Germinating Cannabis Seeds

If you are growing your own medicinal cannabis, the most likely you are going to need to know about germinating marijuana seeds. Germination of a seed, any viable seed, is a simple as providing moisture, warmth and darkness. When appropriate mixture of these conditions are made available to a seed with life inside of it, it will sprout. And after the root is at least 1/4 inch long, the seed is ready to be placed in the environment where it will be growing.

Marijuana seed germination techniques:

There are several different effective techniques that you can use in order to germinate your cannabis seeds. The best method for you will depend on your intended growing strategy. If you're going to be growing in soil, then the seeds you plant will be able to germinate directly where they will be growing. Simply place them about 3/8 of an inch beneath the soil and keep them moist (not wet) by spraying the surface with a spray bottle whenever necessary.

If you're using some type of hydroponic or aeroponic setup, then you can either use the paper towel method described below; or you can start the seed directly in a bit of the media that you will be using in your gardening area. For instance, 1-inch square rockwool cubes have an indentation in the top side for seed insertion. Always remember to be attentive as to whether the media you are using has requirements for PH balancing before placing your seeds in. In some cases, your growing media will need to be soaked in PH-balanced, nutrient-infused water prior to accepting your seeds.

Germinate Cannabis Seeds:

Required items:

• High quality marijuana seeds;
• One dark, flat plate;
• One dark bowl (the kind you eat out of), large enough to cover the majority of the surface of the plate;
• Paper towels or a small bit of the hydroponic growing media you'll be using;
• Water;

Step-by-step marijuana seed germination instructions:

• Start with quality cannabis seeds only! Unimpressive genetics yield unimpressive plants.
• Rinse the plate and the bowl in as hot of water as you can stand to use.
• Rinse the paper towels that you will be using (1 or 2 sheets is plenty) in hot water and squeeze excess water out.
• Fold the paper towels appropriately so that they fit on the surface of the plate, but not stick outside of the circumference of the bowl when it's turned over onto the plate.
• Leave the paper towels sitting on the plate until everything reaches room temperature.
• Take your seeds and put them on top of the wet paper towel, leaving a couple of inches of space between each seed in all directions.
• Some medicinal cannabis growers also place a damp paper towel over the top of the seeds; some don't.
• Place the bowl, open side down, over the seeds and paper towels.
• Position the plate in a safe, warm and clean area where it will not be disturbed.
• Each day, make a check to monitor progress and to ensure that the paper towels are kept moist.
• Use reverse-osmosis purified water. Don't let the paper towels dry out and don't oversoak them!
• As individual seeds sprout roots and develop to at least 1/4 inch in length, carefully, with tweezers, position them (root side down) into the growing environment where they will be grown.

Many cannabis strain seeds will germinate in less than two days, however some may take up to 12 days. So don't give up on them if they don't seem to be sprouting super quickly. And although there is some variance between strains, most marijuana seeds will germinate at temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It's not a good idea to go below or above that range. If you live somewhere cold, consider purchasing a seedling heating mat to make marijuana seed germination even simpler.