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seeds Germination Frustration!!

Noshownate

Noshownate

OK well I have a nice domed germination box (burpee) 72 cell. with a Plant heat par underneath I am Using Miracle grow Seed Strating mix and soo far I have had only Like 7 out of the 72 germinate. My temps I can keep on or around 28-30c. Im not sure what i am varying to get these strange germ rates. On time i will have like twenty pop then next time i will have like three, then twenty. I would love to hear all ya'll's step by step germ process. I see some people soak theyre seeds some put in freezer all sorts of stuff. I just really want a 100% rate next time (high Hopes) Mainly cuz I have failed to germ some certain varieties that were hard to come by and only have like 4 or 5 more chances to get it right. I still have not been able to successfully germ a bhut yet as far to my knowledge. All germinating techniques will be considered and probabily tried. News resolution high germ rates!!
 
I have never used a heat matte, but what I do is I use a regular 72 cell domed seed starting tray. I have never tried soaking my seeds or any other tricks out there. I simply use Pro Mix BX for the soil, filling each cell with it. I then take each seed and place it in the soil and moisten the soil down. You want the soil to remain moist, not soaking, for the duration of the germination period. You also want to be sure that you aren't burying the seeds too deep, I usually bury them about 1/4 inch. I then place the dome on the tray and keep my grow room heated to around 80 F - 85 F. I also make sure that the soil never dries out during this period, I usually end up re-wetting it everyday and use a spray bottle for this process, as I have found it is easier for me to control the amount of water by misting each cell. Also, light isn't important until they start sprouting and once they do start sprouting, be sure to remove the dome.

Some varieties of seeds do take awhile to sprout, I think my Jolokias last year took almost 2 weeks to sprout. I hope this helps you, and remember to have fun and be patient, seeds want to sprout.
 
My method is pretty much 180 degrees different from pepperfreak. I nearly fill a plastic to-go food tray that has holes drilled in the bottom, using Ferti-lome Premier potting mix. Place the seeds just barely in the mix then cover with a thin layer of mix. Place the try into a tub of water until it is soaking wet, wet enough that water is visible. Remove, let drain, cover and set on a 5/8" board that has a 105 watt CFL bulb under it. Leave it covered until I get the first sprout.

I don't get 100 percent germination, at least not with 50-100 seeds at a time, but probably mid-80s or higher. Usually takes 5-12 days for the first seeds to germinate.

The one plant I have no luck with is banana trees. I've sowed 20 seeds so far, over about 10 weeks, and I have one seedling to show for it.

Mike
 
+1 Pepperfreak
The only thing I can suggest is to try a better starting mix, many people have problems with miracle grow mixes which are usually too high in nitrogen and likely not loose and well drained enough.
 
I never use any soaks or anything, and after last year I will be very careful with a heat mat. I got a new heat mat last year that fried an entire tray of tomato seeds and only got 40% germ on peppers. This year I got a thermostat to try to ensure I don't have a repeat. I think the moisture is key. All my seeds tend to sprout when I start to give up hope and start thinking about resowing. At this time I stop adding moisture to the soil and BOOM, they sprout. Maybe you are adding too much moisture?

I also don't care for the Miracle grow seedstarting mix. I used it last year as well and it was sandy and had small sticks in it. I thought it was going to be the standard peat based soilless mix and didn't like this at all. This year I am using Pro mix. More expensive so I hope it is worth the extra cost. I guess I will find out in a couple of weeks.

Good luck and I hope they start to sprout for you!
jacob
 
Cool All, From hearing all this I think I have been overwatering and putting my seeds to deep in the soil. I was pouring water i def should be using a spray bottle

Potawie what is your seed starting mix that you use?
 
I prefer promix PGX, but often use pro-mix BX or other "soil-less" mixes due to convenience. I've also had great success mixing my own medium out of peat, vermiculite, perlite, and dolomitic lime. Coir is good too but you need to purchase coir specific nutrients eventually which I'd rather avoid paying for.

Spray bottle is good but why not bottom feed?
 
I have Yet to attempt bottom feeding what would you suggest pour into the bottom of the tray. How much should i keep in theyre? or am i way off?
 
My best success with heat mats came when I began raising the dome station up 3/4 inch above the pad. The heat remained much nearer 30C and the heat was not as harsh.

My sprout success varies greatly, depending on type, strain, batch, etc. My Bhuts, Habs, and Congos sprout pretty quickly with the most germinations. My Yellow 7s, Scorpions, and Bihs have been very difficult, with longer times and lesser germinations.
 
Here is the Pro Mix that Potawie and myself are refering to and you can usually find it at a local nursery...

http://www.premierhort.com/eProMix/Horticulture/Products/GrowingMediumTM/CustomBlend/fCustomBlend.htm

I have never had an issue with this product and really haven't tried anything else. I usually get about 98% percent germination rates (usually higher with fresh store bought seeds).

Bottom feeding is a great option, although I have yet to try that for starting seeds. I always bottom feed once they are transplanted into 3" pots. Maybe this year I'll try bottom feeding the germination trays and see how that works. It should be the same as I have already been doing with my plants. You just pour water into the bottom tray and set the germination tray inside long enough for the soil to soak up the water, then remove it and let it drain any excess. It is quite simple and the soil won't soak up more water than it can hold, like a sponge.
 
Just pour a bit of water into a tray and watch your plants suck it up, then remove any extra standing water. With a good medium, its hard to overwater this way unless you leave the plants sitting in water for a long time. You can usually feel how wet the plants are just by the weight of the pots/cells.
You may also want to try the paper towel technique which is great for testing seed germination or sprouting stubborn seeds
 
Also, if you bottom water, there is nearly zero chance of damping off as there is not a lot of moisture on the surface.

jacob
 
Using a good loose, well drained medium is probably your best defence against dampening off. Bottom watering can still cause overwatering if the soil doesn't drain quick enough.
 
True, but unless I am mistaken the fungus grows on the surface of the soil, so keeping it dry should greatly decrease the odds. Overwatering from the bottom will cause soggy soil and root rot. Not sure if that is the same fungus as damping off or a different animal though. Either way, bottom watering and using a "sterile" well draining seed starting mix is the best advice.

jacob
 
I soak seeds over night in water. Then plant 1/4 inch deep in peat pellets. Pellets are in a mini greenhouse on a heat mat so the soil is 80F. I take the cover off once a day for a few hours to prevent damping off. I bottom water the pellets and let them dry a bit before watering again but to to dry to ruin the seeds. Have had great sucess with this method. Maybe 90% success rate. most sprout within a week even superhots.:)
 
Hang in there. Germination can be a bit frustrating at times. The seeds need to stay moist but if the medium is too wet they can rot. If you plan on dumping a flat that just won't germinate dig a few seeds up and look them over.
 
You can use the baggie method and transplant the germinated seed to soil after you know they have germinated.....it's way more predictable if you're not planting an acre to chiles.
 
Apparantly I do a lot of things wrong: I buy the cheapest soil I can find and than mix it with 1/4 part sand (everything a seed needs to sprout is already inside it minus moisture and heat). I grow in way better soil though. Cheapest plastic seed tray with a cover that doesn't fit too well. No heating pad (sometimes put it on the computer though). I still have very high germination rates, never had below 90% with any bought seed (any veg, herb, peppers... I did have a 50% rate with old pepper seeds from trades though). I do have a very good water sprayer from a reputable brand that waters very gently and I do put the seeds very close to the surface. Never deeper than the height of the seed you're sowing they say. It seems to be working well for me.

Good luck Nate.
 
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