Germinating Seeds With The Smart Start

Steven Voser

Emmy Award-Nominated Cannabis Journalist

Steven Voser

June 13, 2019

The life of a cannabis plant starts with the germination of the seed. In the first days it is crucial to offer the seedling the best possible start into life so it can develop into a thriving organism. The easiest and most convenient way to control the complete environment during this stage is by using the Smart Start - designed for optimal germination. Use it in combination with a Propagator Pro 2 for real killer results.

First of all, you need a few things to use in conjunction with the Smart Start. These are some perlite and a propagator. The Propagator Pro 2 would be a perfect choice. This is a special propagator optimized for germinating cannabis seeds and it includes some perlite as well so it saves you some effort of sourcing it yourself.

Additionally you need something for poking holes in soil (such as a screw driver), a litre of room temperature water, and some sticky tape.

Smart Start

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Video: germinating seeds with the Smart Start

Instructions

1. Prepare the Stimulator mix first. You will find this under the sticker label of the Smart Start. Pour about half a cup of water into a flat-bottomed dish—one slightly bigger than the Smart Start itself. Add the Stimulator mix and stir until dissolved.

2. Place the Smart Start in the solution and let it rest for 5 minutes.

3. While you wait, set up the propagator. Once set up, add a thin layer of perlite onto the bottom of the propagator tray.

4. After 5 minutes, the pots will have soaked up all the Stimulator solution they need. Remove the Smart Start from the solution.

5. Place the Smart Start on top of the perlite in the propagator.

6. Now it is time to put seed to soil. Pop one seed into every pre-made hole in each of your pots. 

   NOTE: The seeds should be 1–2mm deep max; any deeper than that may cause suffocation. Do not cover the seeds with soil; you should be able to still see the seeds.

7. Now all you have to do is wait. It should take 1-8 days before you see a seedling sprout through the soil. Do not get impatient and try and sneak a look – you could do more harm than good. Just let nature take its course.

8. Throughout this time, make sure that the perlite in the propagator remains moist – without ever becoming too wet or dry.

9. When your seedlings do finally emerge, a few of them may still have the seed casing over them. Unless you are very experienced, leave this. It will naturally fall off, and trying to do it yourself could damage the cannabis at a very vulnerable stage of its life.

10. Keep the conditions within your propagator constant until each of your seedlings is 2-3 cm tall.

11. Now carefully remove each seedling from their Smart Start pots, keeping the compost intact, and taking extra special care not to cause any damage to the roots or shoot.

12. Place the seedling and compost directly into your growing medium.

There you have it, you have now successfully germinated your cannabis seeds using the Smart Start and a propagator, and given them a strong and healthy beginning to life.