There are two main methods of germinating seeds, which are the easiest and most common.
Germinating the seeds in a glass (recommended)
In this case you need 3% hydrogen peroxide, a beaker and some water. Store-produced water is best, and it should be still. Do not use mineral water either, use regular drinking water.
The process is as follows:
pour 50 ml of water into a glass (a quarter of a plastic cup)
Add 10 drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide to the water.
stir
Place seeds into the beaker
Put the beaker in a dark, warm place (cupboard, desk drawer)
Now you just have to wait 24-48 hours. As soon as the root will emerge by 5-10 mm (will be slightly larger than the seed), you can plant. If the seed has not sprouted after 48 hours, it is worth adding another 5 drops of peroxide to the glass. Alternatively, the water in the glass can be completely refreshed by adding 10 drops of peroxide again.
Germinating seeds on cotton pads
For this you will need two cotton pads, water and a zip lock bag (or plastic container). Store-bought still water is also best.
The process is as follows:
moisten cotton pads with water and wring them out. They should be moist, but not wet.
Place the seeds on one disc and cover with the other to make a “sandwich”.
place the discs of seeds in a bag (or plastic container)
Close the zip fastener and set aside in a dark, warm place (cupboard, desk drawer)
Now you just have to wait 24-48 hours. As soon as the stub is 5-10 mm out (a little bigger than the seed itself), you can plant it. It’s important to open the bag/container a couple of times a day while you are waiting for it to germinate. This will ensure that the seed has access to oxygen.
During the ‘airing’, pay attention to the roots. It happens that they sprout inside the disc. Do not try to pull the root out under any circumstances. In this case, carefully cut out the seed from the cotton wool and plant it in the soil together with the rest of the disc.
If the seeds in the discs still have not germinated after 2-3 days, it is advisable to use the first method, i.e. to place the seeds in water with peroxide.
You can see this method in a video, kindly provided by a user called RASTAMAN. In this case, he uses additional preparations to increase the chances of successful germination.
What to do if a sprout does not shed its helmet?
Sometimes it happens that a germinated seedling does not shed its seed shell (helmet) on its own within 2-3 days, which results in a delay in development. In such cases, you should never use brute force as this will damage the seedling. The procedure in this situation is as follows:
Wet the seed coat regularly during the day using a sprayer, dropper or syringe so that it will soak and fall off. It may have to be helped slightly, but only without using force;
If wetting does not help, then take out the two needles and sterilise them;
Wet the helmet and gently insert the needles between the two halves of the seed coat, then begin to slowly open the shell, gently holding the sprout;
If this does not work, try the procedure again, starting from step one.
What to do after the seeds have germinated?
The next step is to plant in the ground. To start with it is best to plant the seed in an ordinary 0.5 litre cup. This will make it easier for you to keep the air and substrate humidity (around 90%). There is a little trick that will make transplanting easier:
Take 2 0.5 l glasses,
cut one of them in strips lengthwise,
put it in the first glass,
Sprinkle the prepared potting soil in.
In this way, you can remove the plant with the root ball from the glass much more easily if transplanted later on. For autoflowers, it is better to immediately place the seeds in the final pot (15-20 litres).
How to prepare the soil?
Rose or lemon grass soil is best for planting the seeds. The pH should be between 6 and 7. You will also need perlite. You can buy all this at any gardening shop or flower shop.
Just mix the soil and perlite well in a 50/50 ratio and pour it into a glass. That’s it, the base for planting is ready.
How do I plant a germinated seed?
The process itself is very simple, but you need to be very careful not to damage the root. Ideally, gloves and tweezers should be used.
For planting you need to:
prepare the cups with soil as indicated in the previous point,
make a hole in the soil of about 0.5-1 cm,
gently place the seed with its root side down (tweezers are best),
also gently bury the seed in the soil,
carefully moisten the soil around the seed with a sprayer,
take a second beaker, make a few holes in the bottom, spray it with water, cover the first beaker with it,
Remove the cups in a warm dark place for 24-48 hours, then put under a light source until the sprout.
What to do when the seedling appears?
What to do after germination?
At this point it already needs light. You can put it on a windowsill, but preferably in a grow box with a light regime of 18/6. It’s best to give it as much light as possible. This will prevent the seedlings from being stretched out unnecessarily.
The watering during the first days of life should be small but frequent (1-2 times a day). Water as the soil in the cup dries out. A sprayer is best. Note that the soil should be sprinkled on, not on the sprout. Also make sure that the water doesn’t wash away the soil near the sprout or expose the root.
It’s best to use purchased water. You can also use tap water that has been run through a filter. In the most extreme case you can also use tap water that has stood for 48 hours.
When do I pot the plants?
This should be done when the second growth node appears (after about two weeks). You can read more about repotting in a separate article. In short, the main recommendations are as follows
take the final pot (15-20 litres) at once,
Fill it with a good potting soil (rose/lemon is fine),
mix the soil with perlite in a 50/50 ratio,
prepare a hole in the ground about the size of the sprout cup,
gently lift the sprout with the clump of earth out of the tumbler (place the sprout between your middle finger and ring finger and then turn the tumbler upside down),
Place the seedling with the root ball in the well and cover it with soil.
What can I do if the seeds haven’t sprouted?
Hemp seeds are living organisms, so anything can happen. Also, the individual characteristics of individual seeds can’t be eliminated.