Basically just the title. I’ve had some trouble getting seeds out of the seedling stage when using a humidity dome. They pop up and grow quicker with the dome, but how do you wean them off of the humidity the dome provides?
I tend to take the dome off when I think they’re ready, then they just flop over or shrivel up.
I usually stop using my humidity dome after like 4 days, I read somewhere here that the wind from a fan should make the stem get stronger with enough light. I never really payed attention, but I usually have a small fan for seedlings on so I guess it does help
If they flop over your light might be to far away. you can lower the light. Or if you know your getting a lot of stretch you can add soil around the seedling as it grows. It’s even possible to add soil past the cotyledons if needed. An oscillating fan in the area usually gives seedlings enough exercise to strengthen on their own and not fall over.
Sometime in the winter I use shot glasses as humidity domes. I have a bunch of plastic ones. Some are cracked and dont hold the humidity as much. So i go from the solid ones to the cracked ones for a day or so.
I take off the dome before they come completely up. I also put them about 12in from my small 110 w light right away.
I used to use them, but I no longer like using humidity domes. I think they grow up not needing it if you don’t use it, but if you have a heat mat with a lot of humidity, then they have to go through a careful transition to your ambient humidity — because the seedlings aren’t adapted to your environment.
I don’t like rooting cubes anymore. They’re expensive and I have more problems than with regular coco (tupur). They work better for cuttings than seeds.
I use coco in starter trays that are about the size of a rooting cube. I tamp it down lightly. Too much tamping retains too much water and slows growth. Faster wet dry cycles encourage root growth. Dry cycles are normally long anyway until a plant really gets a set of leaves, so don’t pack it too densely. Germinate seeds by floating on water with a splash of peroxide in it. Put the seed in coco when the taproot comes out using tweezers.
Bottom water so there is a lot of gradient in the amount of water from the top (mostly dry) to the bottom (mostly wet). Usually a few days at a time between watering. Add a bit of nutrient (~0.5ec or a third to a quarter strength) to it once it starts working on growing leaves.
I’ve had the best luck with solo cups 2/3 full with coco, and a small clear cup as a humidity dome. Pop off the dome once or twice a day just for air exchange. Sprouts happen usually in 2-3 days, can take as much as 4 days but by day 6-7 if no sprout it’s a write-off for me
With canna, temps & light density are more critical than RH. In general.
I don’t do anything except put them in dirt and feed them.
Domes for seedlings ?
What for ? Just a risk of rotting them…
Domes are great for clones, not seeds, although not needed like Fuel mentioned if you are in a high RH environment.
Anyway if you want them to get used to the outside of the dome RH, just open the vents for a day or two before removing it completely and don’t spray the inside of it in those 2 days.
Do not use domes for seedlings, ur overthinking things…after they sprout put them in cups and let them grow without a dome.
I’ve found that parfait cups work really well for seedlings. They’re wider at the bottom so they never tip over. They also come with a dome for each cup, and I use the granola insert as a water tray underneath.
Domes or not the important thing is dial in environmental conditions and make sure you have good air flow to build up strength in stems. Medium should be drying out every few days or it’s too cool or not enough air circulation. Young plants like warmer conditions and if are using humidity dome ziplock bags or whatever…they need holes in the top to exchange air otherwise could be reason they immediately fall over or suffer from dampening off. Btw got any photos to share bc that’s the easiest way to diagnose problems
I pop a lot of older beans, and was having issues just poppin em straight into soil. So I did a buncha side by sides, and found this method to be a game changer.
1 min soak in 3% H202, 1 min soak in compost tea or humic acid. Then into rooters in a 1020 tray, I like rapid rooters the best. Right after I put the seeds in the rooters, I water in some compost tea or humic. Cover with a dome until they start germinating, and then pull it off. Usually 24-48 hours. Then just water em lightly every day so they dont dry out, and pot up once the first set of leaves are visible. Its super simple, and just about everything germs at 100%.
@BackyardBoogie420 between the H202 and tea/humic soak do you rinse off?
Nope! I just use 2 little plastic shot glasses, and go from one to the other straight to the rooters.
Straight into soil 70% of the time
Straight into soil is the best for me too
If 1 pop in the batch, they should all pop.
If not, bad seeds probably.
Sometimes they have a hard shell or just playing hard to pop so I let the cup sit a week more.
If that don’t work I mix the cup with other soil I make for clones, hoping some of them later pop which do happen to me every now and then
When I sprout I put them in small espresso cups and put a 250w hid on top to bring it to a couzy 26-28c
They pop fast, they adore the heat
I had good results under a powerful CFL that don’t give out much heat, but heat clearly plays a crucial factor here
What do you do the other 30% of the time, and why?
Alright, but how do you know how much water to give them and such? I have 100% all-time germ rate in paper towels/cotton pads, but when I tried going straight to soil recently, I was only able to get 66%. I don’t know whether I watered too little, or too much, or what.
I’m also just generally very scared of overwatering, because I’ve fucked up multiple grows at this point by being too generous with the water and teas. Not to the point that I wasn’t able to harvest, and I actually ended up with some pretty good bud, but I know it could’ve been much better. How do you really know? I feel like it’s much more important in the seedling stage.
