Cannabis seeds, also known as weed seeds, are the tiny reproductive units that give rise to a mature, flowering marijuana plant. Reputable seed brands spend a lot of time stabilising their genetics to produce premium, consistent seeds that the grower can replicate in the grow room.
Start by germinating the seeds in a cup of water or in moist kitchen towel until white roots reach 2-3mm, then carefully transfer them to soil pots.
How to Grow
Whether growing indoors or out, you can get great results with professionally bred cannabis seeds. Genetics determine how easy a strain is to grow and how big your harvest will be.
You can also minimize headaches with feminized seeds, which ensure that every plant you grow will be a bud-producing female. Another way to get a consistent yield is to start with clones.
A clone is an exact copy of the mother plant, so it has the same effects and characteristics as the original. Clones are especially useful when you want to replicate a specific phenotype. For example, you might want to recreate a classic like Orange Bud that has a high THC content and lots of CBD. The clone will produce a harvest of buds with the same taste, aroma and cannabinoid profile as the original. It will also grow quickly and mature much sooner than a seedling or a regular feminized plant.
Preparation
There are a number of ways to germinate cannabis seeds. The most common is to put the seeds on a plate between two pieces of wet paper towel. The seed embryo absorbs the water and grows, elongating and sprouting. This takes 24 to max 48 hours. This is best done in a dark place on room temperature.
The seeds can also be put on multiplication gels which will multiply the seeds into many copies of the original sprouting seedling, reducing the number of plants you have to transplant to soil later. You can also plant the seed directly in soil. Just make sure that the soil you use is rich in nutrients and has a high humidity.
Feminized cannabis seeds are those that have been specially processed to remove male chromosomes, which will ensure that every sprout is a female plant capable of producing buds. However, the germination process will still be required. Alternatively, you can grow a cannabis plant from a clone. This can give you an exact copy of the original plant in terms of flavour, effects and yield.
Germination
Germination is the first step in growing cannabis seeds and getting your premium genetics off to a good start. The most common method for germinating seeds is soaking them in water, which makes for an easy setup and low risk of rot.
The best way to do this is in a germination station, which has trays for your seeds and a heat pad beneath to keep the soil warm. These are often easy to find at your local gardening store and make the germination process much smoother.
Another common method is to put the seeds between moist paper towels, which has a lower risk of rot but requires a bit more monitoring. You’ll want to check the paper towel every other day and make sure it isn’t getting too dry, as this can slow the germination process or even cause them to stop altogether. You also need to ensure the seeds are pointed downward, which helps prevent the fragile roots from being displaced during transplantation.
Harvest
Cannabis seeds are inactive until they are exposed to water and light. Once they are activated they germinate and grow into healthy plants. The best place to store your cannabis seeds is in a dark, cool environment like a refrigerator.
Once a seedling has matured, it is ready for harvest. The seedlings will have developed a main cola where the flowers grow tightly together, as well as smaller colas around its perimeter. The bud-producing portion of the plant is known as Sinsemilla, and is responsible for effects such as talkativeness, increased sociability, euphoria, and the munchies.
The flowering phase of the cannabis plant is triggered by reducing the hours of light it receives each day. During this stage, the cannabis plant will stop putting energy into leaf growth and will focus all of its efforts on producing buds. This is the time to harvest the cannabis plant for its buds. Most cannabis seed packets will include a timeline for when your plants are ready to harvest. These statistics are only a guide, and your specific plants may take longer or shorter than the timeline indicates.
