Tiger Stripes are mature Cannabis seeds. The striping on these seeds, mimicking a tiger's stripes, occur in seeds that have matured, however, this is not the only indication that you have ready to sprout seeds in your possession. Mature seeds can be darker in color but without the striping you see above. Tiger Stripes are beautiful looking seeds.
Spring has arrived and it's now time to germinate your seeds! Germination is the process in which your plant goes from seed to sprout. There are multiple ways you can germinate your seeds and it takes anywhere from 7-10 days. There are 5 phases of germination:
Phase 1 - The seed absorbs water
Phase 2 - H20 activates enzymes in the seed to encourage growth
Phase 3 - A root forms so the plant can access H20 underground
Phase 4 - Shoots form toward the sun
Phase 5 - Leaves form so the plant can start photosynthesis
If you are planning on starting from seed this year, there are few tricks you can do to make sure it goes smoothly and gets your plants off to a great start.
Here are 4 steps to successfully germinate your seeds
Start by soaking your seeds in a mixture of water, horticultural aloe, and apple cider vinegar for up 12 hours or until it sinks. This will kick start the first stage of Germination and is also a great indicator of whether you have viable seeds or not. If your seeds float right away, you're good to go. If they sink right when you put them in water, they are likely not viable.
Pick your germination vessel. There are multiple ways, such as a paper towel in a plastic bag or directly in soil. It's important to keep seeds in a very humid environment and both the plastic bag and soil alone help with this. We like to use a warming seed mat to keep the temperature warm and constant.
Lay them in a wet paper towel and place in a plastic bag in a warm area around 78- 80 degrees, is best at this stage, your plants need warmth and little to no light in order to germinate properly.
OR you can simply place them in soil but still keeping the temperature at around 78 -80 degrees constantly to encourage the first root to grow and the shoot to pop through the soil. This method is great since you won't have to disturb the seedling in its early stage by transplanting. It also minimizes the potential for contamination from bacteria on fingers and other surfaces. We recommend you wear gloves during any handling of young seedlings to minimize this risk. There is a downfall to this method which is the germination waiting period. Sometimes, you may not have viable seeds or something went wrong during the first stage of germination and you'll have yourself waiting until... you realize nothing is coming up. If nothing comes up after the 7-10 day mark, you'll need to start over with new seeds.
Use well-mixed medium with enough airy soil for your seedling to thrive. You want enough nutrients to kickstart growth but not too much for your sprout's to be at risk of being stunted. Adding compost, potting soil, and clay mixture with clay pebbles is a great starter medium for your seedlings. You may have to flush your potting soil depending on initial PPM runoff. Too high, means you'll need to flush until you get to the desired PPM for young seedlings. You can check the PPM by using a PPM meter. We recommend using the Hanna Meter.
Water frequently to keep the medium (paper towel or soil) damp but making sure not to drown your seed and keep in a warm environment. These seedlings are still very sensitive until they are hardened off with at least 4 true leaves at which point they are mature enough to go outside or receive a higher wattage light if growing indoors.
Tiger Stripes App UPDATE October 2021: We are launched and are available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play store! Let Sprout the Tiger guide you through germination, vegetative, harvest, and curing your Cannabis. You can stay up to date with us on our Instagram @growtigerstripes