I’m preparing to plant my 2022 cannabis garden tomorrow! It’s such a thrilling time of year for the gardener. Planting seeds is an act of hope. It can also be a fraught time for gardeners, especially if your seeds cost $10 each – the going rate for good quality, feminized seeds at dispensaries. There is a lot of conflicting information available about how to sprout seeds – some of it helpful, some of it confusing. If you give it what it needs to grow, then you’re going to do well. Here are a few pointers:
- Soak the seeds in lukewarm water in small, clean glass containers for 12 to 24 hours. This will hydrate the seeds and encourage quick sprouting. Don’t allow them to soak for more than 24 hours (give or take) because they need oxygen as soon as they begin to sprout – even before you can see signs of sprouting.
- While the seeds are soaking, prepare your sprouting pots. Fill small pots with moistened seedling mix. Be sure these little pots have drainage holes.
- Plant one seed in each soil-filled pot, about ¼ inch deep. Cover with soil, label, and place in a warm spot: 75 degrees F is great.
- Wait and watch – keep the soil evenly moist, but never soggy. Germination can be within a couple days to 2 weeks! It all depends on the age of your seeds, temperature, and strain. Be patient.
- When the tiny plant emerges from the soil, make sure your baby plants get plenty of light – 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Natural sunlight is ideal, but artificial light is a fine alternative.
Remember that cannabis is a hardy, easy to grow, annual plant. Do not be intimidated by the opinionated, conflicting voices on the internet. Sprouting cannabis seeds is simple, straightforward gardening. All of your seeds might not sprout, and that’s to be expected when dealing with living beings, which is what seeds are. All you’re doing is approximating what nature would give these seeds – a bit of moisture, warmth, light, and soil. They will do the rest.
Penny Barthel 