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seeds Help! Need Some Advice about my failed germination attempt

silva83tj

silva83tj

Well folks its day 18 since i sowed seeds in a burpee seed started dome thingy, well so far had no sprouts yet ;( after finally getting a thermometer and checking temp i was hitting 89.2 degrees around the ends and 90.8 near the center, so my question is should i start new seeds once i get the temp right, or get the temp right and just wait to see if the ones i sowed will pop. (BTW the seeds i sowed were, Naga Viper, Naga King, mayan cobanero love pepper, RIng Of Fire, Trinidad Seasoning, Red Peter Pepper, Zimbabwe Bird Pepper/Tabasco Hybrid ,Cow Horn, Jalapenoes, Mulato Island, Chile De Arbol, Explosive Ember, NUMEX Barkers Hot, and Fatali) I had some success prior to this attempt germinating bhuts and butch t scorps so im all butt hurt lol Additionally i noticed that there appears to be some what i believe to be mold in my tray, ill post a pic in a second! ANY HELP WOULD MUCH MUCH APPRECIATED! THANK YOU

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silva83tj said:
Well folks its day 18 since i sowed seeds in a burpee seed started dome thingy, well so far had no sprouts yet ;( after finally getting a thermometer and checking temp i was hitting 89.2 degrees around the ends and 90.8 near the center, so my question is should i start new seeds once i get the temp right, or get the temp right and just wait to see if the ones i sowed will pop. (BTW the seeds i sowed were, Naga Viper, Naga King, mayan cobanero love pepper, RIng Of Fire, Trinidad Seasoning, Red Peter Pepper, Zimbabwe Bird Pepper/Tabasco Hybrid ,Cow Horn, Jalapenoes, Mulato Island, Chile De Arbol, Explosive Ember, NUMEX Barkers Hot, and Fatali) I had some success prior to this attempt germinating bhuts and butch t scorps so im all butt hurt lol Additionally i noticed that there appears to be some what i believe to be mold in my tray, ill post a pic in a second! ANY HELP WOULD MUCH MUCH APPRECIATED! THANK YOU
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Semper FI! If they are covered with a plastic dome, which it sounds like they are, just be patient. Keep the soil/pellets moist but not wet! 82-85 is ideal for super hots. Your temp is on the warm side but it will work. Put a towel over the heat mat if you're using one, to know the temp down and eliminate hot spots. Soaking your seeds in water and hydrogen peroxide prior to sowing the seeds helps prevent mold and fungal growth.
 
I had this same issue, i found that germinating your seeds in a ziplock bag with a damp papertowel prior to putting them in the germination station (dome thingy) works wonders. After 16days in the germination station i only had 2/72 sprouts. i then started germinating another round in the baggies. As of now 90% of the ones from the plastic baggy have sprouted above soil, where as the ones that started germinating in soil are about 20% germinated (and they had a headstart too).
 
I do a thin layer over the seeds I lay out as shown in my garden season log and they have been popping quick. If you used the burpee and they said go a 1/4 inch most people, myself included, end up going deeper which means a longer wait.
 
Based on the pic, the soil looks much too wet...At this point, I don't know what you can do other than remove the mold COMPLETELY, lower your temp and ease up on the watering...Many like the ziplock method of germinating but I got a 90-95% germ rate just using the jiffy heated greenhouse and following the instructions. In fact, I forgot to re-hydrate the seeds and my 7 pot jonahs came up on the 7th day. Good luck!!
 
thank you for all the advice, i was worried my seeds went sterile because of the higher temps, but sounds like i should be okay i will ease up on the watering and be patient, as for the mold i took most of it out with tweezers but im sure it will probably grow back
 
The mold might of sterlized some of them. However, I doubt it would do that to all of them. Somtimes they take awhile to germinate. It took a long time for my arbols to germinate. Imo, take care of those seeds and start germinating using a paper towel and ziplock bag to insure you get the plants you want. I've been germinating, with no heatpads, using paper towels and ziplock bags. I highly recommend doing that. I decided to do that after one of my seeds failed to sprout and another seedling died. It is nicer this way so you know how many plants you will have in your soil. I waited a long time on one of mine and it even sprouted seedling leaves before I planted it.


Edit:
silva83tj said:
thank you for all the advice, i was worried my seeds went sterile because of the higher temps, but sounds like i should be okay i will ease up on the watering and be patient, as for the mold i took most of it out with tweezers but im sure it will probably grow back
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The mold is a big problem. It can easily kill the seedlings too. They might fight it off! I definitely recommend germinating some seeds of the same peppers using the paper towel "method." I also would not reuse that soil. Toss it if the seeds and seedlings don't do well.

Ps: You used too much water on them. This can cause problems with mold and rotting. Just use a little water at first and a little water if the soil dries out. I accidently killed one of my habanero seedlings (out of many plants so not too bad) from not watering enough, so you need to get it just right! Don't drench them!
 
I remember reading 70-90 is the ideal temp range to germinate most hot peppers so at 90.8 you were pushing the temp a little high. Good luck on your grow!
 
Very carefully dig one of them up and take a look. If it is too wet AND too hot the seed may have rotted. If it still looks like a seed you may be ok. I'm just concerned that its been 18 days and zero have popped.
 
well looks like i got the temp good now, however i noticed i got a peter pepper sprout this morning that is yellow in color instead of green, shall i be worried? i snap a pic id need be
 
yo, silva dude

congratulations on your new baby

please try to be patient the other children are likely coming along also

you did not say how deep was stuff planted?

for the light green peter try to get some light to it

i have been using some cheap compact flourescent lights that
are like 23 watts equal to a 100 watt incandescent
you may have good luck with putting the seedling near a window if no lighting

please post more pictures as you are able it always helps to see a little progress

good growing
 
thank you! yea i am using 3 of them cfl bulbs, ill try to be patient, i probably put the seeds like more than 1/4 inch
 
no need to 'toss' the soil...just bake it on 350 for 10-15 mins and you can re use it. we always pre-bake our seed starting soil anyway to prevent mold and bacteria. we start our seeds in peroxide/warm water soak for about 8 hours then right into the soil...pre moisten the soil using distilled water and put seeds MAXIMUM 1/4 inch deep. cover and keep at 85 degrees and you will be in the money in no time
 
also, make sure you have a small fan circulating your air. This will help with the mold, downside is it dries things out faster. We also use a h202/water mix 1tbs/1pint. Only make enough to use at any time, H202 breaks down quickly in light, and then use a sprayer to mist your plants.

I have also had a few of those in your list take 2+ weeks to germinate, such is the plant, they aren't on our schedule.

kendra
 
***UPDATE***
Well came back from a week long vacation, with good news have 10 new babies and counting! i do believe i buried the seeds to deep!

on a bad note my other pepper plants i had seem to have an aphid or mite infestation =( i just cant win!, they looked great when i left no signs on bugs, came back and boom!!! they were in the garage in my ghetto growing gear setup!

justs checked them and im at 14 now! 4 over nite =)
 
Ardnek710 said:
make sure you have a small fan circulating your air. This will help with the mold, downside is it dries things out faster. We also use a h202/water mix 1tbs/1pint. Only make enough to use at any time, H202 breaks down quickly in light, and then use a sprayer to mist your plants.
Click to expand...

a fan several times a day does more than just keep down the mold...it exercises the stems...my plants get 10 minutes of strong flow every 4 hours (set on a timer)...stretching the stems increases the stem cell wall thickness and improves the strength of the plant...

using peroxide in limited amounts is good if you need it, however, you have to be careful when using it...if you drench your soil, it kills the beneficial bacteria...a better way to kill the algae/mold is corn meal...gluten kills the bacteria/algae....

silva83tj said:
***UPDATE***
Well came back from a week long vacation, with good news have 10 new babies and counting! i do believe i buried the seeds to deep!

on a bad note my other pepper plants i had seem to have an aphid or mite infestation =( i just cant win!, they looked great when i left no signs on bugs, came back and boom!!! they were in the garage in my ghetto growing gear setup!

justs checked them and im at 14 now! 4 over nite =)
Click to expand...

I plant all my seeds between 3/8" and 1/2" deep...why that deep, IME I have noticed that the shallower you plant the seeds, the more seed husks stay on the seedlings creating a "helmeted" appearance...this depth does not interfere with the growth of the seedling, rather it enhances its ability to grow roots from "more stem in the soil"...remember, the plant will grow roots from the stem until you get to the cotyledons...I am in no hurry to make them pop the surface of the soil...

one thing to remember when growing peppers is "Patience is a Virtue"...
 
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