Growing Seeds

There are a number of ways of getting seeds to germinate, but you’re best off doing that indoors because that’s where the environment is better protected. A seed needs to absorb water before it can germinate. After this imbibing of water, biological processes get to work inside the seed and it comes, as it were, to life.

A simple method of germinating seed is to place the seed on a piece of paper towel that is wet. Cover the seed and store in a dark place. Make sure the towel remains moist but the seed does not drown in a puddle of water (seeds need oxygen to germinate). How long it takes before the seed starts to sprout varies per variety and depends on the age of the seed. Make sure the seeds are adequately ventilated to avoid disease issues. Once the root sprouts and the new top shows, transfer to a seedling medium in a small container.

When transplanting, place the sprouted now seedlings 2.5 times the seed height under the surface (e.g. If seed is 2mm place 5mm under the surface). Make sure the moisture is sufficiently high, but remember too that the area around the seeds mustn’t be too damp. So go easy on the watering.

When the first real leaves appear on your plants you can start giving some fertilizer. The fertilizer concentration mustn’t be too high: use about one half to two thirds strength fertilizer. Keep the temperature between 20°C and 25°C. Ideal humidity at this stage is between 70% and 90%.

The light spectrum the plant sees also has a considerable influence on the way your plants grow. The blue part of the spectrum is what gets the plants to grow widthways rather than tall. This allows you to get robust plants before they start to flower. We call it vegetative growing (vegging) if you start growing plants in one area or under a different light spectrum before moving them into another area, or changing the light spectrum, to flower. Again, this encourages robust plants that pick up strength faster and that can be readied for flowering straight away. Other advantages include less waste and more frequent harvesting. You normally use fluorescent lighting in the seedling stage. This light is easy and inexpensive and a further advantage is that the lamps can be set close to the plants so you don’t need much room.

When your plant has thrown out enough roots it starts to grow. A plant grows because the cells in the growth areas divide and because the cells that have already formed swell up with water. The plant is now using a lot of water and nutrients, above all nitrogen.

Although the plant continues to grow when it comes into bloom, many growers incorporate a vegetative growth phase first. The longer this period lasts, the longer it takes before any harvesting. However, on the other hand, the plant has much more time to develop branches; this increases its resistance to disease and defects, and also provides a bigger crop later. Allowing your plants a least a one week veg phase will make them strong and robust.

Now that the plant has moved into the flowering phase, the plant’s nutritional requirements change. Its need for nitrogen (N), which was the primary nutrient during the growing phase, comes down but its need for potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) rises markedly. Stop giving fertilizer between 3 – 7 days before the harvest, as the plant’s ripening process nears completion.