Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Can't get a root.

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    92
    Thanks
    90
    Been Thanked: 106 Times

    Default Can't get a root.

    I've recently gotten back into growing and I am having the hardest time getting seeds to pop.

    I've had to make a slight adjustment to my previous method and I'm not sure exactly where I'm going wrong.

    I used to have DirecTV and I would place my seeds in a damp paper towel and put them on top of the DirecTV box in my entertainment console. Within 48-72 hours I would have popped seeds and 1 inch or more of root. I no longer have DirecTV and I don't have anything warm to set them on so I bought a seedling tray with a cover and a warming pad. In some instances I get the seeds to pop, but I get no more than 1/8 inch of a root to come out and in others the seeds don't even pop at all. Since January I've germinated maybe 50 seeds now and only one has popped a substantial root and grown into a plant.

    I have water I use to feed/water my plants and I've tried that as well as water straight from the tap with the same results. I'm down to my last 2 seeds from Herbies and I really don't want them to go to waste.

    Any advice?

    ETA: I'm placing the seeds in a damp towel on a plate on the warming pad, not directly in the tray. I have put some in when they showed a small root and no plant grew. Others I tried to give a few more days in the towel to get more root growth but it didn't go past 1/4 of an inch. Even putting those in the tray got me nothing.




  2. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Locco For This Useful Post:

    CityDweller (21-06-18), GEORGE (20-06-18)

  3. #2

    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Toronto
    Posts
    1,238
    Thanks
    291
    Been Thanked: 3,434 Times

    Default

    Might want to check the ph of the water if you are struggling.i use my cupboard for darkness I just pop mine in a glass of water for 24 hours . Put in wet paper towel for another 12-24 or when i see a root like this

    These went into rock-wool that i had soaked in ph water then shook out excess, but they could go into soil. Lite mix is better for first pot.

    3 days later




    Experimental grow over the counter dirt. 4x4 tent.
    https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...p%3Ft%3D168618
    Home built rdwc, green house powdered feed!
    https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...p%3Ft%3D171166

  4. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to 420Rancher For This Useful Post:

    BornToBeAgrower (22-06-18), GEORGE (20-06-18), Locco (20-06-18)

  5. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    92
    Thanks
    90
    Been Thanked: 106 Times

    Default

    I don't even get that much root. I do live in a new city from when I used to grow and their water is shit. You can literally smell it, it's bad.

    I'll look into a PH meter, but it may be a few weeks for me.

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Locco For This Useful Post:

    GEORGE (20-06-18)

  7. #4

    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    12
    Thanks
    16
    Been Thanked: 22 Times

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Locco View Post
    I don't even get that much root. I do live in a new city from when I used to grow and their water is shit. You can literally smell it, it's bad.

    I'll look into a PH meter, but it may be a few weeks for me.
    I'm no expert but I would just boil the kettle and wait for the water to get really cool then use that imo better than waiting on a ph meter and just do the usual paper towel method you just need like an airing cupboard somewhere dark and stable temps I have had an 98% germination on all beans I crack

  8. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Emberdream For This Useful Post:

    BornToBeAgrower (22-06-18), GEORGE (20-06-18), Locco (21-06-18)

  9. #5

    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    62,168
    Thanks
    177,534
    Been Thanked: 196,771 Times

    Default

    It really sometimes depends on where you are....

    In the UK then water is regulated & will not be an issue... outside the UK? Can you drink the tap water?

    Temps? I've never bothered about them... but heat has never been an issue for me (in the UK!) & even in winter I just leave my seeds on the kitchen bench to germ.....
    It's Not What You Know, It's What You Can Prove

  10. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to M_C For This Useful Post:

    Emberdream (23-06-18), GEORGE (20-06-18), Locco (21-06-18)

  11. #6

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    92
    Thanks
    90
    Been Thanked: 106 Times

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by M_C View Post
    It really sometimes depends on where you are....

    In the UK then water is regulated & will not be an issue... outside the UK? Can you drink the tap water?

    Temps? I've never bothered about them... but heat has never been an issue for me (in the UK!) & even in winter I just leave my seeds on the kitchen bench to germ.....
    I'm in the U.S. You can drink the water, but it has a noticeable taste. Maybe a little dirty tasting. If anything I can do the boiling to "purify" it until I can get a meter. Before I never really had a need for one but I guess I do now.

    I put them on the heating pad in a rack I use to germinate seeds and to root clones. It's well dark as long as I keep the internal lights off, which I do when I'm germinating.

    I may try to skip the paper towel method on one of my last two and place it directly into soil following the steps in the stickied thread in the Germination section. I figure I couldn't do any worse than I'm already doing lol.

  12. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Locco For This Useful Post:

    CityDweller (21-06-18), GEORGE (21-06-18)

  13. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Toronto
    Posts
    1,238
    Thanks
    291
    Been Thanked: 3,434 Times

    Default

    If your concerned with the water start them on bottled water

  14. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to 420Rancher For This Useful Post:

    GEORGE (21-06-18), ggotch (21-06-18)

  15. #8

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Who Knows
    Posts
    28,652
    Thanks
    620,412
    Been Thanked: 90,468 Times

    Default

    [QUOTE=hotshot;1070803032]Try a root riot plug. Works ever time. These are cuttings, but just wanted to show you what the plug looks like. Coco.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	55.jpg 
Views:	51 
Size:	37.0 KB 
ID:	362185  

  16. #9

    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    131
    Thanks
    300
    Been Thanked: 267 Times

    Default

    Greetings mate! First of all, you can go to a store and get distilled water, which works like a charm for seeds. As i see till now, distilled/reversed osmosis water doing the job. For me, soaking the seeds for 24-48 hours do the job and i haven't found any problems with light, i mean, i have keep the soaked seeds in the grow room with lights on, (not under lights) also i have tried it on dark place and both placements worked. About the temperature, just keep in mind to be warm, or at least on room temp (25-27c). When i see the root i'm moving it on a tiny jiffy pellet which i keep humid all the time and thats it!

  17. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to BornToBeAgrower For This Useful Post:

    GEORGE (22-06-18), Locco (29-06-18)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


THCtalk.com Disclaimer - You must be over 18 years old to view/use this site .THCtalk.com does not encourage growing Cannabis or possessing Cannabis. Learning how to grow Cannabis instructions should be for educational purposes only. All Information contained in this web site is for: Historical reference, Scientific reference and Educational purposes only. Visitors to this website are advised against breaking the law as It is illegal to smoke, grow, or possess cannabis in the UK and some US States