GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS

Materials Needed For Seed Germination:  

  • Distilled or bottled water from store. (We do NOT recommend using tap water due to chlorine and other contaminants)
  • Paper towel
  • Plastic container with lid
  • Vinyl gloves or tweezers
  • Small plant pots filled with clean/new soil that is airy and light. Do not use heavy clay soil.
  • A spray bottle
  • Hydrogen Peroxide 3%  (Found cheaply at a “dollar” store)

Pre-Notes:

  • At no point – touch the seeds with your hands
  • Pre-clean the container with extremely hot water and dish soap
  • Wear clean gloves, or have a pair of tweezers handy to place seeds
  • Have a place chosen which is dark and 25-27c (81f) in temperature, with no wind drafts.  (In our experience 26-27c (81f) germinates seeds in 48-72 hours every time. Colder will take considerably longer, hotter could/usually kills the seeds!
  • Pre-measure the temperature of the germination area.
  • Pre-water your soil and let it fully drain.
  • Do not use a heating mat. They are notorious for overheating. We have had countless customers report damaged seeds from heat mats that have inaccurate built in thermostats. Don’t risk your expensive seeds!

Instructions:

  1. Place a sheet of paper towel on bottom of plastic container. Make it fit nicely so it doesn’t climb up the edges.
  2. Using the tweezers, place the seeds on the paper towel – evenly spaced apart so they are not touching each other or the edges.
  3. With another piece of paper towel – cover the seeds.
  4. Warm up 0.5 cup (125ml) of water in microwave to 25-30C
  5. Add 0.5 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to the water.  (This provides extra oxygen to the water, helping to jump start the seed) 
  6. Wet the paper towel and seeds entirely.
  7. Turn container on its side (vertically) carefully, and let all the excess water drain off for 120 seconds.  At no point should the seeds be “swimming” in water!  
  8. Make sure the seeds have little pockets of air around them – and that the paper towel is NOT fully encompassing them. (Use tweezers to adjust / pull on paper towel if need be)
  9. Place lid on so it’s air tight. It is OK for container to be air tight.
  10. Place in COMPLETE DARKNESS in an area that is 25-27c, and check for signs of a tap root every 24 hours.
  11. An easy way to increase the ambient air temp is to place a small space heater in your room. Just be sure to monitor the temperature so that it does not overheat the room and seeds.
  12. Do not expose un-germinated seeds to light, as it will naturally restrict germination if ANY light is detected. They need total darkness – just like they would if they were in the ground!
  13. Germination can take up to 12 days – and is totally dependent on the germination temperature and seed’s coat.
  14. Keep in mind that some seeds naturally have very hard seed coats – which makes it harder for water to permeate and begin the germination process. There is no way to predict a germination time. All you can do is give them a perfect environment and have patience.
  15. Once the seed shows any sign of germination remove the seed from the paper towel using tweezers. *WARNING* THE TAP ROOT IS EXTREMELY FRAGILE*
  16. We do NOT recommend waiting for a long tap root. The sooner you place your seed in its new grow medium, the sooner it can get comfy!
  17. Pre-water your airy soil and let it fully drain out of the holes in the bottom for at least 1 hour.
  18. Stir your soil up if its compacted.
  19. Make a small 0.5cm (max) deep hole in the soil, and with the tweezers, GENTLY place the seed’s tail downwards in the soil.  Gently cover the seed with soil. (DO NOT GRAB THE TAIL WITH TWEEZERS)
  20. Cover the seed with a small amount of soil.
  21. Cover pot with plastic sandwich bag. Cut nice chunks of the CORNERS off (so it can breath yet maintain humidity), or cut a clear plastic pop bottle in half – with the spout aimed up. This will help maintain the humidity at the optimal 60-70%.
  22. Move it to an area with a room temp of 20-25C (68-81f). Place pot 12-24 inches (30-60cms) under any cheap 5-15watt LED or CFL light.  Only a small amount of light is initially required.
  23. Do not place pot in DIRECT sunshine. The seedling will cook.  
  24. If you have a digital thermometer / humidity meter – we recommend putting it inside the pot under the plastic (stood up OFF the soil) to keep an eye on temps and humidity.
  25. Do not let the plastic TOUCH the seed. It will kill it. Use toothpicks or plastic spoons/knives/forks if needed to hold plastic wrap up high. You should not need anything if you use a sandwich bag like a tent.
  26. Write the strain name on the spoon/knife and slide it into the dirt.
  27. Try keep humidity in your growing area at 60% for first 2 weeks.
  28. Congratulate yourself.  You’ve now germinated your seeds.  Now that you’ve gotten this far, make sure you don’t over water them!