Hello, fellow connoisseur friend.
Today we are going to talk about how to germinate cannabis seeds. What they are, how to germinate them, how to take care of seeds, and how to start the life of the cannabis plant.
Growing Cannabis seeds
The Cannabis plant is a very amazing plant. There are many ways of growing it, It can be really easy to very difficult depending on what strain you are growing to how strong you want the final product to be.
When growing cannabis you need to start out somewhere and the seed is the very first step in the process. Also the most important and delicate step.
Types of Seeds
There are many types of Cannabis seeds.
Cannabis Sativa – Sativa is better for outdoor growing in warmer climates as they take the longest to grow. The length of life is 4-6 months before the flowers become ripe enough for harvest. The effect that you would experience would be an uplifting effect more energetic and creative high, better for daytime use. Best used for depression. Usually, a Sativa would have low THC but higher CBD content. If you choose this type of cannabis to grow indoors do note that this plant can grow upwards of 15 feet tall. Characteristics include Light green fan leaves that are long, narrow “fingers”, looser buds and tall structure
Cannabis Indica – Indica is favoured by most indoor growers as the life of the plant is on average 3 months from seed to ripe buds. The effect that you would get from an Indica would be a heavy “need to sit on the couch” high. Best to use for pain relief, due to the High THC content as high as 31%. This type of plant is shorter than a Sativa and grows faster. The characteristics of Indica are dark green, large/thick ‘finger’ fan leaves. Most Indicas have a strong smell like a skunk, and some strains have a sweet exotic smell. The plant will be somewhat short but very bushy. They have a condensed root system and heavy resin-laden buds that tend to be the most fungus and pest resistant.
Hybrid – Over the years people have crossbred the different types and have created Hybrids of Indica and Sativa. A hybrid would have the best of both worlds. The plants’ life is mostly shorter at 3-4 months.
Auto Flower – Auto flowers are another type of cannabis that is favoured by growers. This plant will automatically flower regardless of how many hours of light it gets. The lifespan of an auto flower is about 3 months from seed. You could grow this plant under florescent light with 18 hours of light for its full life cycle and still get buds from it. However, you will get better more compact buds if grown under Proper flowering lights. Also, if growing in Canada or northern United states You would be able to get 2-3 crops per summer (outdoor) with an auto.
Read about a case study growing an auto flower
Hemp-Industrial – Industrial hemp is farmed hemp for industrial uses from food to plastics, fuel to building material. This is not something that you would want to grow indoors It is a very tall plant with very little flowers on it that have a very little amount of THC (less than .03% according to government regulations)
Hemp–Flowers – Hemp also comes is shorter plants’ that have flowers. These plants’ are grown mostly for a full spectrum of CBD oil. If you choose to grow hemp indoors do note that Hemp has little to no THC and will not get you high, however, it does contain higher levels of CBD which is known for a lot of healing benefits.
Germination
Germination is how you start the plants’ life. You do this by making the hard seed soft enough that the little 
sprout inside of the seed can emerge. When the seed gets wet it signals the radical (taproot) to start growing. Cannabis seed needs only water, heat and air to germinate. Seeds do not need light, to germinate and it is best to keep them in the dark. Seeds that are properly nurtured will germinate in two to seven days in temperatures between 21-30 degrees Celsius. Temperatures above 30 degrees impair germination. Once germinated move seedlings to a slightly cooler growing area and increase light levels. Avoid high temps and low light levels which will cause lanky growth.
Basics Of Life
Water- Soaking seeds in water allows moisture to penetrate the protective shell within minutes. Once inside, moisture continues to wick in to activate the dormant hormones. Once a seed is moist, It must receive a constant flow of moisture to carry nutrients, hormones, and water so that it can carry on life processes. If the germinated seed is to dry out the seedling growth will be stunted or the seed might just die.
Temperature- Cannabis seeds grow best at 25 degrees Celsius. Low temps delay germination while high temps upset seed chemistry causing poor germination.
Air (oxygen)- Seeds need air to germinate. Moist soggy growing mediums will cut off the oxygen supply and the seed will literary drown.
Step by Step of Germination
The most popular way of germinating seeds is to pre-soak them in water and then to use a paper towel to grow the taproot before planting in growing media.
Tools that you will require
- Seed
- Distilled water
- Paper towel
- Small plate
- Tweezers
- Warm location/ Heat mat>>>>you can get one here
To tell if the seed is a good seed to grow give it a squeeze and the seed does not break then that is a good seed for planting.
- Fill a cup with water: This can be any water but the best kind of water is distilled water. Don’t use hot water or overly cold water.
- Put the seed into the water: Leave in the water for about 12 hours. Or until the seed has sunk to the bottom of the cup. If you come back after 12 hours and the seed is still floating then give it a poke and it should sink. Once soaked, seeds are ready to be placed between moist paper towel
*don’t leave the seed in the water for more than 24 hours as you might drown the seed*
- Place the seed in a Paper towel: In a dark, warm location (between 21 – 32 degrees Celsius) Place the seed in a moist paper towel
- Put the paper towel on a plate that is tilted so that water can drain away from the towel.
- Water the cloth daily and keep it moist: Let excess water drain away freely.
After a few days, the taproot will pop out of the seed. when this happens you will be ready to plant the seed in the growing media of your choice.
*Average time of germination is 48-72 hours
- Move the seed from the paper towel to the media: Use tweezers to handle the delicate seedling. Take care not to expose it to intense light and air. Put the seed in the media (soil, Coco coir, etc.) with the taproot pointing down and Cover the seed with 1 Cm of planting media. *don’t pack it down*
Grow more Females from seed
Most seeds that come from genetic breeders these days are feminized seeds but if you have seeds that you found in a bag of weed then here are ways to help grow a female from that seed.
Environmental factors start influencing sex the moment the seedling has three pairs of true leaves (not counting the rounded leaves) Environmental factors that influence sex determination of cannabis include but are not limited to:
- Increasing the level of nitrogen: Makes more female plants.
- Lower the level of potassium: Encourages female plants.
*higher nitrogen level and a lower potassium level for the first two weeks increase females*
- Low temperatures: Increase the number of female plants.
- High humidity: Increases females.
- More blue light: Increases females.
*Low growing- medium moisture increases males*
Any stresses that you place on your plant will increase the chances of turning your female plants into male or hermaphrodites.
Storing Seeds
Store seeds in a cool, dark, dry place. Make sure that you label containers of seeds! Some seeds will remain viable for 5 years or longer when stored properly. When 50 percent of the stored seeds do not germinate, the average storage life is over. Seeds stored for a long time when humidity is less than 5% and the temperature is 2-5 Degrees Celsius.
Where should you buy cannabis seeds?
I personally buy my seeds from drseeds.com they service Canada and the united states. The prices are good compared to a lot of other places. They have a huge verity of strains. The seeds have always popped/germinated for me and 100% female seeds. You can get your seeds here
Before you go
Germination is one of the more delicate processes of growing cannabis and if done properly, with care. The plants’ life will have a great start and the next growing stage will come quicker and be a bit easier.
To learn more about the next stage in a cannabis plants life head on over to Cannabis Training Techniques
Feel free to leave a comment or questions down below. I am always happy to hear from fellow growers.
Happy Growing!