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Post by william9in on Feb 22, 2014 10:27:38 GMT 7
I've got some seeds arriving in the mail soon, do you think using coffee grounds instead of commercial fertiliser will work? It brings down the pH too, which I can test with pH test strips. If you us coffee grounds the coffee will rot and pramot fungus. Us coffee but in the liquid form. You also need to dilute it. Sent from my non iPhone... |
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Post by papajahat on Feb 22, 2014 10:35:15 GMT 7
I've got some seeds arriving in the mail soon, do you think using coffee grounds instead of commercial fertiliser will work? It brings down the pH too, which I can test with pH test strips. If you us coffee grounds the coffee will rot and pramot fungus. Us coffee but in the liquid form. You also need to dilute it. Sent from my non iPhone... Yup I meant liquid coffee pHed to 4.5-5.5.. Shouldn't be a problem right? Thanks. |
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mato
Full Member
Meat Pie
Posts: 238
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Post by mato on Feb 22, 2014 11:41:43 GMT 7
Guys, don't go overboard with this thread. There is too much information for something so simple, and for most, you will only screw something up. Just sow your seeds on top of moist, chopped sphagnum, keep them humid, and provide plenty of light. If the seeds are fresh, you will have germination in no time at all. That's it!
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Post by paulbarden on Feb 22, 2014 22:28:37 GMT 7
+1 what Mat said.
The human impulse to over-engineer the simplest of methods is more often an obstacle than an asset. Quit fussing and just sow the seeds on some sphagnum! There -- you're done!
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Post by william9in on Feb 23, 2014 1:24:02 GMT 7
If you us coffee grounds the coffee will rot and pramot fungus. Us coffee but in the liquid form. You also need to dilute it. Sent from my non iPhone... Yup I meant liquid coffee pHed to 4.5-5.5.. Shouldn't be a problem right? Thanks. Yes, it will be no problem. Sent from my non iPhone... |
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Post by pigeonracer on Mar 8, 2014 13:59:09 GMT 7
I read this thread in its entirety, and what a valuable source of information! I am trying the basic principles of the original post with some "miranda" x maxima mini & "mixta" x maxima mini seeds. I'll report back with progress shots (if all goes according to plan). The h202 solution seems like an ingenious way to keep back the fungi/etc.
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Post by vincent on Sept 5, 2014 15:11:52 GMT 7
Hi everyone,
Just to share my protocol:
1. Soak seeds in 0.15% H2O2 + boiled rain water for 48h.
2. Saw them in small pots with 3/4 of rinsed perlite (bottom) and 1/4 finely chopped dead sphagnum, boiled quickly. For lazy people like me, just put sphagnum into a food processor. It works perfectly for me. Put pots in tray (mini-greenhouse) with water up to about 3/4 of the height of the pots.
3. Spray every other day with boiled rain water.
4. Spray with Aliette 1g/L in case of mould infection.
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Post by sunbelle on Sept 5, 2014 21:26:01 GMT 7
Coming from the exact opposite end of the seed sowing methodolgy...
We don't soak seeds or spray anything on them.
Using a simple peat/perlite mix, gently sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil.
Mist them down with reverse osmosis or rain water and keep humid.
We've had the best results by keeping it simple. Systemic fungicide becomes toxic in our hot temps, so we definitely stay away from that.
All of this boiling water and sphagnum is very strange, why bother?
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Post by paulbarden on Sept 5, 2014 22:34:46 GMT 7
All of this boiling water and sphagnum is very strange, why bother? I agree. I believe it can introduce as many problems as it theoretically solves. |
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Post by ChristianJames on Sept 6, 2014 1:43:20 GMT 7
All of this boiling water and sphagnum is very strange, why bother? I agree. I believe it can introduce as many problems as it theoretically solves. John Yates does this, and I've got to say he has the best results I've ever seen. Always worth a try to compare with your current method. |
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Post by sunbelle on Sept 6, 2014 2:03:39 GMT 7
Any photos of what John Yates' seedlings look like?
Glad people have success with boiling the water and mix. It's not for us, we have seedlings galore without going through the extra steps.
Sorry, but it just seems very silly for our situation. We're not growing in sterile conditions. It's not a tissue culture lab. For us it's sphagnum peat and water put in a greenhouse containing tons of microbial life. ... and not all microbial life is bad for Nep seedlings.
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evanm
New Member
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Post by evanm on Sept 6, 2014 4:06:52 GMT 7
To be honest boiling sphagnum is unlikely to remove all the pathogens you are worried about, if any are even present. Bacteria and fungal spores are really tough. In fact you are just as likely to kill of beneficial bacteria thereby upsetting the balance of beneficial vs harmful soil microbes. I agree with Sunbelle that unless you can keep everything 100% sterile you're probably wasting your time. I would however use clean pots to avoid kick starting algal growth or introducing anything specific into the media. I wash my pots and hands with dish washing detergent before all seed prep and potting.
I personally soak for roughly 2 days (1/2 teaspoon 10 volume H2O2 per cup water), sprinkle the seeds over the surface of my medium and spray them down onto the surface of the medium. I highly doubt the soaking is essential as the seeds will absorb moisture while on the media surface if sown directly. It takes little effort though and soaking seeds should imbibe faster so why not? I use straight tap water but we have really good quality water here in South Africa.
Keep them moist, at the right temperature and spray once every day or two. I generally have very good germination with this method.
Media wise I have used peat/perlite as well as coco peat. I prefer the coco peat as it is cheaper, renewable and I don't have to deal with perlite. I also get less algal growth on it. This is really just my experience though. Your conditions and available supplies may dictate differently.
Overall (provided you have suitable conditions) seed embryo quality and freshness seem to be the biggest determinants of good germination. Provided your conditions are right I don't think your exact preparation approach matters all that much.
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evanm
New Member
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Post by evanm on Sept 6, 2014 4:08:13 GMT 7
Experiment and see what works best for you. Do it on relatively unimportant seeds though please.
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evanm
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by evanm on Sept 6, 2014 4:14:52 GMT 7
Also, I agree with keeping it simple. No fancy protocols needed.
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Post by sunbelle on Sept 6, 2014 4:39:54 GMT 7
Overall (provided you have suitable conditions) seed embryo quality and freshness seem to be the biggest determinants of good germination. Provided your conditions are right I don't think your exact preparation approach matters all that much. We agree with this. Freshness and seed quality is vitally important. As stated, as long as conditions are right. Old seed will germinate, but the tiny seedlings will be slow and weak. Regarding boiling everything...We believe the seedlings SHOULD be exposed to the microbial ecosystem. The old-time orchid growers sowed seed at base of the mother plant, and unless you plan to flask the seed on a nutrient agar formulation, all this hoopla is really not necessary. |
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Nov 3, 2019 8:34:22 GMT 7
Nov 3, 2019 8:34:22 GMT 7
just built new grow room and tons of pitcher shots!
Nov 6, 2019 21:17:59 GMT 7
just built new grow room and tons of pitcher shots!
Nov 6, 2019 21:17:59 GMT 7