Couldn’t hold back any longer, after years of seeing people on OG “soak” seeds like it’s Standard Operating Procedure. I cringe when I see this
Why would you want to do that? Cannabis grows in soil, it’s not an aquatic plant. Land-based plants don’t like being submerged in water.
a data point to consider - I just finished germinating seeds from 5 different batches in the last few months - my own 10-year old seeds and 3 breeder packs. I used direct-seed into soil and got 100% germination from all of them, 40-50 total seeds
Like most other annual seeds, cannabis seeds should be planted at a depth of twice the seed diameter - about 1/4 to 1/2 inch down. Water thoroughly. Keep the temperature at 80 degrees. My medium stays wet until the 3rd or 4th day when I again soak the pots. The plants emerge from the soil 4-5 days after sowing. I get 90-100% germination every time.
I dunno even know bro. I guess bad habits die hard huh!?
I found coco not to be optimal for germination u know, so i put them in paper towels as soon as they crack, and if they don’t sprout after 48 hours i toss them. I am trying to help the seeds sprout better with the help of my little friend i got from the 'Gram…
It is a valuable tool and it does help, no more helmet-heads!
And i just placed my two Dark Devils (Sweet Seeds) and two Diesel Auto (G13 Labs) in paper towels. I mean while we are entertaining the subject! U know!
I’v been known to do both but as of lately I’v been direct seeding. If planting with a decent size tap root there’s always the chance of breaking the damn thing off ! Then your up a shit creek without a paddle!
I think there’s less chance of helmet head also IMHO!
Some females produce rock-hard shell and/or hydrophobic oil and/or thick dry resin layers than are problematic when you can’t simulate with ease the guts of an animal or a 6 months season. So i soak their seeds in various liquid type, depend on what i need, to permit to penetrate/soften these shells. If i plant them like a skunk, they just rot. They are more “planned” to be worked by the nature a long time in arid zones before sprouting at the right time. Being a stoner, i’ve not this time ^^
With seeds that don’t germ well I do resort to the paper-towel method to avoid wasting time and space. But handling the seeds during hatching can cause trouble, sometimes I toss them in the hole and the taproot grows in the wrong direction, this never happens w/ direct seed.
this looks like a a good webpage - all germination methods accepted without prejudice!
To each their own. I’ve always had better success soaking the seeds for a few hours. Almost always 100 percent success. Sometimes it’s not just water. Some people use kelp or ga3 along with the water. Is is necessary? probably not, but I do feel it speeds things up! Older seeds can be a pain in the ass. @MadScientist is that seed cracker from woodshed on IG? pretty cool. I’ve had my eye on one for quite awhile actually. It looks nice!
when I have old seeds I make sure to use direct seed to give them the best chance at germinating and growing.
You get 100% when soaking the seeds and then direct-seeding, you get 100% when you just direct-seed…this is precisely my point. I see all sorts of crazy stuff being done on this website that is unnecessary.
People are often stunned when I tell them I use nothing but plain water on my plants for the entire grow cycle. IMO there is an entire industry of products that are completely unnecessary for growing the best possible herb. Sometimes I can’t contain myself and speak up
I think what I do is considered “super soil”, I make it fresh every time and use the discarded soil on outdoor beds. Basically I use quality compost and 4 added dry fertilizers in the soil and plain water the whole way. Also I use the exact same mix and nute level for seedlings and flowering plants.
Only ever soaked really old seeds and that was in aloe gel. I also don’t germinate in paper towel… straight in to pots right off the bat… I’ve had some Cuvèe f2s that just had a thick skin and needed a scuff with some sandpaper … but that’s about it
I thought you did paper-towel (shammy cloth) method? that’s not the same as soaking, the paper or chamois keeps some air around the seed in addition to water
I guess old habits die hard, also most of Cannabis cultivation for us regular people is pseudoscience. Ignorance is bliss and “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” reign Supreme these days.
I have no issue changing my ways when presented with cold facts, but at the same time it’s more about security and piece of mind, knowing which seeds are actually viable.
