how to germinate marijuana seeds

How to Germinate Marijuana Seeds

The demand for marijuana has risen significantly in the past few years and people have started using it for recreational purposes. This is a good sign that the marijuana industry in the United States is growing rapidly. It is also expected to grow exponentially in the future as more states allow for recreational use.

Aside from regular people that started to reap the benefits of marijuana, medical institutions have also utilized it for medical purposes. They utilize it to help patients that are struggling with vomiting and nausea when undergoing chemotherapy.

While some states in the US restrict the use of any type of marijuana due to safety concerns, there are some states that started to legalize the use of recreational and medical marijuana.

Some of the states that successfully legalized the use of both types of marijuana in 2020 include Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, Montana, and New Jersey. If your state has begun to allow recreational use and growing, read on to learn how to germinate marijuana seeds for your first grows.

Choosing The Right Marijuana Seeds To Germinate

A rule of thumb when choosing the right seeds to germinate is by looking at the color of the seeds. It’s highly recommended for you to pick seeds that are darker in color.

This is because these types of seeds are viable even if you somehow accidentally crushed them. On the other hand, if you have some seeds that are lighter in color such as white or pale green then you should just throw them away.

The reason for this is that it would not germinate even if you provide them with the perfect condition to grow. Hence, always keep in mind to pick the darker ones as these types of seeds are known to have the potential to grow rapidly.

Space and your growing experience are also factors that will determine which seeds to buy. Some seeds, like autoflower strains, are better suited for new growers because they’re almost foolproof. If you’re an experienced grower, you can choose any seeds you like, as each strain has their own pros and cons for growing.

If you’re short on space and can’t grow outdoors, it’s better to choose shorter more dense strains like indica. Indica strains will grow shorter and allow you to squeeze more plants in your indoor space.

This is because some cannabis seeds can be easily crushed between your fingers but later on proved to grow very well. This is because it yields plants with such amazing buds and has a strong stem.

Great results are possible for you to achieve for as long as you provide an ideal environment for your seeds to grow. The better you prepare your growing environment, the better chance you’ll have at a successful harvest.

If you’re new to growing and in the state of Arizona, check out our Phoenix marijuana seeds page to see our collection of seeds that will give you a great balance of yield and ease of growing.

How To Germinate Marijuana Seeds: Recommended Mediums

The best way for beginners to start germinating their seeds is by using seedlings plugs and starter cubes. This method can be considered to be one of the fastest and easiest ways to germinate marijuana seeds.

These seedling plugs will make your life easier as it minimizes the amount of error that you might accidentally make when try to germinate your very first cannabis seeds.

All you need to do to provide an ideal condition for your cannabis seeds when germinating is to push one of the seeds into the pre-made hole of the seedling plug or cube.

Then, pour some water onto the surface of the starter plug or cube and be careful not to pour too much water on it.

You have successfully provided ideal conditions for your cannabis seed to germinate effectively. All you have to do now is to patiently wait and water it again later on when needed. Just be sure to cover the pre-made hole of the seedling.

This can be done by pinching your finger on the top surface of the seedling plug or cube. As long as the seeds make it into the hole of the seedling plugs then you should have a good plant later on. This is by far the easiest and fastest method that you can utilize to germinate your seeds efficiently.

Due to the high demand for cannabis seeds and clones, they can be very expensive to get on the market. On top of that, at times, you might have some genetic problems that you might want to avoid. Hence, it’s highly recommended for you to germinate your seeds by using the method that we have provided here.

This is done to make sure that you stand a chance to germinate a healthy cannabis seed which will grow into a beautiful marijuana plant. If you’re a beginner, we recommend using one of our grow tent kits for beginners to ensure a smooth first grow.

How To Germinate Marijuana Seeds Naturally

When learning how to germinate marijuana seeds, sometimes the best way to germinate your seeds is by imitating nature’s way of doing it. In a natural environment such as the forests, marijuana seeds can sprout naturally in damp soil.

From there, it will emerge upwards to get some exposure to sunlight as its taproots to begin to grow deeper into the soil. As a beginner that has no prior experience in germinating cannabis seeds, you might also want to consider planting your seeds directly in a growing medium.

This is done to allow for a natural germination process to take place. For this particular method, you may use any type of growing medium. You may still use them even though there is some growing medium that tends to be less suitable compared to others.

One of the advantages of utilizing a growing medium to germinate your young seedlings is that you don’t have to worry about your seeds being “shocked” when you transplant.

On top of that, your young cannabis seedlings will automatically start to get used to their new natural environment. They did this by adjusting their reaction to it.

Each time that you transplant a half or fully sprouted cannabis seed, you are causing the seed to get a lot of stress This is because it will need to readjust its reaction according to every growing medium that you decide to move it into.

Hence, it’s highly recommended that once you have transplanted the cannabis seeds into a new growing medium, do not repeat the process. The reason for this is that by doing this, you will be able to minimize the amount of stress that you give to your new plant.

If you are using regular soil, then it’s best for you to plant your seeds approximately 0.5 to 1 inch deep (or 1.3 to 2.5 cm) and make sure that your soil is damp. We do not recommend this method if you are brand new to growing.

This is because it decreases your germination success rate by allowing nature to do it’s thing.

Common Marijuana Seed Germination Mistakes

For many learning how to germinate marijuana seeds, a few mistakes are common. If you avoid these common mistakes, you’ll have a better chance at maxing out your germination success rate. This will save you time, money and frustration in your growing journey.

Mistake #1: Too Much Water

The first common mistake that most people do is that they pour in water excessively on the growing medium. It’s crucial to note here that the seedlings are just like us humans.

When you pour in too much water unnecessarily, you will end up drowning the seedlings. You will also prevent the ventilation of these seeds and kill your chances of success.

Consequently, the germination process of these seeds will be stopped altogether. It will also never germinate again in the future.

Mistake #2: Using Sealed Containers

The second common mistake that people tend to make is that they try to germinate their seedlings in a sealed container. It’s true that you will need to protect your seedlings from any external factors.

However, at the same time, you shouldn’t grow your seedlings in a sealed container. This is because this will only increase the level of moisture within the container.

This, in turn, will do nothing good for your seedlings as it will only promote the growth of fungi which can be very harmful to your baby seedlings. When learning how to germinate marijuana seeds, it’s best to ensure plenty of air flow.

Mistake #3: Planting Marijuana Seeds Too Deep

The third common mistake that people have repeated over and over again is to bury their cannabis seed extremely deep into the growing medium.

Just as we have discussed earlier in the article, you should always try your best to bury your seeds somewhere between 0.5 to 1 inch deep (or 1.3 to 2.5 cm) into the growing medium. If you bury your seeds too deep into the growing medium, you will only make it harder for the radicle of the seeds to get its way to the light.

The amount of light that your plant gets plays an important role in its growth. Just put the seed onto your finger and gently push it into the growing medium somewhere near the surface. Then, cover the hole with some soil when you’re done.

Mistake #4: Lack Of Sufficient Light

Next, the common mistake that people tend to do is that they don’t provide a sufficient amount of light to their seedlings to germinate.

The first phase of seed germination is the time when the radicle begins to shoot upwards. Hence, it’s highly recommended for you to provide an excessive amount of light rather than providing a dim light.

Don’t worry as cannabis plants are not affected by excessive light. However, it is surely affected by the absence of light. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should always try to provide a decent amount of water.

This is done so that your plants would not dry out too fast. In a nutshell, you should always balance the intensity of the light with the amount of water that you provide to your seedlings.

This is because by doing this, you will be able to germinate the seeds without having any problems. If you follow these steps and avoid the most common mistakes listed above, you’ll have a high rate of germination success.

If you have more questions about how to germinate marijuana seeds, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We’ll help you understand our tried and true method to getting a high success rate every time!