Cannabis Grow Guide by Royal Queen Seeds

By Luke Sumpter

Unless you are using cuttings, growing weed starts with germinating your seeds. If your seeds don’t sprout, for whatever reason, your grow will be over before it even has a chance to start. But If you know the reasons behind germination problems, your chances of getting your grow off to a great start will greatly increase!


Why Your Cannabis Seeds Aren’t Germinating

There are a whole lot of things that can prevent cannabis seeds from germinating. Here are some of the most common reasons why your seeds may not “pop”:


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1. Your Germination Method Is Off

If you are wondering how to germinate weed seeds, you should know that there are many ways to do it, and different growers have their favorites. In general, we do not recommend changing your germination method if it's one that you've been using successfully for some time, as the germination and seedling stages are very touch-and-go.

If, however, you're having trouble germinating your cannabis seeds, revising your technique might be in order. At RQS, we recommend germinating your seeds in one of two ways:

  • Between moist paper towels in a dark place or room
  • Directly in sterilised, moist soil—the way nature intended

Other germination methods (such as soaking seeds in water) might be popular, but, at least in our experience, they do not provide the best germination rates.

Germination

2. You're Lacking the Right Equipment

Sometimes the right equipment can make all the difference. Since the germination stage can be so challenging for beginner growers, we've created a line of products specially designed to simplify the process as much as possible. So if you're struggling to germinate your seeds, consider checking out:

  • Soil Plugs: Made from top-quality peat moss and coco coir, RQS soil plugs are designed to retain moisture while providing your seeds with the room and air they need in order to germinate properly. Plus, they make transplanting super easy, and they're suitable for autoflowering seeds as you can plant them directly in your final pots.
  • Easy Start: Containing sterilised soil enriched with beneficial bacteria, our Easy Start pods create the perfect home for your seeds, maximising germination rates in turn. Simply dissolve the included Bacto packet (loaded with beneficial bacteria) in water, soak your Easy Start pods in the mixture for 10 seconds, and sow your seeds!
  • Starter Kit: Our Starter Kit comes complete with Easy Start pods, automatic or feminized seeds, and a Propagator Pro complete with perlite and cool, low-watt LED lights. While the Easy Start pods provide the perfect starter soil for your seeds, the Propagator Pro helps to create the perfect environment for your seeds to germinate and grow.

3. Bad Seeds

Got a bag of “mystery seeds” from your local source or “bargain seeds” from an unknown vendor off the internet? If so, chances are they won’t germinate. Reputable seed banks like Royal Queen Seeds will always test their seeds for quality and germination rate.

To get your grow off to a great start, sourcing quality cannabis seeds is the best thing you can do. Not only will your germination rates be better, but your plants will also grow healthier with better yields at harvest time.

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4. Improper Storage

Just like food, seeds are living organisms that need to be stored properly, otherwise they'll degrade, die, or won’t germinate. When storing your seeds, keep them away from light, extreme temperatures, and humidity. A dark cupboard with stable temperatures is fine. For long-term storage, place seeds in a sealed container and store them in the fridge.

For more information on storing your cannabis seeds properly, see our blog on How To Preserve Seeds.

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5. Handling Seeds With Bare Hands

Handling your cannabis seeds with bare hands can contaminate them with all kinds of nasties like bacteria and fungus. Unfortunately, seeds and seedlings are especially vulnerable to these types of harmful pathogens.

To prevent spoiling your seeds, avoid unnecessary handling. Use clean gloves and some disinfected tweezers or something similar. This will greatly minimise the risk of your seeds being contaminated.

HANDLING SEEDS WITH BARE HANDS

6. Seeds Buried Too Shallow or Too Deep

When planting directly into the soil, don’t bury your seeds too deep. If they’re too far down, they won’t have access to enough oxygen, and moisture in the soil can overpower them and cause them to rot.

Likewise, if your seeds are too close to the surface, there is a risk they’ll dry out before sprouting, or the seed will emerge but can’t shed off its cap. The happy medium is to place your seeds about 0.5–1.0cm deep and just lightly cover them with soil.

Not Too Shallow Nor Too Deep

7. Not Using New or Sterilised Soil and Pots

One of the biggest factors inhibiting seeds from sprouting is fungus. Old, reused soil that isn’t sterilised is likely to contain mould and other harmful organisms like bacteria and insects.

Your seeds may not sprout at all, or they may emerge from the soil but die days later. Seedlings may suddenly bend and turn brown from a disease known as “damping off”. Overwatering, poor drainage, and lack of aeration will also increase the likelihood of this.

Solution: Only plant your seeds in a sterilised (i.e. new) potting mix as this won't contain these harmful organisms. But your substrate isn’t the only thing you need to keep an eye on. You’ll also need to make sure your containers are clean, as these can also carry mould and other harmful pathogens. If you encounter fungus problems when you’re germinating, it is best to get rid of the seed and the contaminated growing medium and start over.

8. Too Much Moisture

If your substrate drains poorly, excess water in the soil will prevent your seed from accessing oxygen, and it will encourage fungal growth. You can improve the water drainage of your soil by adding some perlite. Also, always make sure your planting containers have holes in the bottom for water to drain out.

If you’re using a hood to keep moisture in, make sure there are holes in this too. Lift the hood frequently to allow for fresh air exchange. Remove the hood as soon as your seedling has shed its shell.

9. Not Enough Moisture

Keeping the above in mind, seeds do need moisture to germinate. Keep your soil moist but not damp. The best approach is to use a hand sprayer with a fine mist setting. Use a transparent germination hood or cling film to keep the soil from drying out.

10. Drowning Seeds

Some growers like to germinate their seeds in a glass of water. While this method technically is viable, there is also a risk that the seeds will drown if allowed to sit for too long. After all, seeds need a good supply of oxygen to grow.

Instead, germinate your seeds directly in soil, or even better, use the Royal Queen Seeds Starter Kit.

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11. Allowing Seeds to Germinate for Too Long

If you allow your seeds to germinate for too long, transplanting them safely will become difficult. The reason for this is that the longer the roots are exposed to air and light, the more likely they are to become damaged. Moreover, the longer the taproot, the higher the risk for accidental damage when transplanting.

Keep an eye on your seeds and transplant when the taproot measures 1–2cm at most.


12. Poor Water Quality

While tap water may be okay for more mature cannabis plants, it can be a problem for seeds and seedlings. Tap water contains chlorine, fluoride, and salts that can be detrimental to healthy growth and may even prevent seeds from sprouting altogether.

Use bottled water for germination. If you need to use tap water, fill a bucket with hot water and let it sit outside for a day. This allows the chlorine to evaporate so the water is safer to use for germinating.

13. Temperature Too High

Excessively high temperatures in your germination environment can lead to slow and stunted growth, and it can cause your soil to dry out. The optimal temperature for seed germination is a moderate 20–25°C.

If you’re germinating indoors and temperatures are too high, see whether you can get it cooler with some fans or by opening windows. If that doesn’t work, consider an air conditioner for your grow room to keep temperatures at bay.

-15 °C ⚠️ Danger Zone
17 °C Ideal Night Temperature
23 °C Ideal Day Temperature
+25 °C ⚠️ Danger Zone

14. Temperature Too Low

Likewise, when temperatures are too low, this can introduce a whole host of its own problems, including inhibiting seeds from sprouting. Colder temperatures also increase the risk of other plant diseases. What to do about it? If you want to grow outdoors, don’t set plants outside too early. Instead, germinate indoors and allow your seedlings to grow for a few weeks.

Do your due diligence and verify when local temperatures are high enough to set your plants outside. Usually, waiting a couple weeks for higher spring temperatures is worth it!

TEMPERATURE TOO LOW

15. Too Much Light

Seeds don’t need light to germinate. In fact, too much light can decrease their likelihood of popping. You only need to worry about providing light once your seedlings actually emerge from the soil. But make sure to start with low light intensity before gradually increasing over time.

16. Pests, Birds, Insects…

Believe it or not, hemp seeds are a major component of many types of birdseed! That’s right; birds love them just as much as you do. But birds aren’t the only critters that would love nothing more than to chow down on your seeds.

Among other critters, ants are particularly keen on eating the taproots from sprouted seeds. To keep your seeds safe, use bird netting, ant traps, and other preventative measures like neem oil or slug traps. Check on your seeds often so you can spot infestations and act before they become a problem.

17. Soil Too Firm

If your soil is packed too firm, this can prevent your seed from popping. Compact soil deprives seeds of oxygen, and poor drainage will increase the risk of disease and mould. Using your (clean) hands, cover your seeds with just a light layer of soil.

18. Soil Too Loose

When soil is too loose, too much air surrounds the seed, and thus it can’t absorb moisture properly. After you’ve placed your seeds, lightly pat down the soil with your fingers. When adding perlite to make your soil airier, around 10–20% is plenty.

Soil

19. Soil Too "Hot"

Soil being “too hot” means it contains too much nutrients. This is especially important for seeds and seedlings, as these don't really need nutrients at all. For that reason, it is best not to feed them during the first few weeks of growth.

Many commercial soils are “too hot” for germination as they contain levels of nutrients better suited for mature cannabis. Use “light” or unfertilised seedling soils when germinating.

20. Crowded Pots

After germinating your seeds, the roots of your cannabis plants will want ample space to grow, so make sure you’re using adequately sized pots. On the other hand, only grow one seed in each pot so they aren’t competing for available light or nutrients in the soil.

If your space or resources are limited, it’s better to grow fewer plants that can flourish than to grow too many in a crowded area.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: