Starting Your Seeds

I agree, starting your seeds is always the same, indoor or out.

CrackerJax said:

I agree, starting your seeds is always the same, indoor or out.

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Another quick quesiton my friend, I have the seed in a 3 qt pot, I did not use much water initially as I was afraid about using to much, a cup worth maybe. I then used a 1/2 more cup last night and have misted twice today. Ya I am mabye paranoid but I am not sure that the seed has enough water to come out. It has been about 30 hours since planted right intow soil. Do they need much? As long as the surface is moist is that fine? Sorry for the question, this watering thing is driving me batty

You have enough water. They don't want to soak in it.... just that bit of moisture starts the whole process. nature waits for a good sign....moisture being one of the big ones. No worries, if the seed is fresh, it will sprout.

CrackerJax said:

Okay to all you paper towel heads and water nuts. I have been saying this for a long time now but found a site which states it nicely. Read this and don't lose any more of your precious seeds needlessly.

For an optimal germination result the seeds should be planted DIRECTLY into the substrate. We clearly advise against using pre-germination methods or soaking. Please do not place the seeds into a glass of water or in moist paper tissues. Fresh and healthy seeds prefer a nurturing and airy substrate to germinate in – just as mother nature has meant it to be. Cannabis is a plant species originating from semi-arid and temperate biotopes and the vast majority of modern cannabis hybrids contain a substantial percentage of these genetics. Cannabis seeds are not adapted to swampy wetlands, but they are suited for germinating in well drained soil/substrate. In nature they rot if they fall into a puddle of water...and there are no paper tissues lying around either. Taking into account these botanical facts, it is quite logical that by creating germination conditions that are similar to those of the natural habitat one can expect the best results.
What happens if one uses pre-germination methods?
1. Soaking seeds in water/wet paper towels is a method which can be used for old seeds (3+ years) that are drying up and losing germination power; and for pure land race equatorial strains such as from Africa. Both factors do not apply to our seeds. Fresh seeds have a healthy embryo whose cells are filled with water. But excess water causes the cells to bloat, depletes oxygen and leads to the tissue rotting away before the seed embryo can germinate. Old seeds have lost water in the cell tissue, the embryo starts to shrivel, which is why germination rates drop the older the seeds are. Therefore, old seeds (ie. 3+ years) can soak up more water before adverse conditions cause them to rot. This is one of the main reasons why various seed stock reacts differently to pre-germination methods. Especially novice growers make a lot of mistakes with pre-germination methods such as soaking seeds in water for up to 1-2 days. Even if one chooses to pre-germ seeds it has to be done correctly.
It is in a growers best interest to choose a germination method with the lowest risk of complications. Because we want customers to have the highest success rate possible we recommend the most convenient and safest method. This does not mean it is the only option. We simply believe it carries the lowest risk. In fact, planting seeds directly in the substrate is also the most plant friendly method for any type of seed stock. The reasons are explained below in paragraph 2 & 3.
2. Placing healthy & fresh seeds in water/wet tissue can lead to the development of fungi or bacteria on the seed hull. Lack of oxygen and contaminating substances in the water/wet tissue promote fungal growth which can be transported to the substrate later on. Often the seed simply rots away if left for too long in a glass of water, or wrapped up in wet tissue.
3. Once the seed sprouts in a glass of water or paper tissue it already has the taproot growing out of the cracked seed hull. While transplanting the germinated seed it is very difficult, indeed impossible, to prevent damage to the delicate taproot. Many sprouted seedlings handled in this way show retarded development, or even simply fail to appear out of the substrate after transplantation. Handling seedlings this way can impair the health & vigour of the plant for the duration of it’s life cycle - especially if other disturbing factors occur during the early stages of growth.
Professional horticulturists rarely use pre-germination methods to actually grow out the seedlings because of the shock suffered from transplanting them. For example, we use the paper tissue method only as a quick test for germination rates of aged seed stock from our genetic repository. This allows us to see beforehand how many seeds we have to put in soil to get the amount of plants we require for breeding projects.
Germinating cannabis seeds is not difficult. All you need is some basic information on what is important and everything should work out fine.




Like writing an english paper...keep it short and keep it simple.




out.

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That was deep bro... nice....... nice job dude.
Peace.

That site was Mandala seeds out of Spain. Good people...good seeds.

Thanks!!

CrackerJax said:

That site was Mandala seeds out of Spain. Good people...good seeds.

Thanks!!

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For example, we use the paper tissue method only as a quick test for germination

sounds to me like they use this method because its faster, i am reading the same thing right, seems to me a root will pop faster in water w/ no resrtiction slowing exspansion

turtledurtle said:

For example, we use the paper tissue method only as a quick test for germination

sounds to me like they use this method because its faster, i am reading the same thing right, seems to me a root will pop faster in water w/ no resrtiction slowing exspansion

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No, they are saying the opposite really. They see the tissue as inferior and if they get germ using that, then they know the seeds will produce no matter how much we abuse them.

Katatawnic said:

I germ right in the grow medium, and I've had one seed sprout in three days and the rest in two. Not just taproots, but actual sprouts. When I did it the paper towel/tissue way, it took at least that long just for the seeds to crack. So in my experience, it's faster to do it right in the grow medium.

Perhaps they mean that it's an easy way to check on them periodically? You can see the taproot development when it's in paper tissue, whereas in soil/rockwool/etc. you just have to wait to see. (Just a guess. lol)

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ok, so maybe since its real hot outside i could start in soil and water and cover with like a cup or something so it wont dry out while at work?

It shouldn't dry out. Most of the drying out occurs once the plant is up and drawing moisture into its system. Just wet them thoroughly and they will be fine for the day.

i put two big bud afghani seeds in two cups of water last night
and two in paper towels do you tink it would be ok to take the seeds out of the paper towl and put them in a pot even tho they havent sproted yet or should i just leave them tis is my first attemp please help x


oh i just took a look one of the seeds in the paper towel has split open a bit so i think i should leave it but both the seeds in the water have sunk does that mean i can plant them now or do i have to wait for them to crack please help

You can move them anytime, but the more they sprout the more careful you must be. It's very easy to damage a new sprout, and you only get one chance.

Move them, but be gentle.

do i put the ones from the glasses of water in the mud now as well and when in the mud do i turn on my lights thank you for your help

mud?

Light soil with perlite is what ur after...not mud, unless u were just using slang.

If ur room is relatively warm.... at least 70 or so.....and there is ambient light from windows.... there is no need to turn the lights on till they sprout.

I have been gemanateing seeds for time and i have always done it the same way soak for 12 hours then transfer to the clam two saucers the same size on top of each other the bottom one have a good bed of papper towel on it.Always use water with a drop of super thrive in ph of 5.5 and spray the seed.Make sure that the papper towel is wet but not sodden and every seed will germanate 100% of the time has long has the seeds have been stored right room temp in a dark place if the seeds are gonna be used with in 6months if longer then put them into a fridge at temp 4 degrees.You will hear many conflicting advice on this subject but stick to those in the know like green house seeds.

Or you could listen to the entire agricultural sector..... or someone who has been growing plants for twenty years or so.

There is a lot of misinformation out there...this is true. The soaking the seeds is a real method for helping germination..... in certain plants. Marijuana is NOT one of them. This has somehow crossed over and the weed industry has given in to the mistake.

Soaking seeds is only to help break down thick and hard seed hulls. Not that they need help... they don't, but the timing of the seed is altered for quicker germ for commercial profit reasons. No nursery wants to wait for a Canna lily seed to break open.... they help it along by either scarifying it and/or soaking it.

Weed has a THIN hull. It doesn't have a slow germ timer built in. This is where the crossover of info has taken place. It is UNNEEDED. More steps means more potential for mistakes. The less you handle the seeds, the better off u will be.

CrackerJax said:

Or you could listen to the entire agricultural sector..... or someone who has been growing plants for twenty years or so.

There is a lot of misinformation out there...this is true. The soaking the seeds is a real method for helping germination..... in certain plants. Marijuana is NOT one of them. This has somehow crossed over and the weed industry has given in to the mistake.

Soaking seeds is only to help break down thick and hard seed hulls. Not that they need help... they don't, but the timing of the seed is altered for quicker germ for commercial profit reasons. No nursery wants to wait for a Canna lily seed to break open.... they help it along by either scarifying it and/or soaking it.

Weed has a THIN hull. It doesn't have a slow germ timer built in. This is where the crossover of info has taken place. It is UNNEEDED. More steps means more potential for mistakes. The less you handle the seeds, the better off u will be.

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thank you for the advise the term mud was slang lol sorry

on closer inspection the seeds in the water have little tiny white root poking out so i have planted them all now do they need to stay in the dark still or my window sill is 95 f today should i put them in that kind of heat

95 is a bit high, but the soil should insulate them.... another plus for going straight in. Just keep the soil wet, but not "muddy" (ahem ).

Depending on what size containers u started with, you can put a piece of carboard between the window and ur containers. This will keep the ambient heat from outside warming ur soil too much. Just keep the cardboard only as tall as the container so no shade from the cardboard is above the top of the container.

Keep them in the light.

great thank you sorry im being a pain but one last question tonight when it gets dark should i put them back in the grow box with the lights on or off

Give them a normal light cycle.... just like the sun. There's no such thing as indoor seeds, they are all the same. Sun goes down....it gets dark.. Just leave them there on the sill.

ur not being a pain by the way. Learning is fun, and I'm glad to help you.