How to Care for Marijuana Seedlings

The marijuana seed is the foundation of your cannabis plant, it can make or break your grow. Being able to take care of your seeds will help you have a successful yield. If you are a grower, it is a must to know and to identify the needs of your seeds because you will not only invest your money but your time and effort as well

Characteristics of a High-Quality Cannabis Seed

A cannabis seed must be true to its type. If for example, the seed is a Sativa strain, it should carry the identifying characteristics of a Sativa genetics.
A cannabis seed must be pure, vigorous, and is high yielding.
A cannabis seed should be fresh or at the right age before germinating and planting.
An indication that a cannabis seed is still viable if it contains 8-12% moisture content and that it has a more than 80% germination rate.

Ways to Take Good Care of Your Seeds

Maintain proper grow room temperature, humidity and moisture level

In taking good care of your cannabis seeds from the very first step, make sure that when you would proceed to the germination process ensure to maintain the proper temperature of the grow room where you place the seeds for how many days and to ensure that the seeds will sprout you need to maintain that the moisture level of the seeds.

Way of storing cannabis seeds

If you intend to keep your cannabis seeds for future use, it is important to make sure to practice good hygiene in all the materials that you will be using to conserve the freshness of the seeds. The container that you should use is clean and sanitized, you may also need to use a container that will help regulate the humidity level.

Doing the proper germination method

There are different ways on how to proceed with the germination method but what matters most if the process is being carried out correctly. The germination process is one of the most important stages that determine if you will have a successful yield.

How to Identify a Healthy Seed

Physical appearance

Healthy cannabis seeds have aesthetic qualities that can easily be determined when compared to poor quality seeds. A healthy cannabis seed holds a seed that has a dark color with elements of black, brown or grey. Some strains have a tiger-looking seed strain. If the cannabis strain has a greenish or whitish appearance most likely, these seeds are still immature so there is no way for them to sprout. The healthy seed is often hard and it can’t break easily because of a coating wax on their shells.

Size and shape

A healthy seed can be identified easily when compared to an immature seed. A healthy seed would have an asymmetrical shape or tear-drop shape. While an immature or poor seed will show small, flat or mishappen seeds.

Hardness and durability

A quality cannabis seed has a hard outer shell that has a smooth surface without any cracks or crinkles. a seed that is squishy, pliable or tender should no longer be planted because it would only result poorly.

Weight

A heavy seed would lead to higher quality because it contains moisture and nutrients. An unhealthy seed tends to be lighter because it has no capabilities to contain needed moisture and nutrients.

Float Test

The float test is another way to check if the seed is viable or not. You’ll just need to drop the seed into the water. If the seeds will sink within 1 hour, it is an indication that it is a viable seed that has a higher chance of successful germination.

Signs that the Seeds Is Unhealthy

If the seeds fail to germinate

There is a possibility that the reason why your seed failed to germinate is because of too much or too low temperature, the soil dried out or the seeds are improperly stored before use.

The seeds decayed when planted

When the seedlings died after planting it there is a possibility that the seed had a disease and there is little chance of reviving it. There is also a possibility that the soil is not sterilized, the container used is not hygienic, the seedlings were improperly spaced and that there is excessive moisture.

The leaves of the newly sprouted seeds curl

If this happens, there is a possibility that there is too much light exposure or you over fertilized it. Newly sprouted seedlings need to receive an average level of every factor that needed for growth. Overly exposure to light and overfeeding of nutrients should be avoided during this phase.

It shows poorly developed roots

The possible cause of this is exposure to low temperature, the soil that was used is compacted that is why there is no proper air circulation and that the fertilizer that was used has damaged mineral content.

Tips in Using Marijuana Seeds the Right Way

Before planting the sprouted seeds, make sure that the soil is moisturized by watering it so that you can easily place the newly sprouted seeds.
In the germination process, make sure that the paper towel that you will be using will not lose its wetness. You may need to sprinkle it with water from time to time so that the seeds will not lose its moisture.
It is best to use a cannabis seed that is already mature, an indication of mature cannabis seed is the tiger stripes indicated on the sides of the seed. Usually, a large-looking seed tends to yield more hardy and vigorous cannabis plant.
The cannabis seeds should be kept in a temperature between 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit to induce sprouting. You may place it on top of the fridge, near the window sill or in a heating pad. If the right temperature is sustained, you can be sure that you will have the results within 48 hours.
Make sure not to pour water directly into the newly planted seedlings because it may disrupt its placement. You can just sprinkle the seedlings using a water sprinkler or using 1-2 tablespoon of water.

Final Thoughts

Taking good care of your seed is one of the most important things to consider to have a successful yield. Even though you would invest in high-quality growing equipment if your seeds are not healthy or viable then it would be useless. If you know how to differentiate a viable cannabis seed from an unhealthy cannabis seed then you would be saved from having fail cannabis grow.