As with other plants, growing hemp begins with the germination of a seed, which will then be planted. However, several factors influence whether the seed will germinate after which it will grow into a mature plant. In this text, we explain how to do it correctly and what to pay special attention to.
If you live in a place where growing cannabis for your own use is not a crime and you have decided to grow a small garden for your own use your first step will be to buy the right seeds. Once you have the desired seeds in your hands, you will surely be anxious for them all to germinate. Here are some tips on how to properly get down to the first part of growing - germination.
Growing hemp - germination
The question of germinating seeds is extremely trivial. Nevertheless, without realizing certain correlations, it is possible to lead to the fact that our seeds will not germinate, and we will blame, for example, the seed bank where we made the purchase instead of ourselves.
There are two basic schools of germination. Some first put the seed in water for a few or several hours after which the seed goes on a damp paper towel / gauze / cotton wool and is covered. Others, on the other hand, skip this part of soaking the seed. Both methods are correct with two of our friendly growers never soaking the seeds, but giving them to the damp material right away. The men have a germination rate of 99% .
How to do it correctly? We recommend using paper towels, and this is because the sprouts can get tangled up with other materials like cotton wool or gauze. You should also remember a very important thing - a seed needs as much water as it weighs itself to germinate! Therefore, make sure that the paper towel does not float in the water but is firmly moist. When you arrange the paper and pour a small amount of water over it, tilt the whole thing so that the excess water drains away and only lay the seeds. Then cover the whole thing with another paper towel (preferably folded in half so that when you check it later it does not get torn) add a few drops of water and just to be sure, tilt the whole thing so that the excess water drains away. Cover everything so that it is dark inside and the towels do not dry out too quickly. Most seeds need about 48 h to go into the ground. The ideal temperature for germination is 23-25 degrees Celsius. When after 48-72h the seed has not opened, you can help it. It should then be squeezed very gently until there is a gentle "crackle" of the shell and put it back on the moist ground.
Do not plant the seed as soon as it germinates, wait until the sprout is about 1 cm and then plant it.
So how can a seed be spoiled at germination? A basic mistake many gardeners make is the choice of water. Many people think that water is water and it doesn't matter what origin it is. This is, of course, a very wrong assumption. The composition of water can affect our seeds badly. The worst water for germination is mineral water. It contains many ingredients including a lot of sodium (Na), which impairs germination. If you want to use water from the store, first of all, choose spring water with the lowest possible sodium content. The difference in different waters is huge, with some containing 80-100 mg of sodium per liter, while others contain 2 mg/L.
Tap water is not a good idea because we usually do not know its composition. Water from a reverse osmosis filter is the best choice. Remember that the seed contains all the ingredients needed to start life.
Growing hemp - planting
Once the seed has germinated, you need to plant it. When doing this, remember that hemp grows best in airy (humus) soil, this is due to the hemp roots' need for oxygen. Compacted soil is not suitable for this.
You should, for example, use a toothpick to make a hole in the soil that is large enough for the sprout. We do not recommend backfilling the part of the sprout with the shell, preferably it should protrude gently above the soil level or be level with it (without backfilling). The soil, like the paper towels previously, should only be moist, water it before you place the seed in it. When the soil is too compacted or wet - the germinated seed has a good chance to rot.
Try not to touch the sprout, the seed with a toothpick or tweezers try to catch as close to the top of the sprout (the one with the shell) as possible.
Growing hemp - transplanting
Many novice gardeners plant their plants immediately into target pots. However, a far better solution is to plant the plant in a small pot (about 0.2 - 0.3 l.), and then after 10-14 days transplant it into the target pot. This is due to the fact that by using such a procedure we definitely enlarge the root ball, which is illustrated in the image below. Keeping in mind that the above-ground part of the plant is a representation of its root system, it is worth using a smaller pot initially in order to expand the root ball decisively.
When repotting your little ones, take special care not to damage the roots. Do not perform this procedure when the soil is wet because then the task will be more difficult due to the disintegrating wet soil. When the plant is 2 days after watering it is definitely easier to remove it from the pot.
Read also HOW TO CULTIVATE HORNING HORSE.
