What is wrong?

[young budz]

What am I doing wrong? I germinate with the paper towel method, they grow the tail, I plant them in perlite. and thats all that happens. out of 8 white widow seeds I orderd, only one popped out of the soil. If it's a boy I am going to be furious... I am waiting on another seed to pop. but i don't understand what I am doing wrong. 400w hps. botanicare ebb and flow system. p.h. at 6. how often should I water a seed that hasn't popped yet? should I leave the seed under a fluro grow light or keep it under the HPS?

 

[Damagoman]

HPS is the spectrum of the Fall sun, you really need MH for veg.,
try floro.
half warm white and half cool white tubes.

You are planting them tail down, right?

I don't like germinating first.
Try straight to the cubes.

 

[young budz]

yes I am planting them tail down.
how would I go straight to the cubes?
moisten the cube, drop the seed, bury it in perlite?

 

[Damagoman]

maybe just a pinch of peat to cover it.
May not need nothin' to cover it.

Humidity dome or somethin' to make a dome with?

 

[young budz]

no. should i have one?

 

[Damagoman]

It'll increase the humidity around the seed,
which is basically what makes them pop and grow when you germinate.

I hate handling seedings unless they are at least a couple weeks old.

 

[young budz]

considering ho wmuch they are, I'm going to my local hydroponic stores and will check one out. thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[DEAN420]

When putting yr seeds in to a medium make sure it is kept moist tell they sprout! spray the medium when needed if they have not.

Using a HPS should not make any differences' when sprouting yr seedlings, when i only had a n HPS i had no problems, just raise it to the highest setting it can go then when the sprout lower so they do not stretch

Anyway as DaMagoMan has explained raise yr humidity while germinating seeds

 

[LaidBackinCali]

Sometimes they take a bit to get the kick to sprout, how long have they been in germination?

 

[Ms.Fox]

You'll get the hang of it. Things like this take practice and "a lot" of patience. ;-) I agree. Try planting the seeds directly in the cubes and then put them in the humidity dome. ;-)

 

[StonerGrower]

Keep all lights off untill the sprout actually breaks soil. If they germinated they should come to the top of your medium. Try a humidy dome or spray medium with water a couple time a day. Keep the soil moist, not wet!

 

[Racefan]

Keep all lights off untill the sprout actually breaks soil. If they germinated they should come to the top of your medium. Try a humidy dome or spray medium with water a couple time a day. Keep the soil moist, not wet!

Stoner is correct. unless you need the warmth the light on bare soil is a waste of electricity and won't help your germination problem. Personally I think your choice of medium might have something to do with it. Plain perlite is not the best for growing anything. The beans can sink into it too deeply and spend too much energy looking for the top. So much it never makes it and drowns instead. Try a soiless mix like promix or maybe rockwool if growing hydro.