How to Plant Cannabis Seeds

Have you ever tried to grow your own medicinal marijuana? Cannabis is notoriously difficult to cultivate, even for the most experienced green thumb. For many Canadians, their weed has taken over most of their garden – not to mention a lot of their precious time during growing season. How can you optimize your plants and cultivation techniques to be sure you’re harvesting the best plants in your neighborhood? By starting with the seed of an idea, you can create a plan that will help you grow the best cannabis possible.

We’ll explore the different types of genetics and how they affect your choice of seeds, then show you how to germinate them using the three most common methods, and finally provide a brief overview of caring for seedlings and buying seeds online in Canada.

GETTING STARTED: Choosing Your Seeds

Marijuana plants need a lot of care and attention in order to thrive, just like any other garden or flower bed. Even if you’re an experienced gardener, it can be hard to account for all the different factors that can affect a plant’s performance – from the environment it’s cultivated in to the type of fuel you give it. However, with the right care, you can make sure your prized cannabis plant runs like a dream.

Before you even start growing marijuana, you need to decide what type of cannabis you want to grow. There are a lot of options available, and you need to decide which one is best for you. You need to consider things like THC concentration, CBD content, and terpene profiles. This can be a difficult task, but it’s important to get started if you want to be successful.

To avoid a stall, let’s cover the basics for seed selection so that we can get to the exciting part: growing the plants.

We want to make sure that you understand the different flavors, aromas, and effects of marijuana, so that you can make the best decision for yourself. Our guide will focus on the two main cannabinoids – THC and CBD – and their effects on people.

THC is responsible for the psychoactive effects you experience when smoking marijuana, while CBD has a number of health benefits that are not psychoactive. Taking CBD separately may have some benefits, but combining it with other cannabinoids and terpenes has a synergistic effect that is greater than the benefits of taking each element separately. This synergy is being studied and researched, and there are likely many health benefits to be had from consuming cannabinoids and terpenes together.

Cannabinoids and terpenes are both important parts of cannabis. Terpenes help create the unique flavors and aromas of different cannabis strains, and cannabinoids are stored in the trichomes and oils of the flowers. These compounds help to give cannabis its therapeutic effects and make it an enjoyable recreational experience for users.

There are three primary types of cannabis: Sativa (the tall, growing type), Indica (the shorter, bushier type), and Autoflowers (a type of cannabis that doesn’t really have a specific name). Sativa is associated with a fruity taste and aroma, thanks to its high levels of terpenes like limonene. It’s a good choice for people who want a stress-relieving, calming experience. Indica is associated with a more earthy taste and aroma, thanks to its high levels of terpenes like myrcene. It’s a good choice for people who want a more intense, cerebral experience. Autoflowers don’t have any specific flavor or aroma, and they’re usually used to create cannabis oil. They’re a good choice for people who want a varied, sustainable source of cannabis.

Understanding the different types of cannabis can help you make informed seed choices, which will result in success or failure depending on how you treat your plants.

With a better understanding of cannabis biology, you can create vibrant and healthy marijuana plants.

HOW TO PLANT SEEDS: PT, Cup, or Dirt

Seeds are the lifeblood of plants, and we – the growers – must provide a supportive environment for them to thrive. Once you’ve selected the type of cannabis you would like to plant and obtained the seeds, planting them is a simple step on the long path to harvest. Although planting seeds isn’t always easy, it requires careful attention to detail and a sustained focus. First of all, before you germinate your seeds, make sure to store them properly.

Storing seeds in a moist environment and keeping them at a cool temperature is the best way to ensure they germinate. Technology such as mini-fridge can help with this, too.

Seed viability is highly situational – it can depend on the genetics, the storage conditions, or even just bad luck. If you’ve stored your seeds properly, you have three main options for getting them started in the germination stage: the “Paper Towel” method, “The Cup”, or planting the seed directly into a growing medium (sometimes called “Traditional”).

The Paper Towel Method is a simple, accessible way to germinate your seeds at home without any equipment or much know-how involved. Simply dampen some paper towel with water (a neutral temperature, not cold, not too hot), place your cannabis seeds on the wet paper towel, and fold it over, covering the seeds on top and bottom with moisture. Next, place the paper towel into a sealable bag (ziplock) and store the bag (horizontally, flat as possible with nothing on top or underneath the bag) in a warm, dark environment. Check on your seeds every 24 hours, and when you notice the seed casing has split and the root is protruding you are ready to plant your seedling into your choice of growing medium.

If you have stubborn seeds that don’t take to the paper towel trick, or if they’re older seeds, the Cup of Water Method might help them germinate. Take a small cup and fill it 1-3 inches of water, being careful to not make the temperature too hot or cold (neutral is best) and submerge your seeds in the water. Store the water-filled cup and seeds in a warm, dark environment and check on them periodically (try not to put direct light or heat sources on the seeds). Within 24-36 hours, you should notice the seed casings bulging or the root begin to extend out of the seeds. Be extra careful not to over-soak the seeds as you can suffocate/drown them if left too long in water. Once the root shows itself (even just a small portion), remove the seeds from the water carefully and go through the Paper Towel Method, continuing onto your growing medium with your seedling once the root is fully exposed.

If you’re confident enough to plant seeds in soil, then you can skip the hassle of growing them in a kitchen environment – after all, nature made them to germinate in dirt, not man-made environments. You can choose the kind of growing medium you use – propagation pucks, soil, propagation specialty mediums, each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Simply moisten your medium, and using a toothpick or pointed implement, like tweezers, make an insert about one knuckle’s worth of your finger (everyone’s fingers are different sizes, but this is generally 1-inch into the medium). Place your seed into the insert and gently close up the opening, ensuring you’re not packing the medium down or firmer the soil around the seed (aeration is key! air = oxygen, space for moisture). Store your growing medium and planted seed in a warm, dark environment and check on it periodically.

Please be patient and don’t dig up or check on the seed’s progress. You risk damaging the very fragile root. It can be tough to wait – especially if you paid a lot of money for these seeds! – but you need to wait for the seedling to establish itself in the medium first.

There are many risks involved with planting cannabis directly into soil, such as humidity (too much/too little), planting too deep in the medium, and choking out the seed. Additionally, it is difficult to monitor the progress of your seed’s germination as the growing medium obscures our vision. However, regardless of our need for control, it is the natural way and usually works just fine. If you have some particularly pricey genetics or seeds you want to experiment with, then stick to the paper towel/cup of water methods. Otherwise, let the plant do its thing in its natural environment and watch your cannabis plants grow from some healthy soil.