If you plan on growing your own cannabis plants at home, germinating them is perhaps the most important part of the process. Every single cannabis seed has to start with germination, and if this doesn’t take place, then plants won’t grow at all. There is perhaps no more crucial of a process than germination when it comes to successfully growing weed plants.
That said, there are many different determination methods out there, and there seems to be a whole lot of debate as to which one is best. Two of the most popular germination methods for cannabis include germinating in paper towel and germinating in soil.
Both of these have their own benefits which are worth considering. Today, we want to do a side-by-side comparison of germinating cannabis seeds in paper towel vs soil to see which method is better for you. Not only will we be comparing the two methods, but we’ll also be providing you with step-by-step instructions on how to do both.
Key Takeaways
- Germinating cannabis seeds is 100% necessary to grow any sort of plant.
- There are several germination methods, with germinating directly in soil and in paper towel being two of the most popular.
- Both germination methods have pros and cons worth considering, which will be discussed below, along with step-by-step guides.
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Lost In Translation, Inc
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What Is Germination?
Germination is the process where the seed of a plant, in this case cannabis, cracks open and exposes the interior DNA. Given the right temperature, light, moisture, and other conditions, a cannabis seed will crack open and begin growing what is known as a taproot.
Essentially, this is the process of turning a seed into a sprout or seedling that will then grow into a full-sized cannabis plant. You can think of this as activating the cannabis seed.
The taproot is the very first root that grows out of the seed, which establishes itself in the growing medium, and forms the basis of the whole root system that the cannabis plant will use to absorb nutrients and moisture from the soil. Once this taproot emerges, the initial stem of your cannabis plant will start to grow upwards.
If you’re looking for an official definition, germination is defined as the sprouting of a seed or other reproductive body, usually after a period of dormancy.
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Why Is Germination Important for Weed Seeds?
Germination is very important for weed seed because without it, a plant would not grow. A plant cannot grow out of a seed if it is not germinated first.
Cannabis seeds require very specific conditions, mainly high levels of moisture and moderate temperatures, for the internal components if you create a reaction which ultimately causes the seeds to split open and start growing into a plant. If a seed does not germinate, it cannot grow.
For a cannabis seed to germinate properly, it requires very high moisture or humidity levels, usually between 80% and 90%. This means that the seed needs to be quite wet, as it needs to absorb moisture to start the germination process. In terms of temperature, between 70 degrees and 80 degrees Fahrenheit is preferred, with around 75 degrees being ideal.
Although it might seem counterintuitive that seeds need darkness to germinate properly, this is exactly the case. Cannabis seeds should be left in a dark location while the germination process occurs, until the sprout emerges. Oxygen is another important part of the equation, although this shouldn’t be too hard to come by.
If all of the conditions are precisely met for cannabis seed germination, you should see a sprout or taproot emerging out of the seat within just a couple of days, although in some cases, germination may take up to a week or longer, depending on your chosen method.
This brings us to the next part of today’s article, choosing the best germination method for you, which generally comes down to either paper towel or soil.
How to Germinate Weed Seeds Using Paper Towels
The first and perhaps most popular method of germinating cannabis seeds involves using nothing more than wet paper towels and maybe a small plastic bag.
Pros
- This germination method has a number of big advantages, with moisture control being perhaps the biggest of all. As mentioned above, the level of moisture that cannabis seeds are kept in for germination is very important. It should be around 85%. If you are using wet paper towels, you can easily wet them to the ideal point.
- If the paper towels end up being too dry, just spray them with a bit more water. If the paper towels are too wet, put another paper towel along the outside to absorb some moisture, or just replace the wet one with a slightly drier one.
- Controlling light levels is also fairly easily done with the wet paper towel method, because a couple layers of wet paper towel should keep most light away. You could always put the paper towel inside of an opaque container or plastic bag to keep 100% of light away from the seed throughout the germination process.
- Just be sure to not totally seal the bag or container, because you want a little bit of oxygen getting in.Being able to keep it in the dark and aerated are two more advantages of this method.
- Another reason why so many people prefer the wet paper towel method is because it’s easy to check on the seeds. You can easily, albeit carefully, unfold the wet paper towel and check to see if your seeds have germinated. If they haven’t, just fold it back up and wait for another couple of days.
Cons
- One of the only downfalls of the paper towel method is that regulating the temperature can be difficult. You more or less have to keep it in an area that matches the temperature range required for seed germination. Paper towel is very thin and doesn’t hold on too much heat, so temperature fluctuations can be a problem.
- The other issue with germinating with the wet paper towel method is that it requires you to transplant a very delicate sprout from the paper towel to your growing medium, most likely soil.
- This is a very dangerous process, and it’s where many people kill their young cannabis sprouts. Those taproots are extremely fragile, and even the slightest physical damage may kill them. Even packing the soil down too tightly on them after germination can be an issue.
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Lost In Translation, Inc
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How to Germinate Weed Seeds in Paper Towel
To germinate weed seeds using the wet paper towel method, follow the steps as listed below.
- Choose the cannabis seeds that you would like to grow. You can choose from some pretty amazing options out there, including regular seeds and feminized seeds. Be sure to consider all of the necessary factors when choosing a strain.
- Take two or three pieces of paper towel and place them on top of each other. Using a spray bottle or by turning on the sink to a very low level, moisten the paper towels. They should be quite wet, although not completely drenched or dripping with water.
- Take your cannabis seeds and place them on the wet paper towel, making sure to space them about an inch apart. You don’t want to place the cannabis seeds too close to each other, because when they germinate and sprout, you don’t want the taproots growing into each other.
- Either fold the wet paper towel over the seeds or place another piece of wet paper towel on top. You need wet paper towel on both sides to maintain ideal humidity levels.
- You can now take your little cannabis seed and wet paper towel package and place it inside of an opaque container, because you want to keep light away. A plastic bag works as well, although if it is transparent, you’ll want to put it in a cupboard or somewhere else that is dark. Once again, make sure that you don’t totally seal the container or bag, because some oxygen should still be able to get in.
- Leave your germination package for about three to four days before checking to see if anything is happening. If you see a taproot emerging, you know that success is close at hand. Once the taproot reaches about 0.5 inches in length, it should be ready to transplant into your growing medium. Place the seed roughly 10 to 15 millimeters below the surface of your growing medium, slightly packed down the dirt, and provide it with a bit of water. At this point, you also need to start considering lighting.
- If nothing happens after the first four days, make sure that all of the conditions are being met and kept constant, fold everything back up, and wait for another two or three days. You can repeat this once again if nothing has happened after seven days, although if you don’t see any germination after the first week, chances are that your seeds are duds. It should take no more than 10 days at the very most for germination to occur, and that’s all.
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Lost In Translation, Inc
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How to Germinate Weed Seeds in Soil
The other most popular method of germinating weed seeds is by planting them directly in the soil. Planting cannabis seeds for germination directly in the soil comes with a number of advantages.
Pros
- Perhaps the biggest advantage of germinating a cannabis seed directly in the soil is that you don’t have to transplant it into the final growing medium, because it’s already there. As mentioned above, transplanting a newly germinated seed is one of the most dangerous aspects of cannabis growth of all. Planting the cannabis seed directly in soil is a great way to avoid killing it during the transplanting process.
- Another big benefit of using soil to germinate cannabis seeds is that temperature regulation is fairly easy. Soil, especially if you use a good deal of it, is able to hold on to some heat. This heat retention means that soil allows for good temperature regulation and it prevents fluctuations from occurring. This allows you to easily maintain the ideal temperature.
- Soil is also a good germination medium because it allows you to accurately control the moisture levels. You can even go so far as to use a soil based hygrometer to measure the humidity level of the soil, therefore allowing you to keep it at the right level. If the soil is too dry, you can always just spray it with some more water. Just be sure that you don’t over saturate the soil with water, or else you’ll run into some issues. Of course, keeping the seat in the dark is also easily done when it’s covered with soil.
Cons
- One of the downsides of germinating cannabis seeds in soil is that you can’t actually see what’s going on, and you can’t really check either. This is unlike with paper towel where you can simply unfold the paper towel to check on the seeds.
- When germinating in soil, you can’t keep digging into the soil to check on the seed, because you’ll likely end up killing any potential growth. Therefore, you just need to wait to see if something happens. Seeing as germination can take anywhere between 2 and 10 days, it can take quite some time to see any results.
- Also consider that it will take another couple of days after germination for that initial stem to grow up through the soil, therefore adding to the waiting period. It can be a bit frustrating because if germination doesn’t happen, it could potentially take up to two weeks for you to notice that it wasn’t successful, which qualifies as a big waste of time.
How to Germinate Cannabis Seeds in Soil
- To germinate cannabis seeds in soil, the first step is to choose the seeds or strains that you wish to grow, based on a variety of factors, such as potency, flavor, growth period, and more.
- You now need to choose high-quality potting soil that you will not only germinate the cannabis seed in, but grow the whole plant in as well. In the beginning, we recommend going for something that isn’t too heavily fertilized, because sprouts and seedlings are very delicate, and you don’t want to burn them with excess nutrients. You can always fertilize later on down the line.
- Take the cannabis seed and place it roughly 10 to 15 millimeters below the surface of the soil. Pack down the soil on top of it very lightly, but not too much. If you pack the soil down too tightly, you might crush any resulting growth and make it too hard for the stem to grow through the soil, resulting in the death of your cannabis plant.
- Use a spray bottle or a very light stream from your tap and provide the cannabis seed and the soil with a bit of moisture. Keep in mind the moisture levels that we discussed above.
- Ideally, you should put some kind of lid on your germination container or pots that you’re growing the plant in, as this will help retain moisture and keep temperature levels constant. Remember that you also want the seeds to be in total dark, so try to not keep the pots in a very brightly lit room.
- Depending on the seeds in question, it could take up to 10 days or longer for you to see results here, because once again, you have to wait not only for germination, but for the sprout to penetrate the surface of the soil. If you don’t notice any type of growth after about two weeks, chances are that germination has failed.
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Final Thoughts
When it comes down to it, both germinating in soil and paper towel are popular methods that have some pretty big advantages. Personally, we would recommend germinating directly in soil, as it tends to be easier and more successful, but everybody has different preferences, so it might be worth trying both.
Germinating Cannabis Seeds in a Paper Towel: Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s wrap things up by answering some of your most frequently asked questions about germinating cannabis seeds in paper towel or soil.
Should I germinate seeds in paper towel or soil?
Both paper towel and soil cannabis seed germination methods have their advantages and are worth trying. It really comes down to a matter of personal preference.
Will seeds grow through paper towel?
Unless left for an exceedingly long amount of time, cannabis seeds should not grow through paper towels.
How wet should paper towel be for seed germination?
Paper towels should be quite wet for cannabis seed germination, but not dripping wet.
Should I soak cannabis seeds before germination?
Some people may attempt to soak their seeds in a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution before germination, although this is not necessary as the primary function is to kill pests.
