Seeds not sprouting - going to use Jiffy pellets

[MarsBarz]

I'm going to opt for one of those 12 pack seed starter greenhouse kits (36mm pellets). Is this size of pellet sufficient to get the job done?

And further, I'm going to use the scarification method on these seeds before I put them into the water, what is the optimal grit of sandpaper to use to do this?

Altogether, this is what I intend to do: scarify the seeds, soak in a cup of water for 18 - 24 hours (ZERO filtered water), moisten the pellets with the ZERO water, transfer the seeds into them and allow them to germinate under the medical heating pad in the dome on low setting. Is this enough? Or is there anything additional I need to do?

I could employ hydrogen peroxide and carbonated water in this process as well, but perhaps it's overkill?

These seeds are... stubborn. So I'm uncertain. My prior two attempts to sprout seeds went off without a hitch, I just soaked in water overnight and transferred to soil, put the growlight over top on a low setting and they sprouted in two days.

 

[HappyHazmat88]

I swear by the scarification method on the seeds before soak.....100% germination rate with no casualties ......so far *knocks on wood*

I normally just use an emory board aka a nail file.....what ever grit that is.. prolly 80-120+-.... On the sharp edge of the seed until a light discoloration is visible on the edge. After about 24 hours of soaking they are split with a tiny tail and ready to plant.

Ive never used the pellet starter blocks so I have no input there... But they sound like they do the job.

Wish ya luck on the process.

 

[013]

Hey Marz,

sounds good so far except for medical heating pad…. most cycle off after 15 or 20 minutes of continuous use, plus not sure about temp as even on low setting it may be too warm. Seedling heat mats are cheap enough and raise temp only like 7 degrees above ambient which is perfect

I’d skip the h2O2 and carbonated water? I’ve done the hydrogen peroxide thing but it also kills whatever is riding along with the seeds natural biome. Better to roll your seeds in mycos powder.

Peat pucks are ok just be sure to cut membrane off bottom before transplant, yes roots are supposed to grow right thru membrane but often they restrict roots from passing which translates to tiny rootball / tiny plant.

 

[MarsBarz]

Should I exhume the seeds from the soil they're currently sitting in?

 

[013]

No the peat pucks are just fine but just remember to cut the membrane off when you transplant.

Here’s a link to InTheSheds journal where he did same just a few weeks ago, pics and all. InTheSheds peat puck membrane removal

after doing rootopsy on plants it’s obvious the membrane doesn’t bio-degrade fast enough and can restrict root growth so it’s best to to snip it at time of transplant

 

[MarsBarz]

No the peat pucks are just fine but just remember to cut the membrane off when you transplant.

Here’s a link to InTheSheds journal where he did same just a few weeks ago, pics and all. InTheSheds peat puck membrane removal

after doing rootopsy on plants it’s obvious the membrane doesn’t bio-degrade fast enough and can restrict root growth so it’s best to to snip it at time of transplant

Oh. My bad, I meant the seeds that I currently have planted (that aren't sprouting), is it advisable to dig them up and put them in the Jiffy pellets?

 

[013]

Ah no worries! No it’s not necessary at all, I’d leave them be

 

[bluter]

Oh. My bad, I meant the seeds that I currently have planted (that aren't sprouting), is it advisable to dig them up and put them in the Jiffy pellets?

scarify them, soak them for 24 hrs in a little RO, or tap water, and h2o2 then move them to the pucks, paper towel, soil, or however you prefer to germinate them.

what media are you planning on using ?

for a lot of newer growers i recommend the paper towel method depending on media. it allows newer growers to check on the process, and ensures they know the seeds are sending a tap.

 

[MarsBarz]

scarify them, soak them for 24 hrs in a little RO, or tap water, and h2o2 then move them to the pucks, paper towel, soil, or however you prefer to germinate them.

what media are you planning on using ?

for a lot of newer growers i recommend the paper towel method depending on media. it allows newer growers to check on the process, and ensures they know the seeds are sending a tap.

I'm planning on using soil. 1/3 soil mix, 1/3 compost w/ worm castings and 1/3 perlite

I'm not sure I'm gonna do the paper towel method, as there's chemicals in it and I'm very particular about abstaining from using chemicals if at all possible.

I have ZERO water, it's damn near devoid of everything but water lol. Can that suffice instead of RO?

 

[bluter]

I'm planning on using soil. 1/3 soil mix, 1/3 compost w/ worm castings and 1/3 perlite

sounds like it's what we call a frankenmix. make sure everything is either a hydro base media or a soil base media, and then run it under the correct media ph rules, or you'll wind up screwed with piles of issues.

we see it all the time here.

I'm not sure I'm gonna do the paper towel method, as there's chemicals in it and I'm very particular about abstaining from using chemicals if at all possible.

if you feed them anything you are using chemicals. it's not an issue. but ok.
paper towel isn't always for new folk either, it helps to have some experience. you really only see older indoor growers doing it now.

I have ZERO water, it's damn near devoid of everything but water lol. Can that suffice instead of RO?

it sounds like it's just expensive RO. RO works great and costs near nothing once you've invested in a filter. it's like $1 here for 5 gallons of the stuff if you buy it at the corner store.


depending on your chosen grow method and local water quality you might not need anything special for water at all. most growers don't need it.

i use RO cause i have the filter and it does smooth things out.

edit : go have a look at the Seedsman comparative journal in my sig to see how the paper towel method works for germination.

 

[bluter]

what are you calling "soil" ? if it comes in a bag it will have a list of ingredients like cereal. what that list is determines the media type. it helps to know it.

 

[MarsBarz]

I swear by the scarification method on the seeds before soak.....100% germination rate with no casualties ......so far *knocks on wood*

I normally just use an emory board aka a nail file.....what ever grit that is.. prolly 80-120+-.... On the sharp edge of the seed until a light discoloration is visible on the edge. After about 24 hours of soaking they are split with a tiny tail and ready to plant.

Ive never used the pellet starter blocks so I have no input there... But they sound like they do the job.

Wish ya luck on the process.

I went to the dept store to grab sandpaper, I am NOT paying $10 for a pack of it lol. So I'm gonna take up your method Haz

Only the tip needs filing, right?

sounds like it's what we call a frankenmix. make sure everything is either a hydro base media or a soil base media, and then run it under the correct media ph rules, or you'll wind up screwed with piles of issues.

we see it all the time here.



if you feed them anything you are using chemicals. it's not an issue. but ok.
paper towel isn't always for new folk either, it helps to have some experience. you really only see older indoor growers doing it now.




it sounds like it's just expensive RO. RO works great and costs near nothing once you've invested in a filter. it's like $1 here for 5 gallons of the stuff if you buy it at the corner store.


depending on your chosen grow method and local water quality you might not need anything special for water at all. most growers don't need it.

i use RO cause i have the filter and it does smooth things out.

edit : go have a look at the Seedsman comparative journal in my sig to see how the paper towel method works for germination.

It's all soil based. It's supposed to be similar to what is referred to as a 'coots mix' not sure if that's specifically what you guys call a frankenmix lol

I grabbed two bags of soil from the dept. store, one was labelled flower and vegetable soil and the other was a soil mix w/ compost and worm castings. I didn't add any of the individual ingredients myself, save for the perlite. The last grow had higher alkalinity levels in the soil, so I'm prepared to grab some elemental sulfur if necessary to amend it. But I also wasn't using the specific substrate I'm using now. That soil mix was absolutely TERRIBLE

I use tap water to water the plants with at later stages of the grow, I only use the ZERO water in the beginning stages because I don't want to risk burning the seedlings. Once they're in veg that soil is gonna need minerals and the tap has that covered for the most part.

That said, I really don't trust myself to handle taproot specimens. I've done a lot of Googling about it and one of the concerns with that method is the chemicals in the paper towel can burn the taproot or if you're not careful, you can break the taproot when removing the paper towel or break it as you're transferring it to the soil. I'm pretty clutzy and would just prefer to put it in the dirt and let it do its thing lol.

 

[HappyHazmat88]

Yup just scuff the sharp edge until it lightly discolors.... Try not to go all the way through the seed .

And yea I would have just took a corner from the store lol think of it as a "sample".... But yes emery boards work well.

 

[bluter]

It's all soil based. It's supposed to be similar to what is referred to as a 'coots mix' not sure if that's specifically what you guys call a frankenmix lol

what you are doing isn't anywhere close to a coots mix. good luck with it.

 

[Doctor Trevor]

If you're going to scar the seeds, don't make the mistake I made and use a dremel. I'm still looking for those fuckin' seeds.

 

[013]

Dremel smh, guess the belt sander was in shop for repairs?

 

[SmokingWings]

It's all soil based.

Thing is that it depends on what you consider soil and what the other guy considers soil and what the manufacturer of that "soil mix" considers soil.

Sometimes a soil based mix means that the company mixed in some dirt like what we would get from a backyard garden.

It's supposed to be similar to what is referred to as a 'coots mix' ....

Why was it similar to what is referred to as a Coots Mix? Unless it specifically says it is a Coots Mix then it is just a mix of several of the usual components of a soil mix. Anything that is a Coots or SubCool mix is going to end up to be very expensive

I grabbed two bags of soil from the dept. store, one was labelled flower and vegetable soil and the other was a soil mix w/ compost and worm castings. I didn't add any of the individual ingredients myself, save for the perlite.

The best thing is to tell us what the list of ingredients is. Some manufacturers of soil mixes will list the major components on the bag in percentages. Sometimes it is not shown on the bag but will be found somewhere in the companies website.

The last grow had higher alkalinity levels in the soil, so I'm prepared to grab some elemental sulfur if necessary to amend it. But I also wasn't using the specific substrate I'm using now. That soil mix was absolutely TERRIBLE

One thing at a time. So far you have a bag of two different soil mixes and maybe you have already gotten the compost and Perlite you mentioned earlier.

Tell us what is in the two bags of soil you bought at the department store.

 

[Doctor Trevor]

Dremel smh, guess the belt sander was in shop for repairs?

That would've been overkill.

 

[013]

Apologies Dr Trevor, I meant no harm- plucking the low hanging fruit

 

[MarsBarz]

Thing is that it depends on what you consider soil and what the other guy considers soil and what the manufacturer of that "soil mix" considers soil.

Sometimes a soil based mix means that the company mixed in some dirt like what we would get from a backyard garden.


Why was it similar to what is referred to as a Coots Mix? Unless it specifically says it is a Coots Mix then it is just a mix of several of the usual components of a soil mix. Anything that is a Coots or SubCool mix is going to end up to be very expensive


The best thing is to tell us what the list of ingredients is. Some manufacturers of soil mixes will list the major components on the bag in percentages. Sometimes it is not shown on the bag but will be found somewhere in the companies website.


One thing at a time. So far you have a bag of two different soil mixes and maybe you have already gotten the compost and Perlite you mentioned earlier.

Tell us what is in the two bags of soil you bought at the department store.

It doesn't have an ingredients list, it says what it contains on the front of the bag though. I'll list the name of the product and where I acquired it from as well, I'm not sure if I can post links to their store on this site.

First bag - Golfgreen Organic Flower & Vegetable Garden Soil - contains mycorrhizae

Second bag - Organic Soil Mix w/ Compost and worm castings - this one contains worm castings, peat moss and humus.

Perlite - this was purchased form my local hydro shop, because they don't sell this stuff in bulk at the dept. stores.

Altogether, three items, not multiple little items added together like what might've been though by some (apologies for the misunderstanding).

Both bags were purchased at a store called Canadian Tire here in Canada. Golfgreen is a company that manufactures lawn and garden products for Canadian Tire. They don't have their own website.

The last grow I did I used promix herb and vegetable soil mix, mostly because I could grab an 80L bag of the stuff and that was enough for me to stuff four 5 gallon grow bags full of it in one go lol. As mentioned, it was terrible, I was stuck in veg for more than three months. I think there was clay inside of that medium, as I had a hell of a time removing everything from the bag at harvest (it was almost like cement). Additionally, I didn't have any soil aeration added to it. This grow I intend to correct that error by adding the perlite.