How to Grow Cannabis from Seed

When you choose to grow your own cannabis, you can start with clones or seeds. Cannabis Clones are typically the result of the mass production of a specific successful cannabis mother plant. A clone is a cutting from this plant, so it is already alive when purchased. Cannabis Seeds carry genetic information from two parent plants and exhibit a combination of traits from each when growing. Is starting with cannabis seeds right for you? Learn about the pros and cons of growing with this method and how you can set your plants up for success.

Pros and Cons of Using Cannabis Seeds

Like every method of growing, there are pros and cons to choosing to start with a cannabis seed.

Pros:

• Likely easier to get than cannabis clones
• Can produce a stronger plant with better genetics
• Often has stronger taproots than clones
• Can plant directly in your outdoor garden in the early springtime

Cons:

• There is no guarantee what you’ll end up with
• A regular pack of seeds will come with female and male seeds, but only the female seeds produce buds. If you accidentally grow male plants alongside your female plants, your female plants will spend energy producing seeds in addition to buds
• You’ll need to work with a reputable breeder or seed bank, or you won’t have a sense of what particular strain you’re getting

How to Grow Cannabis from Seed: Germination Through Transplanting

Germinate Your Seeds

The first step to growing any plant from seed is supporting it through the germination stage. Cannabis seeds need three things to germinate: water, air, and heat. During the germination stage, you’ll need:

• Seeds
• Four paper towels
• Two clean plates
• Distilled water

Step 1: Prepare Your Seeds

Soak your paper towels with distilled water. While they should be soaked, they shouldn’t have excess water running off. Arrange two of the four paper towels on one plate. Place your seeds at least 1″ apart from each other, then cover with the remaining soaked paper towels. Put your other plate on top of your arrangement to create a dome.

Step 2: Store the Seeds

Find a warm area to store your seeds between 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Check on your setup on a daily basis to make sure the paper towels are still saturated. Add more water if they are drying out.

Step 3: See if Your Seeds Have Germinated

Sometime between days 3 and 10, your seeds should germinate, which is when the seed splits and a single sprout appears (called a taproot). Do not touch the seed or taproot, as it’s important to keep it sterile.

If your seeds haven’t germinated in two weeks, it’s likely a dud and will never grow.

Transplant Your Sprouting Seeds

Now that your seeds have taproots, it’s time to transplant them and get ready to grow. For this stage, you’ll need:

• A 4″ pot for each seed
• Your soil or soilless media mix
• Water
• A pair of tweezers

Step 1: Prepare Your Pots

Fill your pots with your soil or soilless media mix. Water the soil so it is wet but not drenched, and ensure it is still airy and not clumped.

Step 2: Plant Your Seeds

Poke a hole in the soil twice as deep as the seed is wide. Using your tweezers, gently place one seed in each hole with the taproot facing down. Lightly cover it with your soil mix.

Step 3: Monitor Your Seedlings

Mointor the temperature and moisture level of your soil to ensure your seed it set up for success. We recommend using a spray bottle to keep the soil moist so you don’t risk overwatering the sensitive seed.

You should see growth in about a week, though some are quicker while others take longer to pop out of the soil. Unfortunately, not all germinated seeds thrive, so don’t be discouraged if all your seeds don’t make it to the seedling stage.

Give Your Cannabis Seed the Start It Needs with Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix

While Harvest Hero developed the Enhanced Perlite Mix to be used with all plants, we aimed to support cannabis growers, in particular. This mix features a unique blend of perlite, diatomaceous earth, and essential macronutrients that are proven to increase flower bud dry weight and increase CBD yields. Each part of the mix plays a critical role in the successful growth of your plants. In NC State University testing, compared to a traditional control group of perlite and peat moss, Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix resulted in improved soil conditions that shown an increase in:

• flower bud dry weight
• CBD yields
• plant diameter
• plant height
• nitrogen accumulation
• phosphorous accumulation
• potassium accumulation

Shop for Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix today, and sign up for emails to get news on new products coming soon!