Every gardener knows that you must plant a seed to grow a garden. But you say “Mitch, what about clones? They’re not seeds.” This is true, but at some point in a young clone’s life there was a seed planted to produce its mother. So, it all starts with the seed. Learn how to germinate marijuana seeds in this comprehensive tutorial.
This article from Grow Weed Easy covers everything you need to know, and quite possibly things you don’t, to insure those expensive, hard to come by, not to mention expensive, marijuana seeds, are put to good use. So, without further ado:
Introduction: Cannabis Seed Germination
Cannabis germination is the process of getting your seeds to sprout. You know sprouting has occurred when a little white tendril pops out of the seed.
The little white tendril that emerges from a cannabis seed during germination is your plant’s first root, known as a “taproot.” All other roots made by your cannabis plant in its lifetime will sprout from the taproot.
The taproot – and maybe a few tiny early offshoots of the taproot – will get longer and longer, pushing the seed up, and after the shell breaks through the surface of your growing medium, the first leaves (these first round leaves are known as “cotyledons”) will emerge from inside the cannabis seed.
The cotyledons were already created as part of the plant embryo in the seed itself, so the cannabis seedling doesn’t have to grow them. In fact, the emerging first leaves are what break apart the shell after it’s cracked open by the taproot, as pictured here.
The next set of leaves after the cotyledons are your plants first “true” leaves and will have jagged edges. They are the first leaves that your seedling cannabis plant has grown all on its own.
Next: How do I know if I have good seeds?