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seeds ▶ Seeking Germinating Advice

B

Big Jim

Hello Everyone,

I am excited about joining this forum and I am looking forward to getting to know some of you. I am looking for some council from the more experienced in germinating my seeds - this is my first year attemping to grow hot peppers.

Here is the run down:

Seeds: Bhut Jolokia (Red, Assam, Yellow, Chocolate), Trinidad Scorpion Moruga

Method:Hydrofarm CK64050 Germination Station with Heat Mat
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-CK64050-Germination-Station-Heat/dp/B000HHO1RO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Soil: coco coir

Questions:

How deep should I plant the seeds?

Should I spray mist when soil looks dry or use another watering method?

Besides wearing gloves/mask - are there any other precautions that I should be sensitive to?


Thanks in advance everyone!

Big Jim
 
First off, :welcome: Jim!

Based on what you have, there are a few things that can aid in quicker and better results in your germ. The Hydrofarm tray and mat will be a great help and you are going to want to insulate it in order to get a more even heat. To do that it is as easy as sticking a towel under it to block it from any hard (possibly cold) surface. If you are sticking it on the ground on the carpet, no need, but if it is on a table, shelf, etc, the towel will create an insulating layer between your surface, the mat and the flat. Also, a lot of guys like to set theirs to somewhere between 83-88 or so. I have mine set for 85 and have had no germination problems. Lastly, stick it in the center cell of the flat, and after a day or two move it to another cell toward a side and check temp. They have a tendency to not heat evenly sometimes and this will show you what the rest of the flat is heated to.

Gloves are good, but not required. Also, no need for a mask as there are little to no health risks. It can be dusty, so that may be a reason to break out a mask, but it is not required.

Plant the seeds at about a half inch to an inch. No need to get scientific, I think closer to an inch helps the helmet to not come up with the seedling, so the deeper the better.

Initially, the dome should hold in enough moisture to keep ya going until they start poppin up (aside from a few light mistings), but once the dome is off there is a much greater tendency to dry out quicker. The preferred method is to bottom water (fill the tray with water, let it soak for a few mintues, dump water and replace seed flat), as misting can leave water on the tender leaves which could cause burns with your lights. So if you are just keeping the soil moist to aid in germ, then misting is fine. Once they pop, go with the bottomwatering.

Any other questions, just post em. You came to the right place.

Good Luck!
Matt
 
Thanks for the advice Matt, I appreciate it ;)

I have 160 seeds to plant and the Hydrofarm CK64050 Germination Station only has 72 cells. Now I am wondering if I can just use my tray of 288 cells (the same dimensions as the heat pad) so that I don't have to order 2 of these germination stations so I can save money. I will order 2 stations if that is best though. Do I even need the gerimating stations once the seedlings have popped - and if not, how do I prepare the next environment for them (without the lid and such)? Any thoughts?
 
Sorry to contradict you Gold, but I would advise to not plant quite so deep. I usually poke them down far enough to cover them with a light layer of soil. I have never had a seed germinate in over 8 days.
Also, dont water too much. Read up through a few threads on here. You'll find all the info ya need! Good luck!
 
u can alwasy germ them in a wet papertowel in a ziploc bag in a warm place waterheater top just check around the house for the right temp
 
Hot Pooper said:
Sorry to contradict you Gold, but I would advise to not plant quite so deep. I usually poke them down far enough to cover them with a light layer of soil. I have never had a seed germinate in over 8 days.
Also, dont water too much. Read up through a few threads on here. You'll find all the info ya need! Good luck!
Click to expand...

i agree with pooper on planting depth... i shoot for 1/4 inch or so.
 
cory_huck said:
dont hold your "Member" to go potty anytime after playing with the peppers. Thats your BEST advise I can give!
Click to expand...

HAHA!!! I remember once dicing up a great many peppers by hand and no gloves. I took a shower right after and all the oils still on my hands traveled down my entire body and stayed "there" for a few days. It was in the skin on my hands for over a bloody week. I quickly found out how to pee without actually touching it. Now... I wear gloves for anything over 300,000 SHU. That's about my "member" limit.

My only tip... Peppers hate too much water and they hate too much food. That's probably the first thing you'll mess up on. It was for me and seems to be the case for many others.
 
cory_huck said:
dont hold your "Member" to go potty anytime after playing with the peppers. Thats your BEST advise I can give!
Click to expand...

oh man, tell me about it... that was my first lesson learned the hard way a couple months back... now use gloves for any sort of hot pepper...
 
So should I even need the gerimating stations once the seedlings have popped? And if not, how do I prepare the next environment stage for the seedlings? What is the ideal temperature and humidy levels for growing these pepper types?
 
Hot Pooper said:
Sorry to contradict you Gold, but I would advise to not plant quite so deep. I usually poke them down far enough to cover them with a light layer of soil. I have never had a seed germinate in over 8 days.
Also, dont water too much. Read up through a few threads on here. You'll find all the info ya need! Good luck!
Click to expand...

No worries. That is why this is a democracy. I don't get in there with a ruler, but I usually push down with the end of a scredriver (like the Spicy Chicken Vid) and now that i think about it, it is probably more in the 1/4-1/2 vice the 1/2-1 inch range (no wonder I never kept a girlfriend long). I have just read a lot about seed depth to avoid helmets.
 
With coco coir you'll have to mess with ferts after the plants start using their roots for growing.

That stuff can be a real pain to keep evenly wet and to grow stuff in.
I used it once and won't ever use it again.Too much of a hassle to use.

With no matter what you use as a soil to grow in,you'll probably want to use 1/4 strength or so of a fert. after about the 3rd set of leaves.
I usually put a couple pellets of Osmacote or similar time release fert. in each cell when I plant the seeds.
It seems to work pretty good so far for me.
 
coir stays wet pretty good... i use it a lot on my plumerias... but i just use potting soil to germinate...
 
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