# lite or dark on seeds?



## shahomy (Apr 4, 2013)

going to drop some seeds into Grodan/rockwool 2" minicubes and then water them(well water)...i have two 8-bulb 4ft t5 HO veg lites...should they go under these lights or be in dark to start? If these lites are ok, how close can/should they be?
How long till they need some nutes of some kind? (have super thrive on hand)
Got the seeds from attitude in 11 days, no problems...i did buy the $2 tin and a coffe cup...
5 acapulco gold
5 black domina
5 red dragon
and got 4 free seeds
gonna plant 6 seeds tonite and see what happens


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## 4u2sm0ke (Apr 4, 2013)

welcome to the passion...I soak my seeds in water for 24 hrs  than into jiffy seed mix..I think my t5 is 4-6 inches from the sprout..little breeze gently blowing them...peeps dont start feed until the cadileone(sp)(small round leafies)..turn yellow..usually around week 2-3...nice lineup...I loved the Red Dragon..it also did well outside...be sure read the resources  section..lots of great info...Hope this helps
:48:


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## shahomy (Apr 4, 2013)

Thanks for the reply 4u2smoke...what about the light/dark thing? once i drop the seeds into the cubes and water them(well water) do they go straight under the lights or is there some dark time neede?
I`m following the guide at mandalaseeds.com....there sure is a lot of diff opinions on how to do this...


Soaking seeds in water/wet paper towels is a method which can be used for old seeds (3+ years) that are drying up and losing germination power; and for pure land race equatorial strains such as from Africa. Both factors do not apply to our seeds. Fresh seeds have a healthy embryo whose cells are filled with water. But excess water causes the cells to bloat, depletes oxygen and leads to the tissue rotting away before the seed embryo can germinate. Old seeds have lost water in the cell tissue, the embryo starts to shrivel, which is why germination rates drop the older the seeds are. Therefore, old seeds (ie. 3+ years) can soak up more water before adverse conditions cause them to rot. This is one of the main reasons why various seed stock reacts differently to pre-germination methods. Some growers make the mistake of soaking our seeds in water for up to 1-2 days because it may have worked in the past with other seeds. This does not mean, however, that this method can be used for all seeds. In fact, old stock or equatorial cannabis seeds should only be soaked in water for a few hours at the most. Always consult the web site of a seed bank for specific advice and instructions on how to germinate their seeds.
It is in a growers best interest to choose a germination method with the lowest risk of complications. Because we want customers to have the highest success rate possible we recommend the most convenient and safest method. This does not mean it is the only option. We simply believe it carries the lowest risk for germinating fresh seeds. Planting seeds directly in the substrate is also the most plant friendly method for any type of seed stock. The reasons are explained below in paragraph 2 & 3.
Placing healthy & fresh seeds in water/wet tissue can lead to the development of fungi or bacteria on the seed hull. Lack of oxygen and contaminating substances in the water/wet tissue promote fungal growth which can be transported to the substrate later on. Often the seed simply rots away if left for too long in a glass of water, or wrapped up in wet tissue.

    Once the seed sprouts in a glass of water or paper tissue it already has the taproot growing out of the cracked seed hull. While transplanting the germinated seed it is very difficult, indeed impossible, to prevent damage to the delicate taproot. Many sprouted seedlings handled in this way show retarded development, or even simply fail to appear out of the substrate after transplantation. Handling seedlings this way can impair the health & vigour of the plant for the duration of its life cycle - especially if other disturbing factors occur during the early stages of growth.

*Do not use jiffys/peat pellets: the acidic pH of pure peat can inhibit germination of cannabis seeds. Results are unreliable and depend on manufacturers, some add limestone to raise pH, some do not. Growers have also experienced problems using rapid rooter plugs (with various types of cannabis seeds). Any growing medium used for germination must also have the correct pH for cannabis seeds.*


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 5, 2013)

I don't soak seeds, though sometimes I put in paper towels to make sure they are going to germ.  However, like Mandala says, fresh seeds should pop without soaking.  I like to handle the seeds as little as possible--the taproot is susceptible to breakage and you can transfer pathogens to the emerging plant.  

If you use rockwool, it does need to be soaked in water pH'd to 5.5.  I personally never have problems with rapid rooter plugs and use them often as I grow hydro.

You do not need any light until they sprout.  Light before they sprout only dries out the medium--there is no benefit to it.


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## Hushpuppy (Apr 6, 2013)

JMO, I think you really don't want any light on it until the seedling breaks the surface of the medium. But I do recommend if you are getming them in medium then wet medium with 78-80f water and then keep in warm(76-80f) space until seedlings break the medium and leaves open up.  I don't feed seedlings anything until the "seed leaves"(cotyledons :ciao: Smoke) begin to yellow, then it is only very small amount(300ppm) for the first week, (450ppm) the second week, and so on as the plant shows vigorous growth until topping out in veg at 600-700ppm


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## shahomy (Apr 9, 2013)

Thanks for the reply`s everyone...

   Well, it`s Monday nite and 3 of 5 seeds have popped up(Red Dragon, Black Domina, and Afghan Haze...Acapulco Gold, and Blue Lemon Thai, not yet :cry

  I planted them Thurs. nite...so, 4 days so far...

    I have done a few things "wrong".... 
Have no idea what the ph of my well water is...
Have had them under my t5 since i planted them...(this i did to get the temps at the top of the cube to 75 degrees)
  Keeping my fingers crossed!!eace::tokie:


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## Hushpuppy (Apr 9, 2013)

The PH of the well water shouldn't be a problem at the moment, but you do need to find out what it is and what the TDS content is before getting too far into the grow.
Here's some sprouting Mojo for the babies :icon_smile:


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