How to germinate weed seeds

How to germinate weed seeds. There are a lot of different germination methods used worldwide. When it comes to growing cannabis everyone has their own method of growing & growing style. Finding help online can be contradicting at times as some articles will tell you to do one thing, then the next article you read will tell you the opposite. It’s up to you to do the research, I recommend reading 4 to 5 articles on 1 topic & find what works for others and use that info to develop your own growing style that works for you.

Below I will list the germination methods that I have personally used over the years and had great success.

Method 1 Glass Of Water + Paper Towel

This is the method I use the most and the method I have had the best success with over the years.

drop your seeds into a glass or shot glass of water and place in a dark spot for 12 to 14 hours. Make sure water is warm and does not go below 22 degrees or it will slow the process. After 12 – 14 hours place seeds between moist paper towel on a plate and place another plate over the top. Depending on how old the seeds are will depend on how quick they pop. Fresh seeds can take 24 to 48 hours where older seeds can take up to 5 days and might need a little help to pop. Keep checking the paper towel every 4 hours to ensure it doesn’t dry out if you’re in a hot area. If you have a heating pad it will help to speed the process along.

Method 2 Glass Of Water

This is a great method for fresh seeds. I have used this method many times before switching to the method above.

Pop your seeds into a cup of lukewarm water and place in the dark. If your seeds were fresh after 24 hours you should see a nice taproot. I know a lot of people who use this method with great success but you need to be careful. Some seeds will start to rot if left in the glass to long. I’ve seen seeds rot in as little as 48 hours and for this reason, I always recommend the paper towel after 12 to 14 hours. If you know your seeds are less then 1.5 years old you should not have an issue with this method.

Method 3 Paper Towel

Another popular method I have used many times, this old school method is used by many expert growers.

Put a piece of paper towel on a plate and put your seeds on the paper towel. Next, take a sheet of paper towel and place it over your seeds so they are between the two sheets. Moisten the paper towel with lukewarm water and place another plate over top similar to the photo. Put your plate in a dark area and wait 24 hours + for your seeds to pop. Using a heating pad can speed up the process but remember not to let the paper towel go dry. Another popular method is to place the seeds into the paper towel and put them in a ziplock bag and wait for them to pop. I have used this method in the past as well but fid the plate method works better as it allows the seeds to get fresh air.

Method 4 Directly In Soil

Popular among outdoor growers worldwide. I have tried this method in the past and had a mix of success rates

I use the jiffy pods that come pre-packed, you need to soak in water to expand before using but you can use any type of medium you like when germinating directly into the soil. Once you have your medium ready and have moistened it with water you can place the seed 1-2 cm into the soil by making a small hole and dropping it in. lightly cover the seed and ensure to have a light on them at all times. Be sure not to plant the seed too deep as it will need the light to help it pop. Do not press the soil around the seed it might not have the strength to break through the soil. Your seed should start growing within 4- 10 days depending on how old the seed is. Place a glass over the area where the seed was planted this will help build heat and humidity.

Tips and tricks

1. Using lukewarm water to start can help speed up the process.
2. Using a heating pad under your plate, glass or pot can help speed things up.
3. Older seeds may take longer to pop. Add a few drops of Hydrogen peroxide to soften the shell.
4. 60 – 70 % humidity and 22-24 degrees temperature I find works best.
5. If your seeds are older then 5 years you may need to use sandpaper to sand a bit of the shell to allow it to take in water.

Conclusion

I know there are a lot of variations of the methods listed above. This is what I found worked best for me. If your new to growing or just looking for some extra tips choose a method above and start experimenting to see what works for you. Let us know if you enjoyed this blog post in the comments or give it a like or share. If you have a method you would like to share with us please leave a reply below. If you would like to suggest a topic for us please use the contact us page.

Much Respect & Happy Growing From @ns_rob

How to germinate weed seeds