[GpsFrontier]

Hello T'Mater,
I didn't reply to this thread when I first saw the it for two reasons. One, I just wanted to give others a chance first, the other was because some of the questions don't pertain to how I do things. But here's what I think.

How do you all germinate your tomato seeds??

When I do germinate seeds, I just use a small plastic container with a lid. Fold a paper towel to fit on the bottom (about 4-6 layers thick), then dampen it (not soaked, just damp). Set my seeds on top, use a spray bottle filled with plain water and mist the top. Then put the lid on to keep in the moisture, and place it in a warm place. I generally check them daily for sprouting. If not, I give them a quick mist, put the lid back on, and put them back.

How many of you all soak your seeds before you plant them in your cubes?

I don't soak them at all. I sprout mine before placing them in the growing media. Unless you want to count germinating/sprouting them the way I explained before placing them in the growing media as soaking them. Then I always do that.

I've read letting them soak in H202 will make them pop sooner?

I have never herd of doing that. But I doubt there is any difference in sprouting time. But soaking them for 20 or 30 min in 3% H2O2 or diluted amount may kill any pathogens or fungi that could be on the seeds, and affect the plants health from seedlings. Though I don't think soaking them much longer would be beneficial, but more likely to kill the delicate first root. Though give it a try. Do three Identical batches at the same time. One using regular water, one with a quick soak in H2O2, and the other H2O2 instead of water.

Do you use PH balanced water or just normal tap till they get going?

I don't adjust the pH for seeds. I just use straight RO water from the tap as is. I don't start adjusting pH until I start using nutrients.

If you use nute solution what PPM are you going with?

I don't use the expensive PPM/TDS/EC at all, their not necessary to grow hydroponically. I fallow the mixing directions from the nutrient manufacture. Once the sprouts have started to get their first set of true leaves, I mix the nutrient solution to between 1/8 and 1/4 strength. To make things easy I just take a gallon water jug, make that full strength. So I have a gallon of full strength nutrient solution (sometimes I pH adjust it, but most of the time I'm too lazy), then just dilute it as I need. Store it in a dark closet to keep algae from growing.

I gradually increase the strength up to about 1/2 strength. By then the seedlings are about big enough to be placed in the hydroponic system where I still use about 1/2 strength nutrient solution. Once placed in the hydroponic system I make sure pH levels are right. When the plants get a little bigger, I'll increase the nutrient strength to 3/4. I don't usually ever make/mix the nutrient strength higher than 3/4 of the manufactures directions for a full strength solution.

How soon do you transfer them into your main growing system?

It depends on the plant, how fast it grows, and the system. You don't want it to get to large to fit in the baskets etc. that you need to damage the plant to transplant it. But if you transplant it while the plant is real small, you waist a lot of nutrient solution. Not so much of an issue in drip systems where you can use less nutrient solution without running the pump dry. But if it takes 20 gallons to flood your flood and drain system without running the pump dry, you need more than 20 gallons of nutrient solution for seedlings is a waste. Seedlings don't drink up much water or nutrients, so it's a waste to need too much nutrient solution for seedlings.

Basically if you have a system designed for 4 large tomato plants, and even used the bare minimum water volume per plant. You have a 10 gallon water/nutrient solution reservoir. Four, 4 inch tomato seedlings can easily get by on 1 gallon of nutrient solution for 2 weeks. If you change the 10 gallon nutrient reservoir after two weeks you wasted about 9 gallons of nutrient solution. On the other side of the coin you could wait 4 weeks to change the nutrient solution. Tomato plants grow fast, and would probably be well over 1 foot to 18 inches tall by then. Thus drinking up much more water and nutrients.