Do you have the desire to grow a cannabis plant? It’s not easy, but with the right materials and attitude you can set out on the path of cultivation. Each cannabis plant starts from either a seed or a clone. The difference is by the time you get a clone you’ll know if it is a female or male. From a seed, you wait for it to germinate and sprout before you know if it’s a female or male, and you will want a female by the way. Plus growing from seeds is more of a challenge, and the joy of seeing it pop open and have a root grow can be easy, fun and exciting.
With seeds you’ll want to start out by taking the seeds and placing them in a container with a small piece of sandpaper. Shake the seeds in the container for just a minute to slightly break down the surface of the seeds. This will assist with making it easier for the seeds to germinate. Next, soak the seeds in cold water until they split open. This can take 2 to 6 days, and during this time you’ll need to change the water every two days. Once they open and a root starts to grow to 3 to 5 mm in length, you can begin to transplant them into soil. This can take up to between 10 to 14 days to reach this exciting and critical point.
Without being in soil there are plenty of nutrients within the seed for it to proliferate as long as you keep it well moisturized. Some of the vital nutrients of proteins and carbs transform into glucose,which is exactly what the seeds need for strong growth. You should use a soil with fewer nutrients to start, as you could burn the plant with too much added nutrient content. Soil made specifically for seedlings and clones that have low nutrient quantities is best.
Depending on how large you’d like your plant to grow is how big your pot should be. Consider the lighting as well and where you’ll be growing this plant at. Indoor or outdoor? I don’t like to transplant as who wants to run the risk of having a plant go into shock when transporting from small to big pot. Place your rooted seed in a ½ inch hole in your pot with organic seeding soil. Each seed should have its own pot. Since the roots will always grow down, you don’t have to worry how you place the seeds inside the soil. Place the seed in the hole, and gently cover it with the soil. Spray the soil with water, it will settle down on its own so there is no need to press the soil down further. Sit back and wait as the germination process will begin, and if elements are right you should see sprouts within about a week. It’s so much fun when you get to this point!
Continue to spray water a little every day or when you see the soil getting dry on top. I would use a sprayer to water during this delicate time. It’s a perfect balance you’re seeking in watering as, too much water can cause the plants to lose out on valuable oxygen and too little can stop the germination process. The soil needs to stay adequately moist, not too dry, and not overly soaked. The seedling won’t use much water, but a lot of the water evaporates fast. This is the major reason why seedlings should never go on a windowsill or near a heater. Spraying the plants 1 or 2 times throughout the day should be plenty.
Lighting is the second most important item when it comes to growing. Light and water help convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose — necessary resources for plant growth, and hat’s photosynthesis. If your plant doesn’t receive enough light, the root, branch, and stalk development will not occur as it should. Once the stalk sprouts up from the soil, wait until it gets to around an inch tall and then set up a gentle fan to blow on the plant to assist in creating a stronger stalk.
When the sprouts surface they’ll need light for 24 hours a day to grow optimally. A cool white CFL light can be used at a distance of 2 inches. These tubes don’t create much heat, and are energy efficient, and they use the ideal light spectrum for seedlings. Seedlings require about 3 to 5 watts each. Light should be kept on 24 hours per day and the room should have a consistent temperature of around 72° Fahrenheit. Keep the distance between the plants and the bulbs to a minimum, but if the temperature exceeds 77° F, you should move them farther apart, or cool down the area.
In this early stage you need to be careful as plants can be susceptible to damage from negative conditions. Don’t use a lot of nutrients and make sure the lights stay on 24 hours to produce a reliable climate. Avoid touching the plants and do not take away the seed skins from the leaves. The plants need to grow and develop sturdy root systems. Big green leaves are capable of absorbing ample light and converting it into energy. Healthy root systems allow plants to take in plenty of water and nutrients. The plant is just starting to form the base for the remainder of its life, so it’s important that they receive proper, diligent care. Again, it’s easy and simple to get to this point in having your own plant! When the initial internodes start to form, you can feed your plant with root-stimulating foliar nutrients. Start the plants off with a small dose as the developing roots can’t withstand higher concentrations just yet. The plants will start to grow rapidly about a ½ a day and when you see it grow you can’t help but be excited!
At this time you can decide if you want to continue to grow under lights or outdoors. Depending on the season will deem if an outdoor grow is appropriate. Within the Northern hemisphere plants can now grow outdoors and will thrive in a wind-free location that gets a lot of sun from Spring to Fall. If you can afford a greenhouse or build an enclosure and add LED lights, it will help your plants, especially in areas farther away from the equator where you don’t get as much light to your plants as they need. But in the beginning just start simple and easy and grow into being a grower. Just one sprouting seed can take you on a rewarding journey of cultivation appreciation.
If you are attentive, it’s not hard to grow healthy abundant plants. If you utilize cannabis you should try to grow, because it is an exciting and rewarding experience that this simple plant is capable of so many healthful benefits as well as supporting wellbeing and balance within one’s life. Everyone has their own take on growing and we here at Edibles just wanted to share a simple format for you to try. So go out and get some seeds, maybe Super Silver Haze, organic soil, pot, sprayer, lights, and nutrients, take a deep breath and germinate those seeds! Easy, Fun, and Exciting!
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