from marijuanahydro.com

PROPAGATION AND GERMINATION

WHAT IS PROPAGATION?
Propagation: 1) The action of breeding or multiplying by natural processes: procreation, generation, reproduction. 2) The action of spreading an idea, practice, etc., from place to place. 3) Increase in amount or extent; enlargement; extension in space or time.
Propagation is The Grow, however some growers treat propagation only as the events that occur between the planting of the seed and the transplanting of the seedling to the main grow environment. We will correctly treat propagation as the entire process of growing from seed to harvest, including the logistics of the grow: in short, propagation represents the events that occur over the entire life cycle of the plant. This Chapter focuses on the first stage, germination, but first we'll discuss propagation logistics. You will hear the term propagation used to describe elements of the grow that may be seen as one-time actions like seed towel propagation, but we ask you to bear in mind that propagation is the continuous growing process.

Propagation Logistics
So, what are you going to do? Are you going to buy a batch of 10 seeds and grow them all in one go? Are you going to then kill the males and just use the females? Are you going to keep the males and produce more seeds from the females? How many seeds can a female plant produce? What can you do to guarantee that all your seeds will grow? This is where propagation logistics come into play. The answers to these questions depend largely on the size of your grow area and your budget.

Let's say you have about $200 to spend on seeds. You can buy an expensive strain, like a G13 cross, grow the G13 and produce more seeds from it. You could get between 100 and 2000 seeds depending on plant size and grow conditions. If you produce lots of seeds this season, you may never need to buy seeds for this strain again.
There is something else you can do to prevent the need to ever buy or grow from seeds again, called cloning. Cloning is a technique whereby you grow a number of plants and select a quality female. You then take cuttings from that female plant and grow these cuttings into new plants. Clones always retain the same sex and vigor as the mother plant, so it is possible to create a garden of plants through cloning that will last for decades from a single mother plant. Cloning is described in detail in Chapter 11.

For the new grower it is advised that you buy 10 seeds and only germinate three the first time, followed by another three and then the last four.This will allow you some degree of experimentation as you may fail on your first attempt to germinate the seeds.

For people who have germinated seeds in the past, it is advised that you germinate five followed by another five the next week. Only if you are a long-time grower with a good amount of growing experience should you germinate all the seeds at once. In this way, you can reduce the risk of failing some, or all, of your seeds because of bad germination methods.
During your plants' growth you may decide to pollinate only a few of your females. You will need two grow areas to do this: one for growing all your female plants; and another for growing one or more females mixed in with males. As stated before, this depends on the size of your grow space and your budget. It is important that your pollination room be kept well away from your all-female grow room because pollen can travel by air. Bees and other insects can spread pollen, and so can you. Always wash your hands and face after handling a male plant to prevent pollen from a male plant getting onto a female that you wish to keep for sinsemilla.

So, now you nave 10 seeds and your goal is to achieve 100 percent germination results. The following section on germination will help you achieve an optimal success rate.

GERMINAT/ON TECHNIQUES
Seeds can be germinated a number of ways. Some guarantee more success than others. It is recommended that you consider the rockwool SBS (single block system) propagation tray method.

Seed Soil Propagation
In this method, seeds are placed in moist soil about 3 mm, or the length of the seed, from the surface. The soil is kept moist (not soaking wet), by sprinkling water over it once a day. This has a moderate success rate: out of 10 seeds you can expect 7 to 8 to germinate.

Germination Soil
There are many soils advertised as germination soils.* They are basically the same as other soils except that they contain special blends of micronutrients and are kept somewhat clean (the soil is sifted and no compost is added!. Ordinary loam soil with apHof? and an NPK** of higher or equal amounts of N than P or K is good for starting seeds. Even ratios of NPK of 5:1:1 or 8:4:1 are good. Just make sure that the N is equal to or higher than each of the P and K factors on the label.

Seed Towel Propagation
Seeds are placed either on a damp towel or on damp cotton balls (cheesecloth may also be used). Cover the seeds with more damp cotton balls or a damp towel.

So, now you have 10 seeds and your goal is to achieve 100 percent germination results. The following section on germination will help you achieve an optimal success rate.

GERMINATION TECHNIQUES
Seeds can be germinated a number of ways. Some guarantee more success than others. It is recommended that you consider the rockwool SBS (single block system) propagation tray method.

Seed Soil Propagation
In this method, seeds are placed in moist soil about 3 mm, or the length of the seed, from the surface. The soil is kept moist (not soaking wet), by sprinkling water over it once a day. This has a moderate success rate: out of 10 seeds you can expect 7 to 8 to germinate.

Germination Soil
There are many soils advertised as germination soils.* They are basically the same as other soils except that they contain special blends of micronutrients and are kept somewhat clean (the soil is sifted and no compost is added). Ordinary loam soil with a pH of 7 and an NPK** of higher or equal amounts of N than P or K is good for starting seeds. Even ratios of NPK of 5:1:1 or 8:4:4 are good. Just make sure that the N is equal to or higher than each of the P and K factors on the label.
Seed Towel Propagation
Seeds are placed either on a damp towel or on damp cotton balls (cheesecloth
may also be used). Cover the seeds with more damp cotton balls or a damp towel.

If the material dries out it may damage the seeds, so keep it moist at all times. Every day, check to see if the seeds have started to produce roots. If they have, immediately transfer the seedlings to a grow medium, such as soil, using a pair of tweezers. Do not touch the roots as this can kill your seedlings. This method has a moderate-to-high success rate. Out of 10 seeds 8 to 9 may germinate. The problem with this method is that sometimes the transplant can cause the seedling to go into shock. This can terminate the germination process, leaving you with nothing. With practice you can get all your seeds to germinate using this method.

Propagation Kits
Seeds are germinated in small units inside a seed or clone propagator: a tray of sorts, designed to help plants germinate. One such kit is called a rockwool SBS propagation tray.* At the bottom of the tray is a small area where water or germination hormone can be poured. Small grow cubes called rockwool cubes are placed into slots in the tray, which automatically dips the rockwool into the solution. The seeds are placed into tiny holes in the cubes (the holes are filled with rockwool particles to prevent the seeds from being directly exposed to air in the environment) and the cover is replaced. Some propagation kits are even heated and look like miniature greenhouses.

This method has a very high success rate, however a disadvantage is the cost of the tray, rockwool and grow fertilizers. You should note that, although some seedling fertilizers contain growth hormones mixed into the nutrients in order to promote plant growth, it Is recommended that you not use fertilizers or growth hormones with your seeds unless you have experience. Even the slightest amount of overfeeding can kill your seeds or bum your seedlings. In fact, you are better off just using water in your propagation kit to germinate your seeds. I have yet to find a cannabis strain that needed growth hormones or fertilizer to germinate properly. The price of the tray is about $10, the rockwool cubes J5, the grow fertilizers $5. If you have spent upwards of $50 on good seeds, why not spend the extra $20 on getting a small kit like this together and increase your chances of achieving a 100 percent success rate? The kits offer the added advantage of serving two purposes: they can also be used to root your clones.

Scuffing Seeds
Most seeds that fail to germinate do so because their shells, the testa, are too hard to break open and allow water to seep in. At the end of your germination period you may have found that some seeds have not managed to break open. You can help these seeds to grow by using a method known as scuffing.
Simply get a small box, like a matchbox and line the inside of the box with sandpaper. Place the seeds into the box, close and shake the box for a few minutes. Now that the seeds have been scuffed, their outer shells should break open more easily and they should germinate.

Dangers when Germinating Seeds
During germination and transplantation, your plants are at their most vulnerable. Here are some tips to help you protect your future crop during germination.
Drafts are a killer and can stunt germination. Always make sure you keep your germinating seeds away from any open windows or fans. Also ensure that the room is warm. A cold room can inhibit your germination rates.*
Take care when using germination fertilizers or hormones to ensure that your mixture is correct. Do not use high doses of fertilizers with seedlings. Water is all seedlings really need. You do not need to add anything. Some people use germination solutions, but these solution strengths should be low. An incorrect mixture can burn your seedlings and cause them to fail.
Leave your seeds alone to grow.** You may be tempted to check on your seedlings and could run the risk of disturbing the soil.This is a bad move as too much tampering and shifting of the seeds can break and damage the young roots.
Some strains produce seedlings with weaker stems than others. In these cases, the seedlings may tend to lean to the left or right. If you find that your seedlings need support then use a small stick to brace your seedling. Tie the stem to the stick using a piece of thread. Never tie the thread above a growing shoot or the seedling will push up against the thread and may rip itself. You may continue to use a stick to support your plant as it grows. Never bring a stick from outdoors indoors as some bugs, such as spider mites, can go undetected in their incubation nests inside the wood. If your plant still has a weak stem during vegetative growth it is recommended that you give the base of the stem a gentle shake every morning and evening. This will help the plant to develop a more solid stem. Outdoors the wind shakes a plant and causes it to develop this solid stem. You can simulate the effect of the wind by doing this mildly every morning for two or three seconds. Indoor fans also help and are described in Chapter 6.
Seeds must be viable if they are going to germinate. Never use white seeds. They are immature. Find seeds that have white and gray markings or another color apart from white. Crushed seeds will not germinate. Old seeds may have trouble germinating. Always try to use the best seeds you can find.

TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS
During the stages between germination and vegetative growth the grower may find that plants outgrow their pots. Transplanting to bigger pots should be done as early as possible.

Here is an example. When your seedlings are ready, simply lift them from the propagation tray along with the rockwool cube, and place the cube and seedling into a bigger container full of another grow medium, such as soil or a hydropon-ic setup (more about hydroponics can be found in Chapter 9).There is not much of a problem when transferring a cube and seedling to soil. Just dig a small hole in the soil for the cube and place it in. Then cover the cube with soil. The cube will not affect your plant's growth and will provide additional support as it grows into its larger container.

Even if you have started your seedlings in soil, transferring them to bigger pots need not be a complicated process.The problem you'll encounter is that, in order to move the soil and roots from one pot to another, the plant must be lifted out gently, with the soil in place. The most important objective of any transplant is to keep the roots intact while avoiding as much material spillage as possible. How is this done? There are three basic ways:
The first way is to simply cut away the base of the smaller pot and place it inside the bigger pot of soil.The roots will grow down through the hole in the bottom of the smaller pot and into the larger one.
The second way involves making sure that the soil is very dry. Delay watering your plant for a couple of days and let the soil settle until hard. Then you can use a clean knife to cut around the inside edge of the pot. Cut deep, but not so deeply that you risk damaging the roots. Then push your fingers down into the sides and lift the plant and soil out. Some soil will break away but this shouldn't affect your plant. Quickly place the plant into the larger pot and cover with soil. Give your plant some water so that it will take to the new soil. Although you can lift some plants out of their pots by pulling on the stem, this can cause problems down the line. You should always maintain a firm grip on the soil when transplanting.
If your soil is very compact, you may be able to turn the pot upside down and gently tap the whole medium out as one solid mass. This transplanting method â?? turning the pot upside down and tapping it out â?? is a very professional way of transplanting but you should try it out first on a plain pot of dry soil. A bit of practice will pay off in the long run. Simply move your hand to cover as much of the top of the pot as possible.The stem should be resting at the base between your fingers. Lift the pot and plant up with the other hand. Turn the plant upside down and use your free hand to pull the pot away from around the soil. You can also use the remains of an indoor harvest (if the cut stem is still in the soil in the pot) to practice this.

Transplant Shock
During some transplants the cannabis plant may go into shock, even if your transplant was done cleanly and quickly. If your plant is otherwise healthy, it should survive. If the plant hasn't been looked after it may fail quickly. Transplant shock results in delayed or slowed growth and is caused by damage to or a disturbance of the roots. This is why you must always make sure to keep a firm hold of the soil during transplants. Also refrain from feeding plants suffering from transplant shock for one week if you can. The reason for not feeding the plant is because shocked plants can not use fresh nutrients properly. The plant's poor health, coupled with its inability to uptake and use the fresh nutrients, usually results in plant burn, which can be fatal to a shocked plant.
Some growers like to clean down their roots before transplanting. Although this can be done with some plants â?? cannabis does not like it unless the root mass is small and undemanding. Cleaning cannabis roots is not needed but should you wish to attempt it then it is best to do it between the first and second weeks of vegetative growth. Root size and complexity is very strain dependent. Since cannabis mostly produces a complex root system, it is nearly impossible to avoid some root damage when cleaning the roots and in most cases where root damage has occurred, plant growth will be stunted. If the damage is severe, the plant could die.
There are some transplant feeding products available. One popular brand of growth hormone called Superthrive is used extensively by cannabis growers to help the plant through the transplant process and recovery from shock. Superthrive contains the vitamin Bl better know as the hormone Wiamine' â?? a proven root and growth hormone.

end of excerpt