Cannabis is getting highly popular across the whole world because more and more people are realizing the benefits that they can get from consuming this plant. Numerous medical reports are showing better health results after cannabis usage. Therefore, more and more counties decided to legalize the sale and use of it. Because of the unique perks and health benefits that it can provide, we can notice that at the same time the number of individuals that are deciding to grow this herb raises constantly.
Luckily, there are different strains of seeds of this plant that are very adaptive and can grow almost everyone without requiring some special treatment such as Jealousy strai. However, there are still different tips that you should know about if you decide to grow this plant. For instance, one of the common misunderstandings regarding this plant is whether the seeds need to be soaked before the planting process.
Well, the answer is yes they need to be soaked for at least 16-20 hours and that is prior to planting this plant. In addition to softening the seed coat, this treatment will kill fungal pathogens, drive oxygen into the seed, and benefit germination, along with softening the seed coat.
Like with any other plant, cannabis also needs to go through the germination process before full growth. Handling this plant’s seed germination is not a very challenging task, however, it still requires precision and care, so you can get the most out of it. Let’s list some of the crucial things you need to take into account.
What are the ideal germination conditions for cannabis?
There are specific conditions that you need to provide to the cannabis, so you can get the maximum seed germination.
Maintain the Moisture
Cannabis seeds are needing proper moisture conditions in the soil so they can grow and develop in the way you want them. There are different ways of maintaining moisture such as using well-watered soil or using a naturally-moist medium like compost. Additionally, you have an option of using much on the ground and in that way lock the moisture in.
Pay attention to the Stability
If you want to have the desired germination, the seeds need a stable setup during the planting process. There is an easy and simple way of achieving this goal and it refers to placing the seeds about 1.5 to 2.5 cm into the medium. It is not recommendable to place them any further or closer to the surface.
Keep the right Temperature
Cannabis seeds need to grow in the proper temperature conditions. This means that you must provide a balanced temperature between hot and cold and you can expect the desired germination. Your goal is to keep the temperature in the place you want to grow the cannabis adequately warm. Unfortunately, cold temperatures tend to delay the germination process.
Do not forget about the Direction
Seeds need to have proper direction in the process of germination. Therefore, next time you want to place germinated seed into the growing medium, it is recommendable to make sure that the white root is looking downwards into the medium, while the seed body is placed upwards. If you position the plant otherwise, you will slow down the germination process a lot.
The methods for seed germination
There are more than a few options to choose from when picking a method for your seed germination process. We list and explain the best of them below:
You can use Starter Cubes and Seedling Plugs
One of the most popular and highly recommendable methods for cannabis seed germination is based on starter cubes and seedling plugs. It is a very simple and convenient method, so people often decide to try it. Seedling plugs and starter cubes are designed specifically for the seed germination procedure, therefore, you can expect that they come filled with the proper planting mix.
Additionally, they have a drilled hole in the middle where you can place your seeds. Your job is to only place the seed carefully into that hole and after that, close it with the pinch of that planting mix, sounds easy, right? This method comes with lots of advantages.
You can Plant your cannabis seeds directly in the final growing medium
One more method that you can try for the germination process is planting cannabis seeds within the final growing medium from the beginning. No matter if it is soil, compost, or water. In that way, the cannabis seeds will not get transplant shock during the transplanting process. Additionally, the seeds are getting accustomed to the medium very soon.
You can Soak Your Marijuana Seeds in Water Overnight
It is a convenient method to germinate cannabis seeds by using only water. The process is pretty simple, you primarily need to lace the cannabis seeds in a glassful of mildly warm water overnight. After that, you need to wait for the white root to break through the seed shell.
Once you see that this happened, you can be free to transfer it to a final growing medium. This method works pretty well for seeds that have harder seed coats. There is only one thing that you need to be careful about. There is always a risk of oversoaking the seeds, and when this happens, the seeds can not be used anymore. Therefore, do not soak the seeds for more than 16 to 20 hours, as we said in the beginning.
You can Try the Paper Towel Method
Finally, if you want to try one more simple method of cannabis seed germination, you need to prepare a paper towel. The procedure is very straight, you just need to wrap the seeds in thin paper towels which will make them wet. After that, it is time to leave the setup in a warm place.
After waiting for some period, you will notice that white roots are starting to show which means that you can be free to continue with the process and transplant the seeds. This is a very affordable method because the thinnest and cheapest paper towels work the best and it is so easy to achieve the desired outcome.
