# sprouted, then died ?



## rebel (Mar 20, 2010)

i sprouted 4 jock horror in a paper towel,then planted them in peat pots with ferry-morse seed mix. couple days all 4 popped up. 2 started growing but the other 2 just stayed there. the 2 thats growing are about an inch or more in height. i dug down in the mix and the 2 thats not growing appears the root is snapped off so im tossing these 2 out. just curious what made these 2 do this ?
using 4 , 40w flos. and have got about 15 young ones started good.
no problems just the 2 .


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## loolagigi (Mar 20, 2010)

what kinda soil you using bro?  and was the dirt soaking wet when you dug out the dead seedlings?  im thinking it dampened off.


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## rebel (Mar 20, 2010)

using ferry morse organic seed starter, peat pots. going by weight seems these peat pots dry out overnight under the flos. 

i have transplanted my others in MG 6month feed potting soil. roots started growing thru the peat pots so i transplanted them in bigger plastic pots .

have a few that has bottom leaves turned yellow, is this yellowing of bottom leaves due to over watering or nutrient def. ? should i mist them with 1/4 strength MG all purpose ? thanks, im a newbie to indoor.
started moving them outside in sun today. these are like 3 wk old


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## ozzydiodude (Mar 20, 2010)

seedling do not need any nutes or folier feeding for the first 3 to 4 weeks. If you are using nute rich soils(MG) mostlikely you are burning up the roots of the seedlings.


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## loolagigi (Mar 20, 2010)

yeah man, stay away from the nutes.


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## leafminer (Mar 20, 2010)

Stop using the paper towel method.


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## ozzydiodude (Mar 20, 2010)

leafminer said:
			
		

> Stop using the paper towel method.


 
Why? I have used it for yrs with no problems. You just have to be gentle with the sprouts. I do try to plant the sprouted seeds before the tap root get to 1/4 of a inch.


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## Locked (Mar 20, 2010)

I went from the paper towel method to soaking for 12 hours in water then planting right into the soil in Solo cups...my success rate went through the roof...I think I am a lil to hvy handed to be handling the beans with a tap root sticking out of them...was getting to many beans that wld not sprout....


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## loolagigi (Mar 20, 2010)

paper towel method used here.....out of 16 seeds, 14 made it.


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## flaboy88 (Mar 21, 2010)

i germ mine in pete moss.. and jus soak the peat moss when it dries.. i had 13 of 13 pop on the grow im on now


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## high before and after (Mar 21, 2010)

Sounds like damping off, probably too much water.

Paper towels- make sure they aren't white- White paper towels have been bleached possibly using harsh bleaches- Bleaches will kill, stunt, or damage seedlings in other ways.

Personally, I don't see the point in germinating seeds in paper towels then putting them into soil. Rockwool, maybe, but soil? Not necessary. 

What I do- I stratch the seeds very lightly using the finest grade sandpaper, just to remove the very top layer of skin from the seed yet keeping its structure intact- putting it in distilled, or trusted creek water that has been boiled and cooled down to room temperature, for 4-5 hours or until the seeds start to sink to the bottom, then immediately put them in soil before the seeds have too much risk of drowning.  

Better to premoisten the soil using a store brought, well draining mix of various amendments without time release fertilizers (I recently found out from this site's members that some perlite brands have nutes on it), the soil should be not too well draining but enough to ensure the soil is relatively dry, yet moist, within 2-3 days at say, 70- 75F soil temperature.

What I do- I stratch the seeds very lightly using the finest grade sandpaper, just to remove the very top layer of skin from the seed yet keeping its structure intact- then putting it in distilled, or trusted creek or rainwater that has been boiled and cooled down to room temperature, for 4-5 hours or until the seeds start to sink to the bottom, then immediately putting them in soil before the seeds have too much of risk of drowning.  

Put the seeds on top of the premoisted soil, then cover with a thin, millimeters-layer of light soil then spray the top of the soil with a fine mist so the seeds don't sink or get knocked around.

Almost all of my seeds sprout out of the soil by 2-4 days, as long as they're fresh enough.


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## Locked (Mar 21, 2010)

high before and after said:
			
		

> Sounds like damping off, probably too much water.
> 
> Paper towels- make sure they aren't white- White paper towels have been bleached possibly using harsh bleaches- Bleaches will kill, stunt, or damage seedlings in other ways.
> 
> ...



I do almost the same thing...I just don't hit them with the sandpaper anymore...but I definitely use the spray bottle method to keep the seed in place...watering with a cup initially seems to always push the seed all over the place and it cld end up too deep or too shallow..


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## trillions of atoms (Jan 13, 2011)

^^^^ Yup!


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