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Nep Seed Try #2 Not Going So Hot...

Vbkid

Getting There...
So about a month ago now I made 2 pots each of N. Mirabilis and N. Albo. seed. I read everything I could, used a good mix, sterilized the media, using bags to keep up humidity while misting every few days...
Any yet again it appears that mold has taken over at least 2 of the pots. Can anyone suggest what I might be doing wrong? In two pots there is white over a lot of stuff, I'm gonna take em out of the sterilite container tonight and give the others a chance...are these a lost cause?
Any suggestions on what I did wrong, what to do next time?
Honestly, I am VERY frustrated. After it happened the first time, I again did all I could to give myself a chance at success and this is brutal. I can't keep buying seed, and I'm trying not to get down...sorry if I sound like I'm complaining too much. Just disappointed!
Anyways,
Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions...hopefully I can produce some success sometime!
Kyle
 
Sterilizing the media could be a factor with the mold issue. LFS is somewhat resistant to mold but when its cooked, not so much.

Another is air flow. High humidity is good but stagnant conditions can cause these issues.

What mix did you use? I find a peat and perlite mix with a quarter inch of milled sphagnum on top works well (never sterilize, just rinse well in the mixing bucket).
 
Well seed is always a gamble but I have been having luck lately on my current seeds by misting every few days with a superthrive solution (1 drop per gallon). I can't promise this is "causing" germination but it appears to be working. On previous attempts I got 0, 1, 3 and once like 20 germinated this out of 50-200 seeds each time, most being very good healthy looking seed, not very glorious rates.

However, with the Superthrive mistings this is my results on N. maxima Lake Poso "miniature" form exactly 1 month after sowing (there is now more than in this week old pic):

maximaposo.jpg



I use milled LFS to sow seeds on (put dry moss in a blender), and some kind of self contained clear lidded container with lots of moisture not waterlogged but very wet. I crack the lids so they will evaporate very slowly and have a minute bit of airflow. I don't put them under lights anymore until they germinate. Instead I set them on a shelf above my lights so they get good bottom heat, my seeds tend to range between 80-85*F depending upon room temps.


If you are waiting on seeds to germinate and fungi gets on them mist them with either a peroxide or rubbing alcohol solution (Peroxide "fungicide": 8 ounces of 3% peroxide to 1 gallon water or a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and water), this kills the fungus and doesn't appear to harm the seeds at all that I can tell. I don't do any preliminary "sterilizing".
 
Simply applying a spray fungicide such as Zyban or most anything available through a garden center can help with the problem . . .
 
So I opened up all the bags, misted with peroxide...and see a tiny seedling in one of the pots! I only saw one, but didn't look too hard, just got everything re-situated and under the lights again!
 
Congratulations! Some seed may take months -- and I have seen germination after about a year as well . . .
 
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