The first thing to consider is whether the seeds were viable in the first place. If your seeds haven’t germinated within the appropriate number of days (this will depend on your seeds), then you may want to consider using a pen or pencil to gently dig into the soil and find the seed.
- If you can’t find the seed, think again. Forgot to put the seeds in the mix? Do not laugh! It could happen!
- If you find the seed, take a good look at it. You may see it looks just like when you put it in the ground. In this case, the cause of a low germination rate could be that it was an old or improperly stored seed.
Contents
Do all seeds have a form of dormancy?
Yes, but most have simple forms of short-lived dormancy. If you are starting to grow plants from seed, you will find that most things you try to grow will grow well in room temperature and water. As you get more adventurous, you’ll find that some of the less common and more interesting plants have more complicated dormancy.
Dormancy is both simple and complex. There are a few fairly simple reasons why a seed goes dormant, and they’re easy to figure out. At the same time the subject is complex for two reasons. First, each seed has its own reason for dormancy, and there haven’t been enough detailed studies of most seeds to figure them out. The available information comes mostly from amateurs and is anecdotal. Second, there can be more than one reason a seed is dormant. So what looks like one complicated system may actually be two or more simple dormancy, which looks very complicated.
How do you increase the germination rate of seeds?
If you don’t have the luxury of having a greenhouse, starting your seeds indoors can help improve germination rates. Ideally, in an indoor or controlled environment, you can better maintain a consistent temperature, reduce pest exposure, and monitor watering.
Testing your weed seeds in water
If you want more certainty that your weed seeds are good, there is a test you can perform that requires nothing more than a small glass of water and the seed itself. Don’t do this until you’re ready to germinate the seed because exposure to too much water can ruin it otherwise.
- Fill a cup with warm distilled water. The size of cup you use isn’t too important because marijuana seeds are small and fit into pretty much everything you have.
- Simply put the seed in the glass of water and see if it sinks or floats. If it floats, then it’s probably not good. If it sinks, however, it is a sign that it is ready to go and you should start the germination process as soon as possible.