They Sprout, place in soil and Die?? Any suggestions?

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omnigr33n

I'm a damn monkey.
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I germinated my seeds and I placed them in Styrofoam cups after. I didnt place them too deep or anything. After I placed them I sprayed the area with a little water not trying to soak the dirt too much.

Where did I go wrong? I guess the dirt was too dry and the sprouts root dried out because that's what it looks like. Should I water the soil thoroughly before I place the sprouts down? I think that might have been my issue. The dirt has to be sufficiently wet or something?

I just killed 3 out of 10 seeds so far (SUUUUUCKS!!!). I am starting to germinate another two.
 
What soil are you using? Do they have nutes in them like miracle grow? If so than thats your problem. No nutes till they are 2 to 3 weeks old.
 
DLM3 said:
What soil are you using? Do they have nutes in them like miracle grow? If so than thats your problem. No nutes till they are 2 to 3 weeks old.

Oh snap.. I thought it was ok to germ with miracle grow because I have done it before. I just need them to sprout for a week before I place them outside. One of them is looking healthy in the soil so I am not sure. I guess Ill look for some organic soil..
 
ArtVandolay said:
Organic may be too much for sprouts, too. I use plain old top soil.

Hmmm..how come organic would be too much? If they don't have any nutes then wouldn't it be ok? Should I just go outside and grab some dirt from my backyard?
 
getting my humidity up turned my sprouting nightmare into a complete success.
Check out jbonez germination thread and follow his guidline for placing bottles over the soil. Can't say enough good things about his method!!!
 
omnigr33n said:
Hmmm..how come organic would be too much? If they don't have any nutes then wouldn't it be ok? Should I just go outside and grab some dirt from my backyard?

You're probably right, I've never used it. I do think if you have decent soil in your back yard, I would use it. We have sand here. Like you, I killed many (expensive) sprouts in MG and other nuted soil. I'm having excellent results with rockwool, now. Everything I stick in rockwool sprouts and grows. And a $4 seedling tray with humidity dome from Walmart.
 
ArtVandolay said:
..... $4 seedling tray with humidity dome from Walmart.

That is something I didn't think of. I'll have to make it to Walmart next time. I guess for now I am going to place plastic saran wrap over the Styrofoam cups after a watering to help create a little humid environment for them.
 
saran rap will work just fine as a hold over until you can get a dome.
just make sure your spout will have a little head room when it pops.
 
lordhighlama said:
saran rap will work just fine as a hold over until you can get a dome.
just make sure your spout will have a little head room when it pops.

Actually the saran wrap is working great. The problem was that the soil wasn't moist enough as well as with humidity. I can actually see the water drops forming on the saran wrap over the styrofoam cup. It's working great now.

Remember to water the soil before you place your germinating seeds.
 
Ok, so I have this same problem. My first 5+ grows I had great success, germ in paper towel, place in soil, water, they veg the flower I harvest. For the past 3 straight grows I have been killing seedling after seedling.

Was using 8 26w CFL's, they would pop there head out of the soil, DIE. Now I have a 175w MH, water bottles covering seedlings, looks like I may get 2 out of 6 to make it. Several popped there head out and now the leaves are dead or dieing. All in Fox Farms soil, no nutes, just water.

I'm so frustrated at this I'm about to throw in the towel. This isn't rocket science I know, but after having such success the failures are killing me.
 
omnigr33n said:
Actually the saran wrap is working great. The problem was that the soil wasn't moist enough as well as with humidity. I can actually see the water drops forming on the saran wrap over the styrofoam cup. It's working great now.

Remember to water the soil before you place your germinating seeds.

Glad to hear that it worked out for you man,, saran wrap can be a permanent solution to the issue. But I just figure those darn domes are so cheap why mess with the stuff unless you have to.
 
So...out of the 6 I planted in soil about 7 days ago, I have 4 confirmed dead, one holding one with the bean still on the end of its stem, and one confirmed living and well. When I say dead, then looked no more than just germinated seed, DRIED UP! I am stuck in the starting blocks here. If I new what I was doing wrong I wouldn't feel so bad aobut the situation because I would have learned from it but this is a reoccuring incident.

Over the last two months I have purchased probably 15 seeds from attitude and I can say nearly none of them have made it. I have a feeling my temps are just too warm for seedlings, but with summer upon us I don't know anyway to cool it down.

I'm stuck here fellow growers. I am so disgusted and beat down from these happening I am contemplating just turning off the lights. Please help me not have to turn out the lights.
 
Sweest said:
So...out of the 6 I planted in soil about 7 days ago, I have 4 confirmed dead, one holding one with the bean still on the end of its stem, and one confirmed living and well. When I say dead, then looked no more than just germinated seed, DRIED UP! I am stuck in the starting blocks here. If I new what I was doing wrong I wouldn't feel so bad aobut the situation because I would have learned from it but this is a reoccuring incident.

Over the last two months I have purchased probably 15 seeds from attitude and I can say nearly none of them have made it. I have a feeling my temps are just too warm for seedlings, but with summer upon us I don't know anyway to cool it down.

I'm stuck here fellow growers. I am so disgusted and beat down from these happening I am contemplating just turning off the lights. Please help me not have to turn out the lights.

Do the Styrofoam cup method with saran wrap over it. I got my seeds from attitude also. Make sure you water the soil thoroughly before you place your seedling. Cover the cup with the saran wrap.

I like to wait til the white stem offshoot is like a 1/4 inch straight out of the seed. Then I do not actually bury the seedling. I place it on the dirt and I cover the root part with speckles of dirt. Enough dirt so that it is not exposed to much light. I do not cover the whole thing. I let the seed part exposed and it will eventually in a day grow straight up.
 

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