Seed Cellar’s Stellar Seedlings
We took a look at our oldest seed stock and decided that they had waited long enough to see the sun! (artificial or or OG)
Older seeds have a reputation for being harder to germinate, but we know here at the Seed Cellar that a little extra care can ease any seed’s troubles.
If you are interested in any of these seedlings give us a call soon!
Due to the age of the seeds, we took some expert advice from Ed Rosenthal of “Ask Ed: Marijuana Success”, and we scoured the seeds. To do this, we lined a matchbox with 150 grit sandpaper, and gently shook each strain of seeds in the box.
Next, we made a mix of 3:1 hydrogen peroxide (1) and water (3). This serves as a sterile source of hydration for the seeds. It is important to use sterile water to avoid stressing the seeds (which can lead to hermaphroditism), as well as prevent gross things like mold and bacteria growth.
We placed each seed on some folded, sturdy paper towels by strain, and soaked them in the sterile water. One more fold to tuck them in cozy, and then they went into an aired up plastic bag to preserve humidity. Then we placed them in a dark cupboard to sprout their taproots.
We made sure to check on them every single day, as well as replaced their paper towels and water every 48 hours. We used clean tweezers to transfer the seeds, since they are very fragile at this stage and we do NOT want to rip off the tap root, or puncture or squish the soft seeds.
Once the taproot had sprung, we planted the seeds “a seed length” deep in clear plastic cups filled with Great Lakes soil. It is important NOT to plant seeds too deep. We nestled the clear cups - which have drainage holes - in a slightly taller solo cup to catch any drainage.
We also rubber banded a clear plastic bag over each of the cups in order to preserve humidity.
They were placed under grow lights on an 18 on:6 off light cycle. This ensures healthy vegetative growth.
Once the seedlings sprouted their second real leaves, we took off the humidity bag, and added a gentle fan to promote strong and healthy stems.
We topped the plants so that they will develop a more uniform flowering structure. The more light a branch has, the better the flower on that branch. By topping the plant, it will double the number of flowering branches so that light can reach all of the flowers equally. Plants that are not topped tend to have really large and dense colas on only the tallest center stalk. Topped plants can develop these really nice colas on multiple stalks, resulting in more bud overall, and less risk of mold.
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