Once you've germinated your seeds and successfully transplanted them into your growing medium, the next exciting phase of growing begins.
A cannabis seedling is a small and fragile plant. However, with the right attention and nourishment, you can watch your seedling grow into a full-grown plant, which will hopefully provide you with a nice yield of cannabis buds. Take a closer look here at the cannabis seedling stages, as well as a few helpful tips to protect your thriving immature weed plant.
The Cannabis Seedling Growth Stages
The cannabis seedling stage generally lasts for two or three weeks post-germination. Once the germinated cannabis seed develops a taproot and goes into the soil, several things will take place:
- The first legitimate sprout will start to emerge
- The first cotyledons (circular leaves) develop
- The root system will mature and spread
- The first sets of serrated leaves develop on opposite sides of the plant's stem
Once the weed seedling has seven sets of pointed, serrated leaves, it will be out of the seedling stage and much less vulnerable as it approaches the next stage of its growth cycle, vegetation.
Tips to Support Your Cannabis Seedling During the Initial Growth Stages
What's the best cannabis seedling temperature?
Aim for daytime temperatures around 70 to 85°F. During the nighttime hours, a slightly cooler temperature (just as the seedling would experience outdoors) is fine. For example, if the temp drops by about five degrees when the lights go off for the night, your weed seedlings should be fine.
What about cannabis weedling humidity?
During the cannabis seedling stage, a relative humidity (RH) of around 65 to 70 percent is a good target to work toward. If you notice cannabis seedling yellowing, this can be a sign that your humidity levels are dropping too low. Keep in mind, anything below 20 percent RH can cause seedlings to develop spots or yellowing that look like nutrient deficiency but could potentially be the wrong RH.
How much water does your weed seedling need?
Cannabis seedlings do not absorb water through their roots during the first days of life. Instead, the plant absorbs water from the environment through the tiny leaves. Therefore, it is a good idea to simply mist the cannabis seedlings up to six times a day lightly and keep a close eye on humidity levels. As the seedlings grow, begin watering around the perimeter of the pot, not directly at the stem. This will encourage the young roots to expand to reach the water in the pot.
Do cannabis seedlings need fertilizer?
Since weed seedlings receive all of their nutrients from the seed itself, you do not need to fertilize your plants until they begin the vegetative growth phase around week 3 or 4,.
How much light does the weed seedling need?
Lighting needs are not the same during the seedling stage as they are once the plant matures. LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs or strong HID (high-intensity discharge) lighting will actually burn delicate plants. Instead, go for CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs during the first few weeks of the seedling's life. Also, an 18/6 light ratio is good during the seedling stage (18 hours of light and 6 hours of no light).
Looking forward to harvest? Be prepared with Evergreen
Watching your cannabis seed go from a tiny weedling to a full-on plant is undeniably exciting. And, the time for harvest will be here before you know it. Make sure you're prepared to properly store your harvested buds with the best weed storage solutions from Evergreen.
