Seed Starting: The Secret Of Booming Hydroponic Seedlings

Seeds are regarded as sacred in the growing world. One needs to select proper seeds appropriate for indoor hydroponic growing environment, to grow species as per the grower’s preferences. Seed starting is the basic of well planned growing area but for indoor hydroponics it’s the trickiest. While germinating your seeds, plants require a proper balance of water, oxygen, temperature and light to crack out the seed coating to become seedlings, and develop into maturity. A healthy start for your seeds and seedlings can affect the quality and yield of the strain. Plants treated well grow quickly and produce more flowers and fruits than the plants that were neglected as seedlings. If the temperature is maintained and seeds are germinated accurately, the gardener can save time, effort and hence money.

Germination:

For germinating seeds hydroponically, gardeners can use vertical hydroponic system because it is clean, growers can watch the seeds development and they germinate faster than the soil. Sometime, it’s difficult to find a way to supply the perfect blend of water, light, oxygen and temperature to germinate. The foremost important thing for germinating seeds hydroponically depends on which medium you use. You can use several hydroponic methods and system for germination of seeds. Coco coir or coconut fruit husk is amazing for seed sprouting as it is easy transferrable to any hydroponic system without any shock. Coco coir is filled with natural compounds, that helps to build helpful colonies of aerobic fungus and bacteria that aid in root growth and germination. When added to air and water ratio, offers a sustainable and perfect environment for plant seeds germination.

DIY Germinating seeds with Coco Coir:

Coco coir is a matter that wick water all through the growing medium keeping itself at the right moisture level. Here are few important steps essential for germinating seeds with coco coir:

• Take a piece of newspaper and role it around a 1.5 inch pole to create a dense layer around the pole.
• You need to seal or glue the paper’s edge to avoid unroll when pulled off the pole.
• After drying, remove the tube creating a hallow space. Stuff the coco coir into the newspaper roll which is not too loose and not to compact.
• Place the coir on top of tray filled with water covering the bottom. Put the seed in the coco coir and mist it until they are nice and moist.
• You should cover the dish with a plastic cover creating a humid environment while the seed develops to seedling stage. 
• Once your plant has its first leaves, remove the lid and transplant seedling into the proper hydroponic system, make sure that the bottom coir touches the water.

After hydroponic seedlings, a proper amount of light is needed. The best suited light is fluorescent or LED grow lights. Avoid using HID lights because they are too strong and emits excessive heat. Fluorescent lights are cooler than the traditional grow lights. Prior to transplanting, gardeners should remove the week sprouts and should focus on stronger plants which are healthier and produce better yields. Once the seedlings have been transplanted into desire hydroponic medium, you can expect rapid root growth and this brings to the end of seedling phase. The plants are now allowed to be fed with nutrients and place under proper light. It is now the proper time for vegetative phase.