How To Germinate Old Marijuana Seeds
With the cost of seeds sailing above growers reach, you can only anticipate using your old seeds. Nonetheless, storing your seeds incorrectly or for a long time may render them infertile – and they can’t germinate. But just how do you let those old marihuana seeds spring back to life? We’ll help you convert your relics into pure green stretches of robust marijuana fields!
Sorting Your Old Marijuana Seeds
The first step in any agricultural process is to ensure you have the right seeds, and the same applies to cannabis. While harvesting marijuana seeds, all is kept, and nothing is lost. That means all types of seeds mature and immature. How do you distinguish good seeds from bad ones? You’ll consider the following.
Sorting Seeds by Color and shape
Whether you obtained your seeds from a seedbank, a store, or a reseller, different marijuana seed strains come in diverse colors. Mature marijuana seeds take on a dark coat while immature ones are brighter and usually white in color. Most visible colors are brown, tan, and sometimes black. In contrast, bright yellow and white colors quickly identify immature seeds.
Marijuana seeds are known for their aesthetic qualities and shape. The larger, rounder and symmetrical seeds are the best. Larger seeds have a reasonable germination rate compared to small ones, which tend to be immature.
Sorting Seeds By Hardness
Even though your seeds have taken some time inside the storage containers, mature cannabis seeds’ hardness isn’t compromisable. Hard and tough seeds with a smooth shell guarantee a reasonable germination rate. At the same time, be on the lookout for crinkled and cracked seeds. They will waste your time and energy and fail to germinate after planting.
3 Ways To Germinate Old Cannabis Seeds
Below we will go over 3 popular methods used to germinate old cannabis seeds. Remember you need to do your part by trying to keep the temperature between 26°C–28° as that is where clones seem to root the best. You also need to ensure the seed are kept in the dark area as light can slow down the germination process.
Method 1- Scarification
The first method is Scarification. This involves inflicting injuries on your seeds’ outer shell to allow for water and air intake, which are necessities for germination. . Under manual scarification, you’ll need a jar or box lined with sandpaper or any rough material to scar the seeds’ outer skin. You’ll place your seeds inside the jar or box and shake. After some time, you will observe that the seeds turn dull, and parts of seed coats can be seen inside the jar. Once you have scared the outer shell of your marijuana seeds you can then germinate them as you normally would.
Method 2- Carbonated Water
The second method involves using carbonated water with a pH below 7. This slightly acidic solution eats away the outer layer of the seeds. You’ll place your seeds in a container full of carbonated water and wait for about two hours. The solution will loosen the seed coat, enabling it to absorb water, which will aid in germination.
Method 3- Hydrogen Peroxide Mixture
Method 3 requires you to use a hydrogen peroxide mixture to soften up the outer shell of the seed. You need to be carful when mixing a peroxide solution as you can burn your seed up and they will never germinate. To use the Hydrogen peroxide mixture for the germination process use 1 to 2 drops of 99% hydrogen peroxide in a shot glass of water. After soaking for 24 hours the outer shell will softe up enough for the seeds to germinate. Apart from chemical and mechanical scarification, you can choose other DIY methods to loosen the seed coat. For instance, you can use a small knife to scratch at or open the seed coat. You can explore other methods as long as you don’t harm the seeds’ embryo.
1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide with 6 parts water.
1 part 4.5% hydrogen peroxide with 9 parts water.
1 part 6% hydrogen peroxide with 12 parts water.
1 part 30% hydrogen peroxide with 60 parts water.
Always Use Clean Fresh Water
Pure and clean water contains molecules of oxygen and hydrogen. These are two life-supporting elements necessary for germination. Soaking your seeds for at least 12 hours permits water to enter into the living cells, a process known as osmosis. Now that the inside conditions favor germination, the seed’s embryo will expand, breaking out of the protective coat.
Conclusion
Old marijuana seeds sometimes pose a challenge for germination. You can sort mature seeds, loosen the hard protective layer through various methods, try out new chemical germination boosters, or use biocatalysts. Similarly, soaking your clean, soft seeds in pure water will push the embryo out of its protective blanket. After trying some of the above processes to germinate your old marijuana seeds, you can be sure to cultivate healthy and vibrant plants and expect good yields.
Much Respect & Happy Growing
Written By @NsRob
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