Moruga Scorpions... don't hurt me

I planted some seeds last December and made the mistake of using a dehydrated block of compost that was laying around. All the seeds came up and then immediately died. I had to buy new seeds. The next time I bought some proper potting compost and the seeds survived. I figured out that the soil was too coarse for small seedlings.

Because I planted a large variety the second time round a large variety, one problem I have was that the seeds that take a much longer time to germinate are sometimes getting their seed head stuck in the soil while the stalk grows out and eventually gets ripped off. I think this is because the soil compacted down quite a bit over time because I over-watered when trying to get the last few seeds to germinate. It also didn't help that a lot of seedlings couldn't get their leaves out of the seed case and I had to carefully rip them off.

Looking through this forum, one poster mentioned a seedling that had no leaves that he called 'Spike' and how it eventually grew some leaves. I'm glad I read that. Some of them have already recovered and I don't pull them out the ground any more.

So what I've learnt from the last few months is don't over water and give it nice potting compost.
 
Okay so I'm going to try to go to a gardening store like Bachman's this weekend. What exactly should I get, considering right now I only have a fluorescent light for when they get bigger, a seeding tray, and a few planting pots? Tell me EXACTLY what kind of soil and whatever else to get.
 
http://imgur.com/a/OpNxs

In the second picture there , it looks like the baae of thw seedling is withering. That could be caused by a fungi called rhizoctonia, aka "damping off".

The first one I can't tell what is going on.


Whatever you use to start the seed in needs to be kept moist but not wet, if you have the seed covered, uncover them as soon as they sprout and get a light source on them.

It is easy to get carried away with equipment and make things complicated.



http://imgur.com/a/OpNxs

In the second picture there , it looks like the baae of thw seedling is withering. That could be caused by a fungi called rhizoctonia, aka "damping off".

The first one I can't tell what is going on.


Whatever you use to start the seed in needs to be kept moist but not wet, if you have the seed covered, uncover them as soon as they sprout and get a light source on them.

It is easy to get carried away with equipment and make things complicated.

 
So what do I need to get at the store this weekend for the best chance of growing?

Edit: heat over quantity of course
 
So what do I need to get at the store this weekend for the best chance of growing?

Edit: heat over quantity of course

I've had really good luck germinating in rapid rooters. I soak them for a few hours and/or overnight in a mild H2O2 solution, and then sow them directly in the rooters. Heat underneath, lights heating above, in a homebrew el cheapo germinator.
My glog:
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/36798-seanw-first-glog-2013-second-tray-up-andfirst-true-leaves/

I've got morugas going in there.

I had bhuts (or...something..."ghost peppers" from thinkgeek) growing last year, germinated on top of my wireless router. Superhots like warm soil. You don't need much fancy stuff. If you have a warm window sil (Over a radiator?) or something similar, stick them lightly is some well-drained soil (tons of perlite) and sow them 1/4" down. Try to have some drainage so that excess water runs out, and then can be soaked back up, rather than just sitting and rotting the roots.
 
I like using Coconut fiber pellets to start the seeds. Very simple and you won't over water them cause they dry out super fast. Or you can use Jiffy pellets or a seed starting mix. Jiffy has a good one. But I prefer the coco pellets myself. By the time they sprout you should have plenty of time to search and read info on here to get you well on your way to success. Good luck.
 
+1 on Rapid Rooters. I have excellent germ rates and with a quickness. 1 week to germ bhuts, morugas, trinidad scorps and habs. Warmth also is a big factor.
 
+1 on Rapid Rooters. I have excellent germ rates and with a quickness. 1 week to germ bhuts, morugas, trinidad scorps and habs. Warmth also is a big factor.

I started 2 trays of RRs at different times. The first one took a while to get going, but it was cold. Added more heat before the second one was started, and it was popping up seedlings a week later. Heat definitely matters.
 
I'm still trying to figure out where the seedlings are in your pictures. Seems like folks have given you some good advice on what to do for the most part. Here's what I would add. Once they pop up out of the ground get the florescent light on them. Keep it within four inches of the leaves. Then get a small fan or an oscillating fan and put some air movement on them for a couple of hours a day.

You can buy regular potting soil, peat pellets or coco coir and seeds should germinate fine.

Good luck.
 
@ N-hexane When your at the nursery pick up some coco coir. It is a good substrate for beginners. It wont prevent overwatering and damping off but will make it more difficult to do so. Also for future reference stay away from any products that contain sege peat and urea.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Jiffy-5032-Professional-Greenhouse-25-Plant/dp/B00004RA48/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1360695619&sr=8-3&keywords=seed+starter

what about something like that? are the cells too small or is that an option?
 
Go to Petsmart to get coco coir, I think it's called eco-earth. It's like about 3 bricks for like $7 bucks or so. If you go to k-mart you can also get it from Burpee® and it's a lot cleaner, but it costs more per brick. The eco-earth has some hair from the coco but not that much. I've had great success with coco and I had only one seed rot out of 24 and all germed very well. Coco also doesn't dry as fast as peat and coco is also more neutral in Ph compared to the more acidic peat.

Good luck.

,Vegas
 
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