
Setups for seedlings…
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Setups for seedlings…
Posted by Frank_White on January 25, 2025 at 7:41 amJust wanted to hear from those that have their seedling domes or tents dialed in. I have messed up so many seeds it’s embarrassing, so once again I’m leaning on the DGC!
Consistency. That is what I’m missing. Every time I pop some seeds, the setup is different. I usually start them in a dome with a heating mat, and a t5. Sometimes on kitchen counter, sometimes in a bedroom, or a tent if it is available. I’ve had alot of success that way. Setting the t5 on top of the dome, and letting them root. This last run, it seemed like the t5 was too close for the cultivars I choose. The ppfd was around 150. They got fried. Thought maybe it was the heat mat. I have the AC one that is only 1 temp, and can’t be dialed up or down. Sometimes I’ll put a towel or 2 around the heat mat because it’ll get too hot, and I’ve killed some that way, too. Anyways, this last attempt I started with 12 seeds. They all popped, and then all but 4 were fried in a couple days. The ones that made it through, were put in the tent, in their dome under a 250w led cranked all the way down. Less than 180 ppfd(3ft away) and the leaves are starting to canoe. Temps are between 68-74. I have a few leds, a t5, domes and tents. Have everything I need(except the experience obviously), just need to be consistent, and find what works. Thinking I should stick with the t5 until they root and just get the height dialed in, probably? But I want to hear from you guys, and gals. What is your preferred setup? Light, light height, temps, ppfd, etc. Any advice is very much appreciated.
CLTsasquatch13 replied 1 week, 5 days ago 10 Members · 32 Replies -
32 Replies
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I’ve never needed a heating pad to get seeds to pop. Usually I’ll do the paper towel method and then drop them in solo cups. I bought some domes that fit and just put them on the clone rack or in my tent if it’s in veg. Biggest thing I’ve noticed is the humidity. You really have to ween them from being used to high humidity. In a dome they are close to 100%.
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I do the paper towel method with regular success. Once they go under a light, the consistency ends. Some runs are flawless, and others not so much. Once they are rooted, the problems I’m having are minimal. Transplants, and weening them goes really well. It’s the first week under the light is where I seem to struggle the most. Thank you for sharing your experience with me! I’d tell anyone that if you can’t dial your heating mat to an exact degree, be very careful. Maybe I will try not using it next time. The leaves are telling me it’s too hot, too much light, or both.
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Unknown Member
MemberJanuary 25, 2025 at 12:35 pmno need for heat mat, keep in a room between 68-75°F, (20-24°C), 50-60% humidity, 18/6, place under veg lights right after you transfer to soil, i spray them and the surface of the soil once they are transferred to the pre hydrated soil , then every morning for the first couple weeks, helps remove seed shells and strengthen them, and keep top moist
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When I pop seeds, I generally drop them in a sterilized ex-medication bottle with about 6.5 pH water and then put those on the floor of my seedling tent (I’m running about 73°F in the tent) with a plastic pot over the top to make em dark. Then after they crack, paper towels in a ziplock until I get sufficient tap roots. I’ve been using root riot cubes with my grow medium in a solo cup to get seedlings up for transplanting.
I think as long as you create an environment that’s conducive to seed happiness, and the seeds are viable, that’s the main thing. So far that’s what had worked for me!
Good luck and happy growing!
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What kind of soil are you putting them in that could be an issue too I fried some seedlings because of soil was too hot
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Yep I’ve done that a few times in the beginning, too. Now I’ll use the rapid rooters, or the peat pucks you have to soak first. I think it’s my environment. I’ve been starting seeds similar to what we want for clones.
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My problem with cracked seeds is getting them to the soil safely. My hands shake and seem to get worse with something tiny. I’ve killed a few this way. 😞
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I’ve lost many seeds because the hull won’t open and it just stays locked around the leaves! I’m bad at many things, but the last few grows I’ve paid closer attention in the beginning to this, and have gotten quite good at cracking them open with my 2 thumb nails. It’s scary, but after a couple days stuck in there I don’t think I’ve got much to lose. Do it before your 3rd coffee, though.. 🤣
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Unknown Member
MemberJanuary 25, 2025 at 12:39 pmdaily spray with water (rain), helps soften that shell and allows it to come off like normal, sometimes they need your help and you can gently help open and pull off seed hull/shells
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Great advice for sure I’ve kept them moist the last few runs and it makes a big difference for me. They don’t need near as much help.
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Utilize my methods…direct sow. Butt chug…to keep the soil moist.
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Plant the seed directly to the final pot. Do not go through the paper towel start…you are introducing a dry.dormant seed to a moist/wet environment. Carve out a hollow for seed starting mix…surround that with well fertilized soil. Make sure the media stays moist….bottom watering makes that easy. Keep the humidity pretty high.I’m not sure the actual but my dome is covered in Droplets and fog.
The trick is you don’t have to deal with the taproot it’s all underground. The key is keep it in the dark and moist until it sprouts. And you know the rest after that.
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Godfather OG in the front San Marzano Roma tomatoes in the back. Of the twelve seeds I’ve sown recently only one Little Gem lettuce didn’t germinate. Gotta believe the coco mix is responsible.
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That’s an awesome tip thank you! Loving these responses. My trouble is I can’t adjust the heat mat, and I’m having trouble picking the right light, and light height. My success rate is probably 90%. But then I get them under a light, and it’s either amazing or a disaster. I need to find a light, height, temp, humidity, and stick with it consistently.
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When you see the plant bearing it’s head take your demi seedlings out of the dark and take the dome off. Keep the “butt chugging” going. I use a 2 ft led of low lumens from.Sunco…it was .maybe $10. I have it maybe 3 inches up. If you use a regular grow light I would think it needs to be way higher and set to the lowest setting.
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For sure! I thought I had it dialed in. I always used a t5 and a dome, and just set the t5 right on top of the dome. It was working flawlessly, until this last run. I replaced the old bulb with a new one, and it fried 8 out of 12. So I busted out the 250w led, hung it 2ft above the dome and turned it all the way down to between 170-180 ppfd. Now they look worse. Leaves are curling up, and starting to look like mutants. I messed with those roots, and they are not happy! Now, the t5 is hung about 1 ft above the dome, 73 degrees and 65% humidity. I would usually run the humidity much higher, like almost 100%, but told that was not good practice. That’s great for clones, but seedlings like around 65% humidity. The learning curve is long, and expensive. Thanks for sharing your experiences with me!
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I’m not sure how universal heat mat thermostats are. Maybe someone can chime in? If not it’s worth investing in a new setup. Maybe start with your brand of heatmat so maybe someone knows the hack.
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I think I paid $35ish for a Vivosun 8 or 10 by 20+
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WAIT!!! How did you compensate for the cold? Maybe it’s the humidity
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Also the new bulb thing kinda sticks out. Perhaps it is that a new bulb and I suspect is brighter than a well loved one.
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I use paper towel inside a black plastic bowl and lid pside down so thwy are on the lid. I place the bowl ontop of my t5 2×2 8 bulb. That is seems to be a good temp. I either place sprouts that are about 3/4″- 1″ long in a rapid rooter inside a 4oz pot with coco coor and plain water. Or directly into coco coir. Do not drown them. Also, i usuall only fill pot up little more than half way because they are gonna shoot for the sky. You will be able to bury stem a little more in a week or so. I keep my t5 about 3 feet above them. I usually have 80-100% germination rate. They are delicate litfle babies for a few weeks. Easy to over water and to burn out from light. Yes sometimes yoi get a hot bag of soil. Plain coco i like at this stage because its just a .oment for roots to stretch and search for food. Then i mix i light feeding for other small plants and water it down for the seedlings
Someone said the soil maybe why they are frying up? Honestly, i love t5 lights for veg. Right now all I have are the flowering bulbs, not the real white bulbs. I have found from back before LEDS were any good and I was uding HID lights-Metal Halide for veg and HPS for flower, it was better to use HPS through whole grow rather than only MH for whole grow. Thats bedides the point, I started to ramble. Good luck Bud, one step at a time
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I run a 2×2 at 85 degrees and 75-80% humidity under a mars hydro, ts $55 light. 6″ fan on low 24/7. Pots are from Amazon – seedling pots with domed lids – they’re 4″. I add a 3 tier shoe rack for extra space and the pots fit perfectly between the metal rungs. Top tier around 500ppfd and lowest around 200ppfd. I use the top shelf for taller cultivars, the more intense light seems to help control height. One up pot when I shift to the veg tent.
For perpetual, I’ll sow direct into a 3 gallon tall fabric pot and I’ll cover the entire top with a 9″ outdoor humidity dome. Same environment.
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Such a researcher…
.such an economist. I salute.
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I figured out what the problem was! The spray bottle I was using to water the babies wasn’t cleaned out well, or at all and the wife used it for cleaning. At my wits end, I though maybe I would ph the water. So poured out the old, smelled the bottle for some reason, and smelled chemical instantly. They never had a frickin chance. I guess I have to label everything that’s for the grow, specifically. She’s lucky she’s pretty…😆
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I soak my seed for 24 hours in a shot glass just to soften the hull. I plant it directly into her final pot with a two liter bottle with the top cut off an three 1/4″ holes drilled in the bottom. Humidity dome removed after I see true leaves poppin’ out. I remove my dome with my humidity at 65%. I have my lights turned to 100% from the start. My temp is usually around 80-83degrees.The PPFD is around 500 at the seedlings surface, and I just let the plant grow into the light as far as it wants but no closer than 14inches. PPFD at 14″ is around 1200. Oh, I am growing autos
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