New Grower Quick germ advise please!

[Darwin]

I have started putting them in a moist ph'd towel for 6 hours on a warm surface and then putting them directly into a 3gal bucket. I was letting the taproot show but I had 4 in a row never break soil. Since then I have had 100% germ rate and within 3 days they break soil. I actually use a mix of coco and advanced no.4 and I water the pot with 1/4 strength seedling nutes. I use the general organics go box system so the organic nutes are really easy on the babies. Then i cover it with plastic wrap, leave a little vent and put a 23w cfl a few inches above the wrap. It keeps it warm and moist withought drenching or drying the soil suddenly. Then i graduate up to 4 23w cfls once the second set of true leaves shows, then a week later under the 125w cfl. I am all for low stress on these girls and transplanting will always be stressful, even if just a little. I also dont want to cause light stress by overloading the baby leaves with too much light. Hope that helps!

 

[TXBudz75]

just waiting on this bean to crack....

So... the first 24hrs my baby increased in size by about 50% - 70%. Now at the 44hr mark she has a tiny little root coming out. Can I place her in the pellet yet & also if you could give me your input on the temps I am showing...

 

[GoAuto6]

is that 34 deg F.... that seem's a bit cold...do you plan on going rite into your pellets or do you have some rock wool or rapid rooter or somthing similar.

 

[TXBudz75]

Thats the outside temp, outside my window, I have a outdoor probe hanging out my window, tells me the outside temp. In the Box it's 72, and 29% H. Putting it in that starter pellet you see in the pic.

 

[wg]

Peat pellets work fine in DWC. I'd grow it out some before putting it in the hydroton. Most people use rockwool cubes for this as they're significantly larger and can be grown out a bit before plopping in the bucket. You want some roots or at least the tap root poking out of the bottom of the seed starter before you drop it in the DWC.

Just out of curiosity what method are you going to use and how do you plan on growing out the seed a bit before the DWC bucket? Are you just going to drop the starter pellet in the bucket and keep misting the top of it? I could see that working although I've never tried it.

I've only done DWC once so I'm not entirely sure about semantics, make sure you have a good means to monitor your PH!

 

[GoAuto6]

Thats the outside temp, outside my window, I have a outdoor probe hanging out my window, tells me the outside temp. In the Box it's 72, and 29% H. Putting it in that starter pellet you see in the pic.

sound's good, your water temp is important also...just a thought,I know somthing els to moniter......

 

[TXBudz75]

I plan on putting the seed in the growing pellet, tap root down, and then into the hydroton pebbles and then plastic wrap over it, and moving one of my lights down closer to it.

Do I turn my pump off and not water the pebbles around the pellet and just mist, if needed, untill the seedling breaks ground under the plastic wrap?

 

[TXBudz75]

Tap root has doubled in length in 2 1/2hrs..

How long should i let it get before planting?

 

[alley_walker]

Wait, you have rockwool and the starter pellets? If I use rookwool then thats all I use. I use starter pellets if they are going into soil.

So ya, soak until they sink. Put into a covered towel in a warm place. Once they have little white tails, then place straight in rockwool with tail side down. Open the provided hole in roclwool and then let them drop in. This is a zero force practice. Personally I use a paper clip with water since the seed tends to hang on with water-tension. Takes a steady hand. They should go in just about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Don't force them to go lower.

 

[alley_walker]

Just seen your pics. I would put them in now but no rush. If rockwool then do it now. If you are using the starter pellets then in about 2 hours.