I got my ILGM White Widow Fems the other day and was psyched to get started. I popped half a dozen seeds in a glass and soaked them for 24 hours, and then moved them to a damp paper towel in plastic bag for another day. Last night I transferred the seeds with emerged tap-roots into JiffyPots, and since my grow-tent is on a cold, basement floor, I placed the JiffyPot tray on top of a Vivosun heated seed mat… and placed my bluetooth hygrometer/thermometer in the tray as well. (I also placed the humidity dome on the tray, which was probably a mistake.) This morning, when I checked on the temperature, it was 97*!!! Are my seeds cooked? I’m about to head out of town overnight tomorrow, but am inclined to pop a few more seeds in water before I go. Am I being hasty? Should I wait to see if my seeds have survived, or accept this as a loss? I’ve been reading these forums (and Robert’s Grow Bible) for the last month or so, and can’t believe that I didn’t even make it out of the starting gate! Oy. Any and all advice will be welcomed.
You should wait a few days, the seeds might be fine. Do you have a thermostat on the heat mat? I’m guessing no, so place a thick folded towel on top of the heat mat, and then your tray on the towel, that should help from frying your seeds.
Great. Thanks @raustin. I’ll try to cool my jets and be patient. And I’ll definitely get that towel under them, and plug the heat mat back in. I’ll let you know how things turn out!
I planted ilgm white widow seeds outside in the high 90s and they grew just fine
Keep the humidity dome as well. They need little watering other than misting & @ this point love humidity.
Happy Growing!
Don’t rush it! Worst thing you can do is rush your grow. Take your time, read through the forums on your soil and grow specific setup. Let mother nature take it’s course and blam-o! Happy growing !
Thanks @Laurap, @FNG101v2, and @ThcinKC! The encouragement is appreciated, because I was pretty ticked at myself. The JiffyPots are on a towel; and raised above that another half an inch with three pieces of ½" x 1½" kindling that I had left over from the winter…allowing the warm air to vent from under the Jiffy tray before it overheats it. One lesson learned; many more to go, I fear. I sure do hope some of these seeds are able to survive the scorching I gave them, since they were doing so well, initially. Time will tell.
You are probably fine with the seeds , give them a few days. If you are growing in soil, why not put them 1/2 " deep , keep warm w/ light and keep moist not soaked I have used this method a long time and it is imo the best, although others use different methods and they work also. If you can start them in their life containers as well no chance of stunt or shock from transplant again others have different methods it would seem we are all right to some extent. Life is GRAND, GROW ON ,and remember this is a weed it wants to grow, let it do it`s thing.
Like eating a Reese’s, I’m of the opinion that there is no wrong way to grow weed. All the different methods mostly seems like personal preference, what fits your setup best, and what fits your budget best. Of course, some will yield better than others, but some methods also require more work than others. It’s all about what works best for you. I agree with @Holmes about germinating directly in the soil. I personally pot up once, just because this works for me in my space. Less shock/stress is always better, especially for autos.
Thanks @Holmes and @elheffe702. I think that next time, I will plant directly into soil, after a 24 hour soak in water (and maybe a little hydrogen peroxide). I am growing in soil, @Holmes. Were you suggesting that I plant the JiffyPots in soil now? I’m inclined to just wait and see how they do with the JiffyPots, but if you had a reason why I should move them now, I’m listening. Otherwise, if they grow, I’ll be psyched, and I’ll later plant the JiffyPots in 4" pots that I have… or maybe I’ll get some clear Solo cups, as I saw on Brian’s post in his thread (Seed To Weed, The Easy Way) and use those, so I can keep track of root development. After this, I’ll eventually move them into 3-gallon SmartPots.
I think you should wait and see what tomorrow brings. The temp in the dome isn’t necessarily the temp of the soil in the jiffy pots. The seeds like a nice warm moist environment to sprout so you might be OK. Fingers crossed for you! And welcome to the best forum you could find! Best, Jeb
if your seedlings have survived the little heat up. When its time to transplant Id go straight to the 3 gal pot. No need for a 4" pot and you eliminate 1 transplant shock. Mine go from a 6 oz paper coffee cup to a 7 or 10 gal pot.
I do the same
Youll be amazed by how reslient they are! I put a germinated seed in a pod to sprout. I accidentally washed it thru pod. Thought it didnt sprout so dropped another that did sprout. Transplanted into dirt & 28 days later i found two plants in one pot. The lost seed attached to new seed pod.
Okay. Thanks for the feedback, @Momtomask, @Sasquatch, and @Laurap. First, I just hope to see a little green pop up. I had to head out of town today, returning tomorrow, which will probably be good to force me to stop obsessing over this, for a little while. (I tried to reply this morning, but wasn’t allowed to by the server since I’d used up all my posts for my first day of posting.)
Just before I left, I took one last look, and I did see a couple of small white curves, trying to make their way to the surface… and practically there. So I am much more hopeful today than I was 24 hours ago. Thanks to all of you (including @raustin, @ThcinKC, and @FNG101v2, @Holmes, and @elheffe702) for walking me back from the ledge, yesterday.
We’ve all been there. Woo-sah and have faith in your abilities. 
at worse case scenario this is all experience!
@WonkaMan like everyone says patience is key with growing anything, especially at first but you will be fine, you can get ideas from anyone or anything and knowledge is paramount… that is good knowledge . We all want to see your buds grow too. Makes us happy! and smoking it even happier.
I returned from my trip tonight, and to my delight, I discovered that all six seeds had sprung up just find. There’s a little stretch going on, but I’ll set them in soil tomorrow, and maybe bury them a wee bit, and they should be just fine, I think. Thanks again to everyone for encouraging me to have faith. I’m very much looking forward to my first grow, and will do my best to document the high-points and low-points.
Now you have to change the title of your thread 
You’re off to a great start, maybe lower their light a little to stop the stretch.