# Seed planted in root riot plugs



## SubmarineGirl (Mar 14, 2022)

So my last grow I used peat plugs with no problem but decided to try root riot plugs this grow after reading some of the good results here. I popped my seeds in water waited till they popped then planted them tail down with tweezers. The first six I planted all came up but one broke her head getting out. I dropped two more seeds gifted to me in water, they popped and I planted them the same way. It took 4 days for the first seed to pop thru the plug and I’m still waiting on the other day 5 today. Has anyone else had this problem? It seems that the sponge like material the plug is made out of is a bit harder for some of the seeds to move around comfortably. Although I had no gnats, I’m thinking if that second seed doesn’t pop soon, I may go back to the peat starters… I was careful not to place them to deep after the broke neck plant and tried to provide clearance for her to come thru…


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## joeb631a (Mar 14, 2022)

yes ,i have this little greenhouse plastic jamas and i put 2 ak47s photos and 2 bruce banners auto both aks yep both bruce banners zip.
Thats is in a tent with 50% hum and me spraying the dome till i see a growth at aprox on average 70 deg


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 14, 2022)

joeb631a said:


> yes ,i have this little greenhouse plastic jamas and i put 2 ak47s photos and 2 bruce banners auto both aks yep both bruce banners zip.
> Thats is in a tent with 50% hum and me spraying the dome till i see a growth at aprox on average 70 deg


Humm.. they seem to work really nice for clones. They slide right in comfortably. I’ll find out as I just set some. May not be the best thing for seed tho although GMO planted his in them I think. I don’t think he started them in a glass tho maybe that’s the trick  He offset the hole to have more control of their depth. I hate wasting a good seed especially when I know it already popped In the glass and should be soon ready to transplant by now…


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## WeedLord (Mar 14, 2022)

Turn them over and make new hole just not so deep


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## CrashMagnet (Mar 14, 2022)

Hmm, I was just about to try the root riot plugs on some newly germinated auto GSC seeds. Now I'm not so sure. I used rockwool the last time, but I'm out.


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## pute (Mar 14, 2022)

I used to use Rapid Rooters.  I have used nothing but rock wool for a few years now.  On everything, seeds, clones, maters and peppers.


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## WeedHopper (Mar 14, 2022)

Rapid rooters are good or Jiffy pots with seed starter.


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 14, 2022)

pute said:


> I used to use Rapid Rooters.  I have used nothing but rock wool for a few years now.  On everything, seeds, clones, maters and peppers.


It’s it easier for the seeds to come out of the wool opposed to the root riot plugs?  The root riot seems to have a sponge the of material in them. It did work for most of the seeds but I don’t want to lose anymore


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## bigsur51 (Mar 14, 2022)

it ain’t the plug , it is something else…could be the seed genetics , temps , water , humidity , etc etc or a combination of circumstances

we have used grow plugs to start a lot of seeds and have only lost a few

nothing is going to be 100% successful in this hobby

been using Rapid Rooters but switching over to these new ones , Flora Flex 40/40

Process

Pre-Soak the 40/40 plugs by pouring them into your B1:B2 Nutrient solution and allow them to soak for a minimum of 2 minutes.

Place the 40/40 cubes in the Incubator 50 Cell Inner Tray.

Start seeds by placing them into the center hole of the 40/40 cube, push half way down. (Can use a toothpick or similar object to push the seedling down).

Tip: Enusre that seedlings are labeled in the propogation tray using plant tags.

Place the Incubator Dome on the Incubator tray. Ensure that all vents are fully closed to allow moisture to build up inside the dome.

Place the Incubator Kit under your light. Do Not turn the light on for the first 12-36 hours.

Within 2-7 days you should begin to see all of your seedlings begin to sprout out of the 40/40 cubes.

Once the seeds sprout open the top vents of the Incubator, then slide it to the side to allow air flow through our patented convection design.

Remove the domes completely once the seedlings started growing and have established a nice root system and have at least 2-3 sets of fan leaves and/or are the size of a clone. Typically 10-14 Days after seedlings were planted.

Environment

Light Cycle - 18-24 Hours

Light Intensity - 80-160 umol

Inside Dome Temp - 75-80 Degrees

Inside Dome Humidity Germination - 75-80%

Inside Dome Humidity Sprouted - 65-70%

Tips:


Turning the lights on before the seedling have germinated encourages them to grow in the upwards direction towards the light.
Lights should typically be hung 8-16" above the clone dome
You can measure the temps and humidity inside the with a Hygrometer. One with an extendable probe is ideal.
If temps are low raise the temps in the room. If that is not an option, add a heating mat under the Incubator Tray.
If the temps are high try raising your lights or lowering the temperate in your room.
Once seedlings have sprouted ensure that the humidity levels in the dome are lowered to prevent them from dampering off. If humidity is not lowering in the dome with the vents opened and dome slid to the side increase air movement in the room and/or take the dome off daily to wipe down condensation inside the dome and place it back on.
Too much light early on can cause the seedlings to droop and stress.
Watering

Replace the nutrient rich water at the bottom of the tray every 2-3 days.

Tips:


Do not top feed the 40/40 plugs until you squeeze them and do not moisture rise out the top. Wet growing medium leads reduces oxygen levels in the medium and lead to rotting stems.
If the cubes are not drying out remove water from the bottom of the tray and take the dome off daily for 30-60 minutes.


more info here…….  FloraFlex How To Grow: Germinate Seedlings


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## pute (Mar 14, 2022)

Well done Big


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 14, 2022)

bigsur51 said:


> it ain’t the plug , it is something else…could be the seed genetics , temps , water , humidity , etc etc or a combination of circumstances
> 
> we have used grow plugs to start a lot of seeds and have only lost a few
> 
> ...


These plugs appear to be the same material as the root riot ones. Is that also the material of the wool? Or is wool actually like wool. Most of the seeds came up fine As pictured below. I guess it’s the 100% thing I was looking for.


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## bigsur51 (Mar 14, 2022)

pre-soaking the plugs helps lessen the odds of failure


another tip for all you growers who use Ph down

i used to buy General Hydroponics Ph Down for around $16 bucks and it lasted about a season , maybe two

buy a quart of phosphoric acid from Duda , it is concentrated , and it is only $13.95 a quart

i have had this quart going on 7 years and will order another quart this year

it only takes a few drops……do NOT get it on your skin , it burns!


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## CrashMagnet (Mar 14, 2022)

I've been using vinegar to lower PH. Should I use something different?


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## bigsur51 (Mar 14, 2022)

CrashMagnet said:


> I've been using vinegar to lower PH. Should I use something different?






how’s that working for you?


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 14, 2022)

bigsur51 said:


> pre-soaking the plugs helps lessen the odds of failure
> 
> 
> another tip for all you growers who use Ph down
> ...


Stuff looks scary tho. I’ve just been using a little bottle of PH down I got off Amazon. Only take a few drops for 4 gallons of water. That bottle will probably last me 10 grows or more as my sink water is around 6.2.


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## CrashMagnet (Mar 14, 2022)

bigsur51 said:


> how’s that working for you?



Works pretty well for the price.  But I probably wouldn't notice if I was stunting plant growth or something.


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## WeedLord (Mar 14, 2022)

SubmarineGirl said:


> Stuff looks scary tho. I’ve just been using a little bottle of PH down I got off Amazon. Only take a few drops for 4 gallons of water. That bottle will probably last me 10 grows or more as my sink water is around 6.2.


Pretty much then same as above
GH PH DOWN is
Acid formulation uses food grade phosphoric acid


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## CrashMagnet (Mar 15, 2022)

SubmarineGirl said:


> Stuff looks scary tho. I’ve just been using a little bottle of PH down I got off Amazon. Only take a few drops for 4 gallons of water. That bottle will probably last me 10 grows or more as my sink water is around 6.2.



Is that well water? I'm in Chesapeake and city water stays close to 7.5.


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 15, 2022)

CrashMagnet said:


> Is that well water? I'm in Chesapeake and city water stays close to 7.5.


No city water and low PPM too. I’m just lucky I guess. We drink it right out of the filtered fridge and I have a filter under my sink as well but sometimes my water comes right out of the spigot at perfect ph
howdy neighbor


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## CrashMagnet (Mar 15, 2022)

SubmarineGirl said:


> No city water and low PPM too. I’m just lucky I guess. We drink it right out of the filtered fridge and I have a filter under my sink as well but sometimes my water comes right out of the spigot at perfect ph
> howdy neighbor



That's pretty nice. There's a .gov site somewhere where Va Beach claims the water is PH adjusted to 7.6. I'll have to bring my PH meter next time I visit my mother. She's getting my overflow plants when I exceed the limit.

And nice to meet you too neighbor. Lots of Virginians here it seems.


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 15, 2022)

Mine changes a bit up and down when I water. I always check it and adjust a bit as needed. I would never just trust the city website totally. To many things can influence the numbers even if the city is testing from their supply


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## OGKushman (Mar 15, 2022)

seed in happy frog. Coco plugs are too dense for seeds

what I like about using so much PH down is the added phosphorus and citric acid in the less concentrated GH stuff. When in flower I lower the ph and up the phosphorus so GH PH down is a double punch.


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 16, 2022)

bigsur51 said:


> it ain’t the plug , it is something else…could be the seed genetics , temps , water , humidity , etc etc or a combination of circumstances
> 
> we have used grow plugs to start a lot of seeds and have only lost a few
> 
> ...


Ok Big. I stored all this information about these new to me plugs which appear to look very much like the root riot. I put some clones in the root riot a few days ago they seem to hug the little clones perfectly I know I will love them for clones for sure. I decided to take the more comfortable route of a peat pod this time which I have had so far had good luck with the germinated seeds popping out of to hopefully get the sweet little banana TK seed gifted by my dear new pay it forward friend which just popped open and presented its little white tail today In the glass. I will plant her in the peat pod tomorrow and hope she catches up with the other spring chicks now in various stages of young vegetation.


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## gmo (Mar 16, 2022)

Hey @SubmarineGirl 
I just saw your post and thought I'd comment.  Please, always feel free to tag (@) me and I'm glad to chime in.  
You're correct, I have used rapid rooters exclusively for a long time to sprout seeds and clones (marijuana, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, etc.).  I find that the trick is to dunk em in water and then squeeze the excess moisture out.  You're gonna have to experiment a bit to find out the exact amount of moisture that works for you.  
I do poke my own hole, offset from the premade hole that they come with.  I do this for seeds because oftentimes I found that the premade hole was too deep, or too big, or too shallow.  For me, it works to poke a hole about 3/4" down and then tuck the seed in and wait for it to do it's thing.  Also, I don't presoak seeds, or put them in paper towels or do anything other than scuff them prior to planting in the Rapid Rooter.  
To scuff seeds, I use a small box that I've lined with sandpaper.  I put the seeds that I want to germinate in the box, give it a shake for a few seconds, and then plant right in to the Rapid Rooters.  Sometimes scuffing them prior to planting will help the stubborn seeds to germinate quicker, or germinate at all.  
I hope you find this info helpful.  Please let me know if you have any other questions that I may be able to help out with!


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 16, 2022)

gmo said:


> Hey @SubmarineGirl
> I just saw your post and thought I'd comment.  Please, always feel free to tag (@) me and I'm glad to chime in.
> You're correct, I have used rapid rooters exclusively for a long time to sprout seeds and clones (marijuana, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, etc.).  I find that the trick is to dunk em in water and then squeeze the excess moisture out.  You're gonna have to experiment a bit to find out the exact amount of moisture that works for you.
> I do poke my own hole, offset from the premade hole that they come with.  I do this for seeds because oftentimes I found that the premade hole was too deep, or too big, or too shallow.  For me, it works to poke a hole about 3/4" down and then tuck the seed in and wait for it to do it's thing.  Also, I don't presoak seeds, or put them in paper towels or do anything other than scuff them prior to planting in the Rapid Rooter.
> ...


Thanx GMO. I will give it another try with my next grow without soaking the seeds and roughing them up a bit before I give up On seeding in the root riot. I will also try your off center trick making my own hole for the seed.  Just got upset when I lost two seeds one of which I watched get stuck trying to get out until the top broke off when it finally did And the other which popped in the glass I was very careful in planting it but again I saw it’s head at the plug surface then it never popped out. Perhaps just dropping them in without soaking would help. Ill do a bit of practice on my tomato seeds in the meantime. Thanks for your comment


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## Carty (Mar 16, 2022)

Hi...  hurts to read your having so many challenges..  growing these plants should be fun and almost hassle free..

Have you thought maybe your plugs got tainted somehow.  you seem to know what your doing and between Big 
and GMO you got solid advice to guide ya along.

Try giving them a good rinse..  dunk, sqeeze, repeat few times.   then rinse in different clean water, squeeze until
just moist.  check them on a paper towel, if they leave just a tiny wet spot, perfect.. plus you can use the paper 
towel to draw out excess water.

Germinating the seed.  Having used RR plugs a lot,  I prefer to germinate my seeds until they have at least 2"
tails.  Only to assure you don't place it in upside down causing the tap root to loop around..  

Personally I find doing the plugs such a hassle growing seedlings.  It's about preference really.  but when you find
something that works all the time.. stick with it.   

good luck, you'll get it.


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## SubmarineGirl (Mar 17, 2022)

Carty said:


> Hi...  hurts to read your having so many challenges..  growing these plants should be fun and almost hassle free..
> 
> Have you thought maybe your plugs got tainted somehow.  you seem to know what your doing and between Big
> and GMO you got solid advice to guide ya along.
> ...


Thanks Carty. Decided to just use a peat pod for my last seed this year. I’ve not had any issues with the peat pods so far except notice they bring in a few gnats which the plugs don’t. I just wanted to try the RR plugs after reading reviews on them.  I did however get 6 of 8 of the riot plugs to work for me to start my spring seeds. Just not use to them enough to try it again on another seed which I only have two left of. Will give it another try next grow using Big and GMOs advice when I have more seeds to play with.


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