While the word “germination” might sound a bit daunting to newer growers, rest assured that the process has been perfected by millions of growers over the years, who can attest to its simplicity and affordability.
We also highly encourage new growers to study the workings of the cannabis seed in depth to consistently achieve the best results. Below, we will go into the anatomy of cannabis seeds, their composition, and how to easily and quickly germinate them.
What is inside a cannabis seed?
The embryo and the nutrient storage are kept safely inside the shell, and they provide the necessary energy for the cannabis seed to germinate and grow some leaves, at which point it can photosynthesize on its own.
The outer shell that protects the embryo and nutrient storage is the seed coat, shielding the seed from physical damage and disease while preventing water loss. The seed coat also plays a critical role in survival by ensuring that the seeds only germinate in environmental conditions where they can thrive.
Scoring your cannabis seeds
Some cannabis seeds have tougher or thicker shells due to a myriad of factors, such as the strain, the age of the seed, and the environmental conditions during seed formation. These can be a bit more difficult than others to germinate. When this is the case, cannabis experts recommend scoring the seed coat—lightly scratching the outer shell—to help speed up germination by allowing water and oxygen to enter more easily, subsequently triggering the growth process.
Germination generally occurs quite quickly, but the timelines for cannabis seeds can vary based on factors like temperature, moisture, and how hard the seed coat is. Quick sprouters typically germinate in as little as 3 days, but some cannabis seeds can take up to 15 days to sprout.
Cultivators can usher the germination process along in a few ways:
- maintain a warm, moist environment that is between 70 and 85°F,
- use fresh seeds,
- soak the seeds in water for 12-24 hours before germination.
The Paper Towel Method
The paper towel method is a tried and true way to germinate cannabis seeds. The best part is that it is incredibly beginner-friendly and only requires a few inexpensive items. Adhere to the following steps for the best results:
- Use single-ply paper towels (likely the cheapest option at the store). This is important, as thicker, cloth-like paper towels can inspire the taproots to grow into them, making them near-impossible to separate later.
- Place a few seeds, placed an inch or so apart, between two moistened paper towel sheets. The towels should be able to absorb all the water you add (no standing water).
- Put this little package on a right-side-up plate and put another plate upside-down on top, creating a little dome over your seeds. You can also put your seeds in a plastic bag or under an overturned bowl on top of a plate. The point is to keep the moisture locked in.
- Make sure your germinating seeds are in a space that stays at room temperature (around 72°F) and is completely dark or only dimly lit.
- Check your seeds about once every 12 hours to see if a taproot has sprouted, but don’t disturb your seeds by touching them.
- If paper towels dry out, use a spray bottle to moisten them again. Drain off any excess water.
- In most cases, you will see tiny white sprouts, called taproots, break out of the shell within 3 and 5 days, but sometimes they take a bit longer.
- Once the taproots are ½-¾ inches long, it’s time to plant your seeds in your chosen growing medium.
Your seeds might not all sprout at the same time. You can either plant them as they are ready or leave them for a day or two and plant them when the other taproots are long enough.
Do not leave your sprouted seeds for too long or else you run the risk of the taproot drying out, the roots getting thin and delicate or so long that they tangle together, or the lack of nutrients leading to stunted plant growth later on. If the rest of the seeds aren’t ready to plant within a few days, plant the ones that are.
Be very careful when moving the sprouted seeds from the paper towel to the new growing medium. We recommend using tweezers and a steady hand!
After you order your cannabis seeds, dive right into this germination process. All it takes is practice to feel like a cannabis cultivation master, and these simple steps will give you the confidence you need. Once your seeds have popped, head over to our growing guide to learn all about cultivating healthy cannabis plants for an outstanding harvest.
Our Germination Promise
Worried that the seeds you got won’t germinate? Your purchase will be covered by our germination promise.
As seeds develop into living organic plant life, many factors can affect its growth and development during the vegetative stage after germination. But despite its uncertainty, one thing we know for sure is we want you to enjoy the cultivation process as much as we have since the first day we started growing our own marijuana ourselves!
Which is why we as a company have made a promise to all of our valuable customers that if your seeds fail to germinate after following our germination instructions, we will replace them completely free of charge*.
*Minimum three seeds per replacement claim. Buyer is responsible for additional shipping fees and postage.