Germination
Already here you can make the first mistake, which many people do:
Low light causes the stem to elongate and the seedling to drop.
They start germinating before they have even prepared the site for the plants. Then the ordered lamp doesn't arrive, or the wrongly planned room will be 50 degrees, so they put it under a 100 watt bulb that it will be fine until then, soon the right place will be ready anyway. The seedlings will emerge, but because there is not enough light for normal growth, they will start to stretch, up to 1-2 centimetres a day. The novice grower is of course amazed at how fast it grows, even though it has to be strawed and still only has rock leaves, but it's almost 10 centimetres.
In this case, a possible solution is to support it with a stick and some wire, or you may want to cover it with more soil, so that it will take root from the elongated stem part after a while, but this will also increase the chance of rot. Of course, look for a suitable light source as soon as possible.
Germination
1.) In a glass of water, the seeds will germinate in 1-2 days
So once you have prepared the future location of the plants, you can start germination. One of the most important conditions for germination is that the seeds are soaked with moisture. As soon as this happens, the seedling breaks open its seed coat and the rootstock emerges, but it needs air or it will suffocate.
2.)Placed in a bowl between a half-folded dampened paper towel, the seeds can be exposed to air and moisture
The required temperature ranges quite widely, it is best to keep it at room temperature, as it may germinate faster in warmer conditions, but the water will evaporate more quickly (risk of dehydration) and bacteria and mould spores resting in the water/air/seed may hatch more easily, compromising the integrity of the embryo.
But why germinate the seeds, why not just let them go straight into the potting soil?
- When germinated in soil, the seed may get trapped in an air bubble, for example between two large pieces of soil, so that it does not come into contact with the moist soil, may dry out or even suffocate.
- not all seeds are viable. Even if such a seed takes up space in the growing room under the lamp, with pre-sprouted seeds at least we are sure to be using our own - and our electricity - to produce a viable plant.
- It's easier to ensure optimal temperatures in a dish than in the growing room. Seeds germinate much more slowly in cold conditions.
Seeds older than 1 year are becoming less viable, so it is not worth storing them for long, and this can be exacerbated by possible damage during storage.
4.) They germinate in a few days
A healthy, viable seed will show signs of growth within 1 week. If this occurs more than a month later, it is likely to be a poorly growing plant with low yields. It should be added, however, that some seeds need more time to wake up, even under the best conditions. This can often be due to a hard seed coat that does not allow water to enter and start germination.
A damaged seed coat, which may not have fully shrunk, is an almost certain sign that the seed is unviable. A damaged, split seed coat can no longer protect the embryo from dehydration, the hormones that trigger growth can leak out, and the way is open for infections.
The same is true for greenish, immature, soft or fragile seed coats, although there are some varieties that only produce such seeds.
Hemp seeds only need three things to germinate: water, the right temperature, air and preferably darkness. No extra hormones or nutrient supplements are needed.
Water
A few hours of soaking softens the seed coats and slowly infiltrates enough water to activate the dormant hormones (ABA, cytokinin, gibberelin) that give the signal for the fuzz to grow. Before soaking the seeds, it is advisable to rinse them to remove most of the pests, mould spores and bacteria that have adhered to them, and to handle them as little as possible, as the layer of fat that gets on them can cause problems. During soaking, it is a good idea to change the water daily and move out the seeds that have germinated as soon as possible, as they need air. The soaking should not last longer than 3-4 days, after which the unopened seeds should be placed between damp paper towels. Every 12 hours it is a good idea to look at the bottom of the glass and shake it a little to allow the seeds on the surface to sink.
The seeds need a constant supply of water, and drying out can easily damage them. Until the first leaves appear, mainly only the nutrients stored in the seed are used, only then does photosynthesis and uptake of nutrients through the roots begin.
Tap water (if drinkable) is plenty, the chlorine in it may even help to prevent infection, but otherwise any water - watering water - should be left to stand for a few hours before use.
Soaking may be omitted, but it can shorten and help the process.
Temperature
An optimum temperature of 25°C has been established, but this can be safely taken as room temperature. In warmer conditions, mould and rot/rot causing bacteria can easily take hold, and temperatures above 32°C will inhibit the germination process. The minimum temperature should be around 4°C but it depends on the variety, it is safest to keep the process at room temperature.
Air
It may come as a surprise, but seedlings, like roots, also need air to grow, so they can quickly drown in a damp, damp medium. After sprouting, never leave the seed completely submerged, but always keep them in contact with a moist surface, otherwise they can easily dry out.
Tip
There are a few tricks that can be used to "revive" even older seeds or to increase the germination of flawless seeds. Rub the seeds gently in sand to remove the fat. They can be soaked in lukewarm chamomile-herb-vodka tea for half an hour. And then there's sawdust, which you mix with a little soil, plant the seeds in, then sprinkle with lukewarm water.
Once a seed has been found to be viable or not, it can go into its well-prepared place, i.e. a large pot of soil, or perhaps a rockwool cube if it is a hydro. The important thing is that the medium on top of the pot is porous, otherwise the large pieces of soil may cause the seed to end up in an air bubble or a water bubble.
The planting depth can be 1-2 cm or even 3 cm, preferably the seedling should survive intact and should be placed at the bottom, as it will be the rootstock. The diagram also shows that the seedling emerges from the pointed, pointed end of the seed. The other end of the seed - which has a point-like "navel" - contains the embryo, which the rootlet will push out towards the ground over time, and sometimes the seed coat may remain on the leaves.
The sprout will grow downwards over time anyway, so if it goes wrong don't torture it, you can do more damage than by taking it off upside down.
You can also plant the unsprouted seeds, chances are they will sprout, but don't count on them if they are just taking up space and you have something to plant instead (this applies mainly indoors), rather neglect them, setting them aside in a small cup of moist soil.
The next section is the Plantation section
Common mistakes
- Drowning if they remain submerged for days after germination
- Drying out
- Paper towels can be substituted for tissues or kitchen towels, but cotton wool should be avoided as it is easily soaked and difficult to get the sprouts out.
- The bowl in which germination takes place should be clean, and if scale appears, especially if mould, it should be replaced immediately.
- If the medium is not compressed around the seed after planting, the germ can easily dry out, but if it is too compressed, the germ can be damaged, or even suffocate if conditions are too wet.
- If the germinating seed, when planted, can move upwards more easily than it can downwards into the soil, the seedling can push itself out of the soil and so, when exposed to the air, can dry out. It may therefore be preferable to plant deeper than recommended.
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