that they should be transplanted to a medium very soon.
If seeds are not harvested from flowers they will eventually disperse naturally. This is part of the life cycle of the plant.
Let’s say you have about $200 to spend on seeds. You can buy an expensive strain, like a G13 cross, grow the G13, and produce more seeds from it. You could get between 100 and 2,000 seeds, depending on plant size and grow conditions. If you produce lots of seeds in one season, you may never need to buy seeds for this strain again.
There is something else you can do to prevent the need to ever buy or grow from seeds again: cloning. Cloning is a technique whereby you first grow a number of plants and select a quality plant; in the case of cannabis cultivation, a female is selected. You then take cuttings from that female plant, and grow these cuttings into new plants. Clones always retain the same sex and vigor as the mother plant, so it is possible to create a garden of plants through cloning that will last for decades from a single mother plant. Cloning is described in detail in Chapter 12.
For the new grower, it is advised that you buy 10 seeds and only germinate three the first time, followed by another three, and then the last four. This will allow you some degree of experimentation, as you may fail on your first attempt to germinate the seeds.
For people who have germinated seeds in the past, it is advised that you germinate five, followed by another five the next week. Only if you are a long-time grower with a good amount of growing experience should you germinate all the seeds at once. In this way, you can reduce the risk of spoiling some, or all, of your seeds because of bad germination methods.
During your plants’ growth you may decide to pollinate only a few of your females. You will need two grow areas to do this: one for growing all your female plants as sinsemilla, and another for growing one or more females mixed in with males. As stated before, this depends on the size of your grow space and your budget. It is important that your pollination room be kept well away from your all-female sinsemilla grow room because pollen can travel by air. Bees and other insects can spread pollen, and so can you. Always wash your hands and face after handling a male plant to prevent pollen from getting onto a female that you wish to keep.
This male is beginning to produce pollen. Without males it is not possible to make seeds. Breeders cultivate males so that they can make seeds.
This harvested male is carefully taken to the breeding room to make seeds. Do not have any fans on in the room as they may blow the pollen away.
So, now you have 10 seeds and your goal is to achieve 100 percent germination results. The following section on germination will help you achieve an optimal success rate.
Germination Techniques
Seeds can be germinated a number of ways. Some guarantee more success than others. It is recommended that you consider the rockwool SBS (single block system) propagation tray method.
A germinated seed can be transplanted by simply placing it in the soil, covering it up and keeping it moist.
Seed Soil Propagation
In this method, seeds are placed in moist soil about 3 mm, or the length of the seed, from the surface. The soil is kept moist (not soaking wet), by sprinkling water over it once a day. This has a moderate success rate: out of 10 seeds, you can expect 7 to 8 to germinate.
The seed while germinating will push the cotyledons to the surface. Sometimes the shell may still be attached. Let it fall off naturally if you can.
Germination Soil
There are many soils advertised as germination soils.1 They are basically the same as other soils, except that they contain special blends of micronutrients and are kept somewhat clean (the soil is sifted and no compost is added). Ordinary loam soil with a pH of 7 and an NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) 2 of higher or equal amounts of N than P or K is good for starting seeds. Even NPK ratios of 5:1:1 or 8:4:4 are good. Just make sure that the N is equal to or higher than each of the P and K factors on the label.
After the next few days the first set of leaves will appear. Don’t let your medium get dry and try to get your plant some light.
Some substrates are actually developed with seedlings in mind (low or absent in nutrients). They are usually called seed starters.
Seed Towel Propagation
Seeds are placed either on a damp towel or on damp cotton balls (cheesecloth may also be used). Cover the seeds with more damp cotton balls or a damp towel. If the material dries out it may damage the seeds, so keep it moist at all times. Every day, check to see if the seeds have started to produce roots. If they have, immediately transfer the seedlings to a grow medium, such as soil, using a pair of tweezers. Do not touch the roots, as this can kill your seedlings. This method has a moderate-to-high success rate. Out of 10 seeds, 8 to 9 may germinate. The problem with this method is that sometimes the transplant can cause the seedling to go into shock. This can terminate the germination process, leaving you with nothing. With practice you can get all your seeds to germinate using this method.
Propagation Kits
Seeds are germinated in small units inside a seed or clone propagator: a tray, of sorts, designed to help plants germinate. One such kit is called a rockwool SBS propagation tray.3 At the bottom of the tray is a small area where water or germination hormones can be poured. Small grow cubes called rockwool cubes are placed into slots in the tray, which automatically dip the rockwool into the solution. The seeds are placed into tiny holes in the cubes (the holes are filled with rockwool particles to prevent the seeds from being directly exposed to air in the environment) and the cover is replaced. Some propagation kits are even heated and look like miniature greenhouses.
This method has a very high success rate, however a disadvantage is the cost of the tray, rockwool, and grow fertilizers. You should note that, although some seedling fertilizers contain growth hormones mixed into the nutrients in order to promote plant growth, it is recommended that you not use fertilizers or growth hormones with your seeds unless you have experience. Even the slightest amount of overfeeding can kill your seeds or burn your seedlings. In fact, you are better off just using water in your propagation kit to germinate your seeds. I have yet to find a cannabis strain that needed growth hormones or fertilizer to germinate properly. The price of the tray is about $10, the rockwool cubes $5, the grow fertilizers $5. If you have spent upwards of $50 on good seeds, why not spend the extra $20 on getting a small kit like this together and increase your chances of achieving a 100 percent success rate? The kits offer the added advantage of being able to root your clones.