Starting Your Cannabis Seeds, to Towel or Not to Towel? Is That the Question?

Good Morning!! I wanted to take a few minutes out of my day to talk to all of you amazing cannabis growers about how to start your seeds. I like you, wish for a 100% germination a.k.a. pop rate. This is how I do it.

Many people will tell you to sow directly into your soil or medium. Others may tell you to put it in a paper towel, shove it in a plastic bag get it wet, and just wait… My method is a little bit different, and I have had a 100% pop rate. So, let’s talk about it, shall we?

I am probably one of the laziest seed starters you’ll meet. This is because I like to do things that are very easy. I don’t want anything that’s going to be super involved. I run a Homestead and have a puppy. Let’s work smarter not harder, yeah?

The paper towel method is tried and true, if you do it just right. With the paper towel method, you are essentially taking your seeds laying them out on a damp paper towel folding that paper towel over your seeds to keep them safe, and then lying them flat inside of a plastic bag. You then place them in the dark for a couple of days.

This method works, don’t get me wrong. But when I’ve done it, I find that radicle, the originating root that comes out and becomes the tap root, can get tangled up in that paper towel. I don’t want anything going into my soil medium with my seed and if it’s stuck in the paper towel, I’m going to do damage to that seed trying to save it. That’s my main reasoning for not liking the paper towel method it’s not fun it’s finicky and it can be temperamental.

So, what do I do to make sure my seeds pop? How do I manage to get a 100% pop rate? I put them in a cup of water. I take all of my seeds from one particular strain, and I put them in a small glass with room temperature water.

I use filtered water, but I don’t ph. balance it. A lot of growers will tell you that you should ph. balance the water that your seed is in. I cannot argue it, I just don’t. The rest of my plant’s life they do get water that is balanced between 6.2 and 6.6.

So, my seeds are in water for at least 24 hours. At the 24 hours mark I will double check my seeds and push them down into the water. I want to make sure that by 48 hours all of my seeds have dropped to the bottom of the cup.

I want all the seeds to drop to the bottom of the cup because that means they’re now thick with water. It also means they’re getting ready to pop out of their happy little casings. Generally, by the time I hit 24 hours, at least one of my seeds has already popped. I typically leave my seeds in their water bath for 48 to 72 hours. I have found strains that require a full week in water before they’re ready to go. But don’t let that scare you, just let them sit.

Every grower you meet will have scary stories for you, and success stories. Growers are not on edge 24/7, so you shouldn’t be either. It’s not necessary. If you give your plants a little patience, a little time, a little compassion, and just a little bit of attention they’ll do just fine.

Now that your seeds have popped and that little radicle is exposed, it’s time to plant! Happy growing everyone!