One key method of preserving genetic varieties that worked well when planted or gave off a great “experience” in general is saving cannabis seeds. Growers often keep seeds in order to grow plants with genetics that they have found particularly enjoyable.
Seeds will lose germinating power over the course of time, however. After a number of years, when farmers are getting ready to plant them, issues with sprouting immediately become apparent. Thankfully, there are several steps that can be taken so that the cannabis which was worth all that effort of storing gets saved anyway.
If you have “old” seeds that you finally want to put to use, you’re in luck! Let’s explore rescuing and germinating old cannabis seeds.
Read on to learn more about rescuing old cannabis seeds and germination:
Storage Conditions Are Everything
Seeds should be kept away from sunlight, stored in a dry, cool place. Ideally, they have to be placed in refrigerators at a temperature within the 6 to 8 degrees Celsius range. The humidity levels have to be relative, somewhere between 20% to 30%.
To ensure that your seeds don’t rot, you need to buy an airtight container. You can also buy an opaque plastic bottle, or, if you have a lot of seeds and money is no object, you can make your own container out of plastic or glass. You need to remove any oxygen from the bottle, or else the seeds will rot. You can reduce the amount of oxygen by adding tiny pellets of silica gel to either your plastic bottle or your homemade container.
Even the placement within the refrigerator matters when it comes to dealing with old seeds. Ideally, you will need to make a particular space within your crisper for them. That’s because it’s warmer than the other areas of your refrigerator.
Are you storing multiple strains in different bottles? Make sure you label them properly so you don’t need to open them in order to identify them properly.
Trigger Germination With Hydration
If the seeds you have saved are under two years old, then you shouldn’t have issues. When they’re older than two years old, germination will likely be trickier. That’s because of how the shells of the seeds harden over time the longer they’re in storage.
When seeds have been saved for a year and a half or more, and you want to try growing them again, the first method to try is to soak them in water with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in it for 24 hours. It’s important that the liquid is at a specific temperature: 22 degrees Celsius. The hydrogen peroxide will go a long way in safely softening shells.
Conclusion
Seeds are saved by plenty of cannabis growers for quite some time for the original genetics of a certain strain to be preserved. When they’re under two years old, rescue and germination shouldn’t be a problem. Older ones will need a little help, largely through a water-and-hydrogen peroxide soak.
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