Germinate weed seeds: 8 tips to consider

Growing Cannabis from seed can be fun as well as rewarding. Germinating cannabis seeds are needed to grow successful healthy plants that every beginner or a pro-level grower knows. The most critical aspect of successfully harvesting full beautiful marijuana buds will be germinating your cannabis seeds because it may sound easy but not as easy as it sounds. Here are the top 8 tips that will not only increase your success chances, but you could have marijuana seedlings developing into large healthy mature plants also.

You should always work with the best seed banks in the industry to ensure there is a maximum chance of germination success. Unfortunately, there are a lot of poorly made, cheap seeds available on the web. How do I know what’s right? What should I buy? These are two questions that spring to mind when faced with this issue.

It all starts with the seed! Whether you get your seeds for free from a friend, or whether you buy them from a reputable breeder, be sure that your seeds are fresh. We recommend you to choose weed seeds from Hypno Seeds as they provide premium quality cannabis seeds. You can visit Hypno Seeds’ official website to place your order for weed seeds. A good general rule is – if they look and feel old and cracked, they probably are! You can also inspect the seeds yourself. Healthy seeds typically have a dark, striped appearance with a firm shell. Avoid seeds that are green, pale, or cracked, as these are often immature and less likely to sprout.

Store Seeds Properly Before Germination

If you’ve got seeds you won’t be using them right away. The secret to their longevity is that they must maintain their viability. Weed seeds should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place – at the perfect temperature and humidity so as not to allow them to germinate or degrade.

For most varieties, -seeds will store reliably at 43°F to 47°F (6°C to 8°C) as long as they are kept in a container that controls moisture including air- or vacuum-sealed containers.

Refrigerators are your best bet for -long-term storage but NEVER allow your seeds to freeze. If the cells of the seed interior freeze, ice crystals can cause damage which will prevent germination.

Use the Paper Towel Method

• Take 2 clean paper towels and get them wet. Not soaking wet, just wet. Put seeds inside 1 of the wet paper towels and place the other wet towel on top.
• Place paper towels with the seeds into a zip-lock bag or in between two plates to maintain the humidity. Put the bag or plates somewhere warm that is also dark like a cupboard at around 70°F to 85°F (21°C to 29°C).
• Check on the seeds every day to ensure that the paper towel remains moist and germination should occur within three to seven days. Once you see small, white roots emerging from the seeds, they’re ready for planting in soil or another growing medium.

Keep the Right Temperature and Humidity

The thing that plants need before anything else is a good environment to germinate in, and the two most likely parameters for giving you any trouble are temperature and humidity. Most seeds like it between 70-85°F (21–29°C) and about 70–90% relative humidity when it comes to actually germinating; if it’s too cold then they may just go dormant or even slowly start rotting, and if it’s too hot they may get a little too dried out or heat damaged.

If you are starting seeds, a heat mat is helpful to keep the soil warm and humidity can be achieved by using a plastic dome or cover to keep moisture around the seed.

Soak Seeds in Water Before Germination

Soaking weed seeds in water for 12 to 24 hours before you germinate them can often help speed up the process, especially with older seeds that have become a bit tougher and take longer to pop. By soaking your seeds you begin the germination process immediately the seed enters an environment where it is encouraged to start growing, you also help remove any inhibitors on the shell of the seed slowing down germination while also giving it an extra boost by swelling up and cracking.

DIRECTIONS:

• Fill a glass with room temperature water (about 70°F/21°C).
• Put seeds in a glass of water. Let them soak for up to 24 hours- no longer or they will drown.
• Give the paper towel a good water and leave it damp or moist, I don’t like to squeeze out excess water, it will help keep the seed from drying out during this germination process.

Plant the Seeds at the Right Depth

Once your weed seeds have germinated and the taproot has emerged, it’s time to plant them. Planting cannabis seeds too shallow or too deep can prevent them from growing a strong root system and sturdy stems.

The perfect depth is around ½ inch (1.3 cm) below the surface of whatever growing medium you are using. Gently, place the seed in the root facing down, lightly cover it with soil or substrate, and lightly compress the soil because it will need to be pushed through.

Lightly water after but make sure it’s moist not too wet which can cause rot/mold.

Using a Rooting Hormone (Optional):  If you really want to get next level with your seed starting, consider using a rooting hormone. Rooting hormones help promote root growth and increase germination rates, especially for older seeds.

Rooting hormones come in gel, powder, and liquid form. To use rooting hormone, dip the taproot of the germinated seed in the hormone and then plant it in the soil. You do not need to do this for every seed you are planting but if you have older seeds or trouble with certain types germinating or establishing a strong root system try it out.

Give it time

The germination process is a lesson in patience. You might feel tempted to peek at the seeds or touch them, but doing so before they’re ready can accidentally expose the seeds and their delicate taproots, which haven’t had time to settle into the soil yet, resulting in stunted plants.

If you’ve started your germinated seeds in a paper towel, or you’ve planted them directly into the soil or a growing medium, don’t touch your germinating seeds unless you absolutely have to for the first four or five days. By then, your seedlings should have poked up through the surface of the soil (or other medium).

It is easy to germinate cannabis seeds. And an important part of the process of growing great marijuana plants. Good seeds, a little bit of environment, and time are all it takes to get most varieties of pot seeds started. Your weed seeds will pop in no time if you keep reading and follow these 8 essential tips for germinating cannabis seeds; we guarantee it!