroponics with regular tap. Meanwhile, my third seed has not yet sprouted out of the starter plug, and I am still depressed over how stupidly I lost that seedling.

 

[G00ch]

Now you have to realize when people in these forums are talking they are trying to create ideal conditions since we have everything at our disposal to do so. When i say you need to know the ppm its only because we are trying to create ideal conditions not that you cant use tap water, im sure everything will work out but maybe not the best it could have been. There is nothing wrong with that espicially to get the first few grows down

 

[Moshe]

@gooch: Let me ask you how you test the pH? Everything was working out just fine for me until it came to this pH business, which threw me for a complete loop, which caused me to strip the calibrating screw on my first pH meter. Now, that my new (expensive) meter doesn't work with distilled water, the problem just keeps dragging along. How do you do yours plain and simple?

 

[G00ch]

Well I use filtered water and I fill my tub with10 gallons of water add my birds then test the ph if you need to adjust it add some up or down to the mix stir it up and test ph again until you are within range

 

[Moshe]

GOOch: Since my seed hasn't sprouted yet, Bob told me not to change the distilled water, but instead, to drop a pinch of the Grow nutrient and a pinch of the Calcium/Mag into the reservoir for the surviving seedling which seems to be doing well. Hopefully, the germinating seed will pop by Tuesday. I cheated a bit, and removed the covering of the starter plug, and with a magnifying glass looked into the little hole, where I noticed something white which is probably the tap root. Bob said not to worry about using ordinary tap water left uncovered. In his words, "It'll be fine." But, I'm still so depressed about stupidly destroying that seedling when it was going so well.

 

[G00ch]

OK well there is no need in crying over slipped milk things happen we morn and move on . Bob is right tap water will work. It will also work to terminate seeds so there was no reason to use distilled in the first place unless you are trying to create an ideal situation but I digress. Once the other seed sprouts and you change to tap. Once you mix the nutes then take a ph of the water and if you adjust it down use only a very little at a time.

 

[Moshe]

@gooch: Yes, once that germinating seed pops, psychologically I'll feel somewhat better. The ironic thing is that it was last Sunday that I stupidly destroyed the seedling when the door slipped out of my hands. But, on Monday Bob told me it could have been saved by re-potting it. *sigh* Just my luck. In any event, have a terrific Labor Day!

 

[G00ch]

im sure she is just waiting to pop right now, i guess it depends on how bad it was hit, i presumed you hit the plant itself, in which case i probably would not replant it, its better to start fresh especially this early. I will have a wonderful labor day weekend watching my plants grow every centimeter and new leaf sprouting makes me so happy. have you checked my grow journal? Have a wonderful and safe labor day.