thefroghollowfarmer

I used to put my paper towels on the heat mat but I stopped going that. That heat can introduce pathogens and I’ve since found out that although there are more than one germination method, temperature doesn’t make much difference. What you’re trying to do is soften the shell and heat certainly helps that but the juice ain’t worth the squeeze. I started sanding the seems very lightly and that allows moisture inside which will hasten germination. I started using CulturedBiologix Dr. Root, which is just an instant tea, that I mix in water. You can ph it if you wish but it’s not a deal breaker because you’re not trying to uptake any nutes for two weeks anyway. Mephisto is notoriously finicky early on so all you want is root accelerators if anything for two weeks with an auto. IMO. So after I scuff the seeds I soak them overnight in a shot glass. If they sink sooner then just pour the water you soaked them in onto the paper towel and with sterile tweezers I place them point down on the paper towel and fold like everyone does. Then I place the baggie vertically with the points aiming down. They should start to work down in about two days. Then I put them straight into a 3gal container. Anything bigger is unnecessary IMO. I’ve seen Del from NightOwl (the best auto gear IMO) pull 30 grams out of a 3gal fabric container. Good luck!

I’m on d24 with the MephistoWedding. I’m interested to see where your cultivar is at similar stages.