How to Germinate Seeds with Ease
Seed sprouting can be difficult for folks who don’t have a ton of experience germinating, and at the cost of good genetics its worth doing some research. I’ve began compiling the germination techniques from all our breeders to give folks an idea of what might work best for them. Here’s some tips from the professionals on germinating seeds:
“My usual method is pretty simple. Coco and tap water. i put the coco in the seed trays… compact it lightly. Then water until the water drains. Then i poke a hole with a toothpick about 1/4” deep. I also try to make sure I plant the seed with the caldera side up.. pointy side of the seed down. The seeds tend to grow upside down otherwise.. I dig up every seed after 3 days if i haven’t seen anything coming up, and i usually find them upside down or just not racked yet. Then after this, I just keep the coco moist, but not soggy. I’d actually rather go a little dry than too wet. This has been my method for 20 years. No soak. No magic voodoo juice. No Paper towel (unless i’m testing the germination rate on seeds) … Just good old plant and water. I’ve popped 15+ year old seeds this method with no issues. Don’t over complicate it. Don’t overthink it. They are seeds.”
Maryland Masher (Manifest Destiny Seed Co.):
Float-tek germination method:
Properly floating cannabis seeds to germinate them is as easy as placing the seeds in room temp filtered water (tap water works as well, in a perfect world the optimal pH would around ~7) in a container that is covered from direct light. I use a kitchen cupboard but anything similar would suffice. When the tap root is about ¼ to ½ inch in length, the cannabis seeds are ready to be placed into their growing medium. I personally use a coco coir/ perlite mixture when running an indoor cycle, outdoors I prefer a basic living soil mix. This method is by far the easiest, and most effective method for cannabis seed germination I have found and has been my sole germination method for the past decade. Just don’t disturb the seeds and don’t let them sink. They will float the whole duration of the process.
I always get a ton of questions on how to germinate seeds. Especially old seeds.
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Everyone has their own way. Depending how the seeds were stored, the fridge is an excellent place to store, or for a cold snap.
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From germinating, cloning, veg, flower or seed production.. I try and make it as easy as possible. Heres a few steps that has really worked out great for me.
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IMO, A fullmoon is an awesome time to crack open seeds. The way I look at it. If a moon can move an oceans tide, it can definitely tie into germinating seeds as well 🌑🌱💚💫
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🌱1..I always lightly scuff the seams to older special seeds with a book of matches on the grit strip side, then soak in regular tap water for 24-48 hours. Yes Tap water. Imo, Tap water works amazing for germinating seeds due to the chlorine and the minerals that are in city or well water…. (If they sink or crack open on a soak, it’s usually party time. If not, I gently crack them open with my teeth.. kinda like a sunflower seed). . 🌱2.. Once they sink to the bottom of the cup, I put a few drops of peroxide in there to clean and oxygenate the tap root. Sometimes the peroxide will make your seeds float.. Totally cool.. Let sit for another 12-24 hours then rinse seeds in a fresh cup of water..Just my thing.. 🌱3..From there I put them into a damp paper towel, then stick them into a Ziploc bag full of air.
🌱 4… Let them sit for at least 2-3 days for the tap root to reach, before you stick them into soil…
🌱5..DO NOT BURY THE SEED…JUST BURY THE TAP ROOT SO THE SEED IS ABOVE SOIL.Then use spray bottle to dampen soil.. .
Step 3-4 is crucial..When they sit in the the paper towel..The tap root grows tiny little microscopic hairs that become very effective when placed into soil.. 🙏🛰️🌱 This process usually takes up to a week. ⚠️Fyi, try this method on some old bs seeds. Don’t try it on your brand new 1k auction pack and say Stray said this works. lol.. This method works for me. Hope this helps..
Thanks
Stray🙏🏽💚