There are two ways to grow healthy, productive marijuana plants. Growers can either purchase clones, or they can grow their pot from seeds. While both of these are viable options, serious growers know that growing plants from seed is one of the best ways to maintain healthy genetics.
How Marijuana Seeds Work
Any given cannabis seed can be either female or male, but only female plants produce tasty, THC-laden buds. Male plants are required for creating new strains, but they’re anything but desirable when it comes to growing dense, seedless buds. The problem is, the male plants produce pollen sacs that will pollinate nearby female plants, causing them to produce seeds.
All of that high-quality pot found in medical and recreational dispensaries is grown from female plants in a controlled environment that has no males. This male-free environment gives the female plants the chance to focus all of their energy on producing high-potency buds instead of seeds for reproduction.
There are two ways to ensure that no male plants make it through to the flowering stage. The easiest of them is to head online for marijuana seeds that have been feminized. These seeds will be guaranteed to grow into female plants.
The second option is to plant regular seeds, then plan to thin out males from the crop before they start producing pollen. It can be tough to tell male from female plants, though, especially during the pre-flowering phase. Novice growers are always better off buying feminized seeds.
How to Germinate Weed Seeds
The first step for any grower who wants to start his or her plants from seed is to learn how to germinate the seeds. While it’s possible to just plant the seeds out in a garden bed and hope for the best, that’s not the best way to ensure high germination rates. Growers who want to get the most out of their cannabis seeds can increase their germination rates by allowing the seeds to develop taproots before planting them out.
The easiest way to germinate weed seeds is to soak them, then fold them into a moist paper towel and put them someplace out of direct sunlight. Check the paper towel daily to make sure it remains moist and wait a few days to a week. The seeds should be developing taproots by the time a week is out, at which point, they’re ready to be planted.
Tips for Saving Cannabis Seeds
Most hobby and commercial growers find that saving seeds is not worth the effort because it requires allowing one or more otherwise productive marijuana plants to go to seed, reducing the THC content of the buds. That said, it is possible for home growers to save seeds from year to year as long as growers don’t mind losing out on part of their harvest. Here are a few tips that can help:
- Keep the pollen localized to just the plant that will be used to produce seeds.
Only harvest seeds when they are fully mature, keeping in mind that it takes longer to mature seeds than buds.
Remove all plant matter from seeds to be stored.
Store seeds in a cool, dark, and dry environment to increase their longevity.
It’s Time to Get Growing
Growers who are ready to experience the joy of watching the entire cannabis lifecycle play out for themselves can buy seeds online from a reputable seed bank. For best results, buy feminized seeds from well-established strains and let them germinate before planting them out. From there, it’s all a simple matter of providing the plants with all the water, nutrients, and light they need to thrive.
