Growing medical cannabis

I purchase seeds from seed banks. They can properly store seeds and generally provide a better quality of seeds. After choosing which strains I want to grow I start the seeds using one of the processes described below. Roots develop differently depending on the medium used. I start mine in perlite and feed it with the same nutrient solution I use in my clone buckets. These methods avoid over soaking the seeds or disturbing the roots when moved from paper towels and the seed will spend the minimum time in the starter medium before sprouting roots.

A note of warning, this method is best used for a few seeds at a time. The high temperature speeds up the process but molds and other potential biological agents also grow fast and multiply. Work in a clean environment, use sterilized seed starter and filtered water to avoid potential problems.

Seeds should be kept in the dark until they are placed in the soil and the temperature should stay in the range of 75 to 80 F (24 to 27 C). In the winter I place the seeds on a heat mat with a towel on top, this keeps the temperature around 80 F.

I begin by soaking the seeds in a weak nutrient solution for about 4 hours. This will speed up the process by quickly soaking the seed coat. The seed should not be in water too long, if any seeds split open remove them immediately and place into the medium.

Next place the seeds between two moist, not wet, paper towels and store in a dark, warm area. I use the warm water the seeds were soaking in to moisten the towels. Pour off any excess moisture but do not let these dry out. At this temperature they must be covered and checked every few hours.

When you see a small tail emerge the seed is ready to be placed in soil.* This first root can grow really fast and is very breakable. Planting when the tail is small reduces the chance of damaging the root. I use alcohol to sterilize the tweezers I use to handle the seeds.
* Sometimes the leaves will be the first to emerge from the seed. I have not had any of these succeed. I think the root may have been damaged when forming or a genetic mutation is keeping the root from forming properly.

Starting in perlite

I will sterilize the perlite I use by placing it in a foil pouch and covering with water. This is placed in an oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees. The steam will kill any pathogens.


I let the tail of the seed grow to about 1 inch before placing in a 1 1/2 inch hole and cover the top of the seed. I soak the perlite in the same nutrient solution used for clones, leaving enough in the bottom of the tray to keep the vermiculite hydrated.
Once the seedling has started growing its third set of true leaves I will move it to one of the clone buckets.

Starting in soil

Since I only use very small amounts of seed starting mix a bag will last many years. I have started sterilizing the mix by making a sealed pouch of aluminum foil to hold the soil when heating. The soil needs to be moist but not too wet or it will toxify the soil. I place this in a small broiler oven at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes. The steam will kill any pathogens. When the soil comes out of the oven it should still be moist and crumbly.

Pre-soak any good seed starting mix using the basic nutrient solution. I place this on a heat mat to warm the soil to around 78-80 degrees.
When the soil is thoroughly moist, make a slight dent in the top of the soil, about three times the diameter of the seed deep. Place a seed, tail down, in the dent and just barely cover with moist peat. Too deep will slow down the process. I want the seed pushed out of the soil and opening up as soon as possible.

Place the seeds under grow lights and cover to keep the top from drying out. Keep the soil moist but not wet. The seeds should sprout with 1 to 4 days.

Finishing up

Once there are healthy new leaves and roots I rinse off the roots and put it in one of the inserts for the aeroponic buckets.

TOP