Start to Finish: Step 1
by Natascha Pearson
Humboldt County, CA: Saturday, May 29, 2021
Ready to plant your cannabis seeds? Check out my article Seed VS Clone to better decide which is right for your garden. But let's say you purchased or collected seeds; here is what you do next.
Seeds have a 1/3rd chance of reaching maturity. The older the seed or the longer it takes to germinate, the more likely it will not sprout. Seeds germinate best in a room with a temperature of 70-80 ° F. I placed thirteen seeds in three cups of filtered water to see and set the cups in the laundry room against a wall where the temperature is steadily 74 °. There, the seeds are out of direct sunlight (not in a window.) I choose healthy-looking seeds but I didn't discriminate by size. Strippy seeds are a good thing to look for because they show healthy and strong characteristics.
Another way to germinate seeds is in a wet paper towel. To keep the seeds disease-free, spray with five parts of water with one part hydrogen peroxide. This or compost tea (which helps protect the leaves) will fight off fungal or bacterial contamination. Finally, germinating the seed straight into the soil or into coco cubes are options to get the taproot to bud. Seeds can take up to four days to sprout. Discard any seeds that don't sprout within one week or show signs of mold.
Once they germinate, plant your seeds into the medium. In my case, I will be using small red plastic cups full of soil. These seeds will be grown under an indoor light until they are strong enough to be put outside. Stay tuned for part two.