Don't screw it up. If your attempt at marijuana seed germination fails, you wasted your time and possibly your cash too.
Do not touch your marijuana seeds, the oil on your fingers will make them unhappy. Handle them with tweezers or some intermediate like a clean piece of plastic.
First of all, clean your hands. Using hydrogen peroxide or isopropyl alcohol, wipe down the area you will be working in and wipe all the materials you will be working with.
Get your marijuana seeds out of your refrigerator, which is where you should have been storing them ( a cold dark place ). Let them thaw out for a couple of hours before using them.
In order to germinate, your marijuana seeds need heat, water, and ( once the seed cracks ) light.
Warmth actually isn't all that vital for marijuana seed germination. Room temperature is fine. By room temperature, I mean 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Ideally, the seeds wish to be 80-85 degrees, but which will only speed them up a day or so. I would not waste my cash on a heating pad. Growing marijuana is costly enough, but do as you please.
Water is, naturally, the most significant factor in marijuana seed germination. Always ensure the water you use is as pure as possible. Distilled or reverse osmosis water is best, and at worst use tap water that has been boiled and cooled. Some folks like to soak their weed seeds in a jar of water for twenty-four hours or so before using them, but in my experience it really doesn't make a lot of difference. If you want to soak them anyhow, use a pH of 6.5-7.0.
You could have heard of the paper towel system. This seems to be the classic way to sprout marijuana seeds. The sole reason I am explaining it in the link above is actually because you might particularly be attempting to find it ; however, I do not recommend it. You will unnecessarily kill some of your plants doing this. Only expect a 70% germination rate ( with otherwise viable seeds ).
Now, it is time to plant your marijuana seeds. Ensure the medium you are using is nice and moist. If you're employing a soil mix, I highly counsel you to rethink. Many potting soils come with fungus gnat eggs in them, for no further charge. On top of that, it's tough to judge the moisture content in soil.
If you're a beginner, I strongly suggest using rockwool. Your can't over water rockwool, and you're seriously neglecting your plants if you underwater them. It is also always packed with air, so once the roots come out, you can rest guaranteed that they can breathe.
If germinating with soil, use a pH of 6.5-7.0. If germinating with rockwool, use a pH of 5.5-6.3 for watering, and don't forget to soak in a pH of 5.3-5.5 for a minimum of half an hour before using it.
Now plant your marijuana seeds, pointy side down. Push them into the medium about a seed-length, and brush some of the medium over the seed in order that it's not at once exposed to the air. If you cannot work out which side is the pointy side, it does not really matter. The seed will reorient itself. You're just making its job less complicated by planting it pointy side down.
Get a spray bottle. This spray bottle will be used to water your medium. Adjust the pH accordingly . It is a sensible idea to add some nutrient elements to the water before fixing the pH. A very small amount of nutrients, of course. I employ a .1-.1-.5 plant growth catalyst called Liquid Karma ( at 2 mL/gallon ) and it works great. Pure water is OK to use.
Put the germinating marijuana seeds in a starter tray. Spray the tray with water. Spray the humidity dome for the tray with water. You want as humid an environment as possible for your babies.
Put the tray somewhere warm. They deserve to be at least seventy degrees and ideally 80-85 degrees. Some people say you should keep it somewhere dark till the plants are popping out of the medium. In truth, it does not make a difference. Put them under your light now if you would like.
If you used rockwool, your seeds are viable, and you followed these instructions correctly, your odds of successful marijuana seed germination should be close to 100%.
In three or 4 days, you should be seeing some sprouts. At this point, put them under some lights if you have not already. What type of lights? Florescent lighting is best. If you do not have any florescent lighting, put the tray on the floor 7 or eight feet from your HID light ( they do not want too much light now ). If you have been watering with pure water, add some nutrient elements now. Always keep the medium clammy, but not wet.
After busting 2 or three nodes ( takes about 2 weeks ), it is time to move your marijuana seeds for transplanting to their permanent home in the vegetative expansion room. If using 1.5" rockwool cubes, it's simple to tell when to transplant...when the roots pop through the base of the cube.
Congratulations, you know how to succeed in your escapades of marijuana seeds germination. Give yourself a pat on the back. If you're still confused, then I need to practice my communication abilities, and you need to possibly go some other place for info on marijuana seed germination. Good luck with that.
