Seed Germination
TL;DR
Place your seeds into a glass of pure water. Soak your seeds for 14 to 18 hours. They should sink to the bottom of the glass within the first few hours. If they don’t do so on their own, help them by tapping the seeds gently.
Once the soaking period is over, pour the water and your seeds onto a layer of paper towel, drain off excess water.
Fold the wet paper towel over the seeds, so they are completely covered, and place them into the opened freezer bag.
Keep the paper towel well-saturated (but not damp) during the germination process, and check your cannabis seeds intermittently, watching for the taproot that will begin to grow.
The seeds are ready to be planted when the taproot is 1/4- to 3/4-inch long. This generally takes between 3-7 days, but could take up to 2 weeks.
The Germination Process for Cannabis Seeds
Germination is the first step of the growth process for your cannabis seeds. If your seeds germinate successfully, they should grow into healthy, high-producing cannabis plants. Cannabis seeds need three things in order to germinate:
Moisture When the taproot breaks free of the seed shell, it must have easy and immediate access to water in order to develop.
Darkness Plant roots are buried beneath the soil and likewise, this first tiny root needs darkness to develop.
Warmth Like most living things, cannabis roots develop best when they are kept comfortably warm, 24-26.5 degrees Celsius.
* Optional Scuffing
Scuffing the shell of the cannabis seeds with fine sandpaper (60 to 200 grit) lets the water soak through the shell more easily and kickstart germination. The easiest way to do this is to form a tube with a piece of sandpaper, with the textured surface on the inside. Place your thumb over one end and drop in your seeds. Then, placing your finger over the open end of the tube, shake the tube 20-30 times.
Additional Information
To begin the “Water Glass/Paper Towel” Cannabis Seed Germination Method, you will need a few simple items you probably already have around the house:
Thick paper towel with no dyes or perfumes, preferably unbleached;
Distilled or spring water (bottled), or rain water. We cannot guarantee successful germination in tap water. If you must use tap water, pour it a few days early, and let it sit out before beginning the germination process;
A glass or cup;
A plastic sandwich/freezer bag;
Tweezers (avoid touching your seeds with bare hands).
Step One Pour room temperature water (24-26.5 degrees Celsius) into the glass. Remove the cannabis seeds from their glass, medical-grade vial, and place them in the water. Note: Place no more than 5 seeds in each glass. Use a separate glass and paper towel for every 5 seeds you germinate. After the seeds have soaked for a few hours, they may sink to the bottom of the glass. If they have not, a gentle tap of your finger on the top of the seeds should make them sink. If any of the seeds do not sink, leave them for another hour or two and try again. Your cannabis seeds should be fully submerged within the first few hours of the process. This keeps them away from any dust or debris that may settle on the surface of the water. Once all the seeds are resting on the bottom of the glass, leave them in a warm, dark place for 14 to 18 hours. Caution: The cannabis seeds should not sit in the glass of water for more than 18 hours. Step Two After 14 to 18 hours, place the paper towel, folded a few times, into the opened freezer bag. Pour the entire contents of the glass onto the plate, so the cannabis seeds fall onto the paper towel. The paper towel should soak up the water and be saturated. Carefully drain off any excess water. Space the seeds out across the middle of the paper towel using the tweezers, so they are about one inch apart - this keeps the taproots from tangling as they grow. Fold the sides of the paper towel over, so the seeds are completely covered. Do not press the paper towel down, just set it gently onto the seeds. Step Three Place the plate in a dark place at room temperature. Keep the paper towel wet while the seeds are germinating. Water can be misted or sprinkled over the plate as needed. How often or how much water you’ll need to add will depend on the humidity level of the room. Check the dampness of the paper towel every few hours to make sure it hasn’t dried out. Step Four The cannabis seeds will usually take up to seven days to develop a good taproot. Some seeds could take as long as two weeks. The seeds are ready to plant when the taproot is between 1/4 and 3/4 inch long. Check the seeds a few times a day to monitor the taproot length, but don’t touch the delicate new growth. There are a number of reasons your seeds may not germinate, even if you follow the method outlined above. Due to seeds being a 100% natural product, it is impossible to guarantee that every seed we sell will germinate. If your cannabis seeds do not germinate, it is possible…
The room is too warm or too cool;
The paper towel dried out too much, or there was too much water;
The seeds were not soaked long enough;
The water had too many additives/chemicals;
The seeds are too old to be viable (if you purchased them months or years ago).
If you followed this method exactly and your seeds did not germinate, try this last resort method before giving up: place the seeds back into a cup of water. Let them soak until the seeds crack open and the taproot is visible. Then continue from Step Two.