Germination Stations?

[tfroach]

All right, so my fiance and I have been working on our first closet grow for the last few weeks using bag seeds I had saved. Using the cup germination method, out of 20 germinated seeds only one has survived into a seedling stage. We ordered some Northern Lights seeds hoping breeder seeds may be easier to germinate and give us a better crop.

I recently received a $100 Amazon gift card and was looking at some germination stations. So far the only really good looking one has been the Hydrofarm HYFCK64050 Germination Station with heat Mat 72 Cell & 2" Dome.

Amazon: Hydrofarm HYFCK64050 Germination Station with heat Mat 72 Cell 2" Dome

So here's what's up: Does anyone have any experience with Hydrofarm? Are they any good? Or should we just continue on with the cup method? Do any of you have other suggestions besides Hydrofarm/cup method?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated

 

[oldman60]

$24.88 at walmart.

 

[GigaGrew]

i use the cup method...warm water in a dark place. i average 18 of 20 getting a tap root peeking this way, sometimes 100% depending on the strain.

save the cash my friend =)

just sounds like the bagseed wasnt viable.

 

[WizHigh]

I use hydro farm products they have great stuff. If your planning on germinating a bunch of seeds and later on in your grow plan on cloning at all I would really go with the hydrofarm you plan on purchasing. It comes in handy for more than just germinating seeds.

 

[GigaGrew]

oh just make sure you dechlorinate your water if using tap
a couple of drops of seaweed extract is an optional good start to life =)

 

[tfroach]

The mrs. made this thread last night, although we haven't purchased a germination station yet.

After calling every nursery and department store in the area, no one seems to carry peat plugs or anything like that, so I'm about to make my own with gelatin.

Also, the only sproutling we had took a turn for the worse last night, and I think that it's wilting now. We're not entirely sure what caused it, but it's leaves are drooping and upturned at the ends. I think that she may have overwatered it, as one day while I was at work she transplanted it and watered it. She said that the soil felt dry, so she watered it "pretty well" although I don't know how much "pretty well" is.

 

[WizHigh]

Of there's no plugs you can find you can order them from amazon also. Or you u can just use soil. I use soil in my propagation tray. How close are the lights over top of the plant? To close will burn them. Or maybe it could be heat related. Put a fan in there and raise the light. It should bounce back in a few

 

[tfroach]

Of there's no plugs you can find you can order them from amazon also. Or you u can just use soil. I use soil in my propagation tray. How close are the lights over top of the plant? To close will burn them. Or maybe it could be heat related. Put a fan in there and raise the light. It should bounce back in a few

Light is about six-eight inches above the plant, and we do have a fan in there as well. It may be heat related, but I think that it may be related to the (what I believe to be) overwatering.

 

[WizHigh]

That could be possible. If the soil drys out quickly then it will perk back up by the end of the day or tomorrow morning. What size pot or cup is the plant in?

 

[GigaGrew]

plants can wilt from over watering.

just remember to PH your water to 6.3 and make sure its well airated. if you use a fine mister to water, it takes ages but injects a HIGH amount of air into the water.

if its a really tiny seedling still, you may want to scoop out the seedling with a generous amount of the soil, ideally the seedling shouldnt know its been lifted. with the soil around the seedling thus exposed you can blow it with a mild strength wind to safely dry off and add air to the roots.

This isnt a standard practice tho, its what i would call streetwise triage.

i dont reccomend any peat products my friend, its a very precious comodity and we are using it up far faster than its being made.
lets not kill the countryside for the sake of a few joints eh

 

[tfroach]

That could be possible. If the soil drys out quickly then it will perk back up by the end of the day or tomorrow morning. What size pot or cup is the plant in?

About 6-8 inches deep, maybe 6-8 inches across as well. In a mix of MG seed starter and MG Moisture control. Again, it's pretty much all I could find locally. I'm about to go make my peat pellets with a mix a 1:1 mix of Sphagnum and MG seed starter

 

[WizHigh]

Nothing g wrong with MG. I use MG organic soil and coco coir mixed. What ever size co gained your using only water using 20% of that. I start seedlings in a 8oz cup so I use less than half of that when watering.