This article first appeared in the Flower Issue of Fat Nugs Magazine, published October 2024
Happy anniversary, everyone! But it’s not our wedding anniversary. It’s been just about a year and six issues since I got the opportunity to join you and share my experience between the pages of this fine magazine.
And do you know what I realized? In a year, we haven’t grown a damn thing together!
I’ve blustered about the plant’s physiology, some considerations for setting up a grow room, what equipment you’ll need- even a bit about seeds and clones.
But if you’ve been waiting for me to start your garden, I would imagine you’re pretty eager by now. So, let’s get a cycle started together. It could take years before we can discuss every topic that will help you become a better home grower, but nothing will teach you to grow faster than just starting. And yes, sometimes failing. I’ve always found failure to be the best teacher.
So let’s get growing! And I can’t think of any better way to frame this crash course in “just do it” than a good old-fashioned pheno-hunt.
Going on a Pheno-Hunt
What is A Phenotype?
Understanding what a pheno-hunt is begins with understanding a phenotype.
Today there is a nearly endless variety of cannabis genetics from which to choose. I’ve grown dozens of varieties, from Cap Junky to Georgia Pie, Lemon Skunk to Blue Cheese. We generally refer to them as strains, or, a bit more refined, cultivars.
Not every seed from each strain is the same. I like the analogy that seeds are as different as children. They are all the same variety, but have very different traits, physical characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses.
I don’t have children, but I certainly understand that we support each one to reach as much of their potential as possible. We can’t just go picking our favorite ones and discard the rest! But with plants, that’s exactly what we do.
Some will be more potent, more aromatic, some will grow faster. Some will grow larger flowers. Some will be more disease and pest-resistant. Some will grow taller. Some will grow shorter. There are males and females. Some are even “gender fluid.” All of these unique characteristics are what make up a phenotype. However nuanced, you’ll gravitate to the effects of this one over that one.
Talented breeders are getting better at creating seeds that produce more homogeneous plants, but traditionally, growers plant many seeds of the same variety, cultivate them to maturity, and evaluate the qualities of each. The plants with the most desirable traits are cloned and become the mother stock for all future cultivation cycles, delivering the exact same product every time – or at least as uniform as the environment and grower’s abilities will allow.
All Pheno-Hunts Start With A Seed
In nature, cannabis reproduces sexually. Male flowers produce pollen and release it airborne. Female flowers are pollinated and produce seeds. In cultivation, regular seeds are produced this way and there are feminized seeds, produced by inbreeding females. (If you want a brush up on any of this, check out the last column in the Pet Edition.)
A mature seed will be bulbous and usually brown in color. They often have an almost leopard pattern. The plant doesn’t necessarily get a chance to finish all seeds, so some are going to be immature and probably won’t sprout. They are typically smaller, unevenly shaped, and light green. If they came from a breeder, complain and get a replacement or your money back.
Germination
It may not end up mattering in the germination, but seeds definitely have a top and a bottom. The top has a little pointed tip and the bottom is more of a divot, where it was attached to the plant.
Starting seeds is pretty easy. Some like to put them in a bag with a wet paper towel until they germinate. I prefer to direct-sow them into starter cubes. Those cubes come from a variety of materials, but most commonly peat moss or rock wool. I prefer peat.
The cubes get soaked in a very light nutrient solution (or just plain water) and wrung out a bit so that they are wet, but not completely saturated. There needs to be enough moisture to keep the seed damp at all times. Typically, the cubes get placed into a propagation tray and placed under low light (18 hours on, 6 hours off) in a warm place. If you’re in a cooler place, consider an inexpensive seedling heat mat to keep the tray warm.
Place the seed in a small divot in the cube with the pointed tip up. Don’t bury the seed. Just barely into the cube is fine. It can still be somewhat visible.
From there, be patient, make sure it stays warm, and keep an eye on it. Eventually, the seed casing will split open from the top and a little white root will start to emerge. This will ultimately become the plant’s main tap root, but first, it will locate the light, establishing up from down.
As it grows, that root will turn downwards and penetrate the cube, headed as deep as it can. At that point, the rest of the seed will flip up out of the cube. The casing falls off as what is left inside splits open and turns green, becoming the plant’s first set of solar panels, called cotyledon. From the center of that, the plant’s first true set of leaves will emerge. And it’s off to the races.
What is Stratification?
Not all seeds will germinate; some are weak or immature. But even strong, mature seeds will become less viable over time. One way to improve the germination rates is with a simple process called stratification.
Basically, it’s roughing up the seed casing to allow water and oxygen to more easily penetrate the casing. Physical stratification is the simplest. You can just run the seeds gently over a piece of fine sandpaper. This will create fissures in the casing, allowing for easier penetration by moisture.
But that method is tedious and I have big meat paws, so working with tiny seeds isn’t easy. I prefer chemical stratification: soaking the seeds overnight in a solution that will have the same effect. I use a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution – just dilute the bottle from the drug store 2:1 with water.
Let Them Grow!
After the seedlings have started to vegetate, it’s just time to keep them happy. Keep the space in the 70’s with a humidity of around 60% if possible. Keep the substrate consistently moist at this point. You don’t want it drying out or being saturated.
Give the plants smaller amounts of water more frequently. If you stick your index finger an inch or two into the pot and it’s not moist, it’s time to water. If water is running out of the bottom and is not being sucked back up within a few minutes, you are watering too much.
What type of substrate you use is a personal choice. But I always recommend that new growers use an actual soil of some sort, not an inert substrate like coco or rockwool. Soil is typically a lot more forgiving. If it’s a quality product, many of the nutrients and even beneficial bacteria and fungi are already in abundance in the soil. You will probably still need to fertilize your plants, but the soil will decrease that need and also help your plants manage the nutrient levels in the pot a bit.
Probably the most common mistake that I see new growers make is overwatering and over-fertilizing their plants. And it’s especially easy to overwater soil, as it will generally hold more water than coco or rockwool. The soil becomes too saturated, and essentially, the roots can’t breathe. So keep an eye on it. Moderation is the key!
By the time the plants reach about a square foot, or maybe 5-6 weeks old, they will start to show signs of sexual maturity. This is a good time to attempt to identify the males from the females, discarding all of the males. I say attempt, because it takes a trained eye to recognize the difference.
Growers who don’t want to wait that long will sometimes clone seedlings early and flower the clones to determine sex. You can even send off tissue samples to a lab that will tell you blue or pink!
We are just going to try to do it the old-fashioned way, by looking at their goods, so to speak. As I said, it’s not always easy. But I’ve never actually let a male slip through to the flower room. I suppose my best advice is, when in doubt, it’s a dude.
You can always put all of the plants into the flower cycle and just be prepared to pull the males as it becomes apparent in a week or two. But be diligent, or the pollen will start flying, and you’ll end up with a room full of seeds.
If you feel comfortable giving pheno-hunts a go at this point, get yourself a pack of seeds and get started! If you do decide to pheno-hunt, just remember this: you will have to clone every plant and clearly label the clones before you put any plants in flower.
At the end of the cycle, you’ll have had a chance to evaluate each plant and even sample the flower. Once you pick your favorites, you can keep the clones from that plant and discard the rest.
How the heck do you clone a plant, you ask? Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until the next issue at this point. I’ll teach you the basics of cloning and also a bit about how to identify males from females.
So, if you’re waiting for me, start your seeds in about a month!
