How to Germinate Seeds in Your Hydroponic Growbox

You have your grow box set up and now it's to time to begin life; for your seeds that is. Germination is the process in which a plant begins growth. In the grow box environment the indoor gardener has complete control over temperature, water and oxygen which are the three most important environmental factors for successful germination. By following the steps in this article you should get your valuable seeds off to a great start in their wonderful life!

The first step in successful germination is finding seeds that are good quality and clean from a reputable nursery or seed bank. Just by doing a little research on the internet you can find reviews and recommendations about which seed banks and nurseries other indoor gardeners have used as their seed vendor of choice. The next step is to prepare your rockwool cubes for germination. Soak your cubes in a water solution with pH of 5.5. If you have a pH meter use the meter according to the directions included with the meter to attain the proper reading of your solution. If you have purchased a pH kit with pH Up and pH Down solution you will be able to adjust your ph down with the ph Down solution by adding a little at a time. Use the ph test indicator solution to effectively get your solution to the 5.5 color range on the chart. Most tap water ph is between ph 6.8 and 7.8 After you have soaked your rockwool cubes for at least an hour remove them and get them ready for the next step which is inserting your seed into your rockwool starter cubes into your grow box. Typically starter cubes are 1.5 inches and have a small hole in the top of the cube. You want to place your seed with the pointiest side down inside the starter cube about a ½ inch below the top of the surface. Either pinch the hole closed or put an extra piece of rockwool over the top of the hole to cover the seed. Now place the starter cube in an environment where the temperature is between 75-85 degrees and where the humidity is above 70%. An easy way to increase the humidity for an individual cube is to put the starter cube in a plastic Ziploc bag and open about a 2" hole or gap in the top of the bag. Wait between 4-14 days until you see the hypocotyl or "baby shoot" emerge from the top of the rockwool cube. DO NOT pour additional water on your cubes. You should not have to add more water. If notice that at least half of the cube or more has dried out then lightly mist the cubes with a spray bottle filled with water pH of 5.5.

If you are germinating more than a couple of seeds at a time, it is recommended that you use a seed germination/propagation kit. A germination/propagation kit can increase the success of your efforts to 80-90%. These kits contain a seedling dome, seedling tray, seedling heat mat, and seedling thermometer to regulate the temperature of the mat. Follow all the directions above except use your seed mat to keep the temperature between 80-85°. Place the dome over your prepared cubes to keep the humidity elevated in the germinating environment. When you see the hypocotyls or "baby shoot" appear remove the dome partially until all shoots have appeared on all the cubes. Expose these germinated sprouts to indirect light initially and then direct light for at least 18 hours a day. Once you introduce them to light the germination phase is complete and now your tiny plants move into the next phase. What a great feeling it is to start life in your hydroponic grow box!

erik@supercloset.com
http://www.supercloset.com/

SuperCloset takes the guesswork out of growing through manufacturing the most innovative and customer friendly hydroponic systems and turn-key grow box units. After 10 years and over 10,000 customers, SuperCloset continues to lead the horizontal and vertical growing industry with its commitment to excellent products and world-class customer service.

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