Context : only to know why i’m sharing it, you can pass
I’m always testing new ways to germinate seeds, not the fresh ones but more the sensitive ones. Direct sow with a bunch of of different treatments, usual “paper towel” pushed to the hemp fiber (rot-proof) but also chitosan, gib’, reptile infrared, gas … i’ve no fear to explore and to test tutorials, even the most crazy (onions, bananas … ^^).
In general, i’m back to my seeds sprouters.
Passive seed’s sprouters : first picture of the tutorial
Active seed’s sprouters : this awfull thing just received today, previous one is fryed.
More simple that it appear. You pour water in the bottom, place seeds in the grid, close the thing and you push the button to set the right temp (autumn is just fine). For the winter it’s nice.
It’s cheap chinese design, it doesn’t last long in general. I generally “mod” them for opacity and the height.
This time i’ve found a tutorial to test with a little stock of doomed seeds that are the perfect candidates. Literally old little rocks dried to the bone, so light and hard that you don’t give a damn fck.
But the results was totally unexpected. From around 35 seeds of homemade Jack Herer, 12 have germinated. I’ve never obtained this rate before in these conditions. 4 seedlings are actually trying to survive on 9 (daily micro surgery, intensive watching etc… but i will throw some hints at the end). Maybe it will be hard to truly understand that this low rate is barely miraculous with these seeds, but i’m genuinely impressed.
And the most impressive, it’s the simplicity of the process. It have to be accurate in timing and components/doses used, but i will give all hints i can for those just discovering it like me.
Warning : I was not believing any germination possible to the point to don’t have make photos of the Jack Herer seeds involved. So i’ve made the ones you will see with fresh Big Bud seeds directly bought from Sensi Seeds. Because i’m adopting it for everything now, and i will try also to adapt it to sprouters ^^
1 - Make a tea before anything else
- Poor 100ml / 3,3814 fl oz of boiled water in a cup, i’ve used tap water but mine is pretty good
- Put inside twos tea bags of black tea, let infuse until the water is tepid
You have to be synchro with the next step, so you can put the cup in cold water to reach faster a decent temp for the seeds. It’s enough for the tea to infuse enough, around 3 minutes minimum required.
Don’t forget to press the bags in the cup when you’re removing them (with a spoon and the label of bags, or directly with your gloves), you want this concentrated goodness also.
Just sharing the productive way, to obtain 100ml of black tea in this concentration is the goal.
2 - The shaker of Peroxyde
- sealed tupperware : with a sealing gasket, important
- 100ml / 3,3814 fl oz of water again, tap water again for me
- aqueous hydrogen peroxyde : the goal is to reach 5 to 6 mol/liter
Mine is 3% at 10 volumes, so i poor 6 ml / 0,202884 fl oz
- Throw the seeds directly in the solution of the sealed tupperware
- Shake one minute in all sense
- Let sit 20 minutes
3 - The cocktail
- Poor the tea in the solution.
- Shake again just a little for the uniformity. Check the foam.
- And let sit for 24 hours at a decent temp (let’s say at ~20°c / 50°F to give a number), no UV (dark). These conditions are for the reactive solution, not the seeds even if they are soaking inside.
4 - The dark soup
This step is complicated. Because there is a lot of products available and it’s virtually impossible to give the right concentration. You have to make small samples and to judge with your eyes, i hope that my dosages will help to convert for some of you.
You need :
- Humic acid : the tutorial say 1ml / 0,033814 fl oz but it’s way too strong with the humic concentrate i’m using (1:1000), it also say “one pinch” of powdered humic acid but i’ve never used it in solid form.
So after a fews samples, i’ve found the sweet spot of 25ml / 0,845351 fl oz
- Kelp/liquid seaweed : The tutorial say 2ml / 0,067628 fl oz , or “twos pinches” of solid form. After some mails, I’ve just replaced it with Aptus Start Booster also for 25ml / 0,845351 fl oz. It’s a bit rich and add N in the recipe, but it was worth the risk considering the nightmare of the seedlings to get rid of the cuticle (like leather) and the shells (like rosted seeds for salad).
This color is the maximum concentration you want for the final blend.
In my case : 100ml water + 25ml humic + 25ml Start Booster
5 - Fishing
Off course don’t pour the “oxygenated tea solution” directly in the sink and don’t drink it ^^ Use an intermediary bowl and take all the time necessary to pour all the liquid, try to never touch the seeds. If my little rocks was already “tender” and cracked, i can imagine that for seeds in better conditions it’s even more risky.
When it’s done, pour the dark soup on the seeds. Yes they are inside in the picture ^^
It give an idea also of the color and the thickness.
Then let it sit for 24 hours.
And you know now from where come my inspiration for the nickname, from my seed’s swimming pool.
The next day it’s time to get back at something maybe a little bit more familiar. It’s important to use a sealed tupperware, don’t forget you have kelp and humic all around the seeds and inside if you’re lucky.
6 - Finally !
That’s the more stressfull operation. Get the seeds without throwing the dark solution, you need it during all the germination stage and later for the seedlings.
Repeat the operation of the tea removal, use twizzlers, use your gloved hand … choose your poison.
At this stage the seeds have a “spongy” texture and for the fresh Big Bud featured in this tutorial, the roots are already out for most of them. Don’t harm them, take your time.
Don’t be affraid by powder of tea/kelp/humic … resist to wash the seeds.
Now pour the dark solution in the paper/fabric/surgical bandaid/coton/hemp fiber(lol)/whatever, enough to saturate it. Then reverse the tupperware to pour the excess.
Well wet, but no “puddles” like say my friend. Take care to rightly and gently separate all seeds.
Close/seal the tupperware and place it in space just enough warm to produce condensation inside. Just enough i’ve said, don’t cook the seeds.
Just to get an idea. ~24 hours later with fresh seeds. With a double-ovary funk just in center.
Prey, sacrifice a goat …
6 - The seedlings
Just a short warning because your fight don’t end in the last step.
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The seeds shells, even well worked by the whole process, can stay “glued” to the seedling and to kill it. Not because the helm is doing something, but because the seedling waste all his temporary energy to get rid of it.
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Even if the action of the humic acid help a lot, the more old and dry are your seeds, the more the cuticle around the plant will be solid. The one of the jack herer was like leather damned. They are back from hell, so there is a big chance that you will be forced to help them to get rid of it with a scalpel. They are weak until the root is plushy and a good density of light is hitting their leafs.
But these leafs are inside, waiting to grow. If the seedling is locked closed by the cuticle … it will not end good. Use the scalpel in the sense of the cotyledon, very very gently. The goal is not to totally remove it, it’s too old and rigid, but just to permit the openning. Of course do it only if you have no choice only and that you’re seeing the seedling dangerously turning yellow/light brown.
- Put the seedling in a very fine medium, homogeneous, aerated (but not cloudy, the root need a grip). And barely humid. It will stay there a good time before drying it.
It’s now the opportunity to finalize the tutorial with the zombies, they desserve it. I’m still not sure about their future, time wil speak.
I can barely call this seedling “a survivor”. But it’s the only one.
A seedling with the “leather cuticle”. It was stressful but the surgery is a success.
Sometimes the surgeon don’t have the right format of hands for that. One of the cotyledon was cutted in the operation, but the leafs are untouched. Sturdy and tick root below.
- one another outside the soil, free but weak. And twos others not yet outside the soil. They was germinated 3 days ago, i still don’t believe it.
Now that i can see the seedling trying to survive and for those who known the stuff, the whole process appear to act like a chitosan treatment. But in pretty much more efficient on the germination department.
To finish and to stay in the hommage, it’s what i’m calling the sub’s way. Yes it’s a kind of fcked wordplay coming from another era. I’ve adopted this habit for everything : seedlings, clones …
It’s simple : waterproof neon box that you put just directly on your greenhouses or big plastic boxes. This one is a 2 x 18W with T8, 60cm / ~2". Smooth and just the right temp for my taste, but you can use a more stronger density. What we call here “turboneon”, 2 X 55W with dual tubes, is fine but you have to deal with the heat. (for the freaks : yes the plant’s tags are not rightly oriented in the picture ^^).
For zombies or fresh babies, my philosophy is that you don’t waste the energy you’re spending in your clones or seedlings. They will thank you later, mostly in term of timing and turn over. So i put the neon literally on plants the sooner i can, to put them under the full throttle final density the sooner i can too.
Take it with a hint of salt if you’re under LED or want to use LED adapted to neon tubes, short distances still problematic today.
Update 4 days later. I got a comparative point of the process : effects on fresh seeds VS zombies.
The JH zombies was sown 5 days earlier (on the right).
All credits go the Pistils from Breedbay, author of the original tutorial.
