Cutting or Germination?

Whether it is about Cutting or Germination, these two stages mark the departure of your indoor culture. For the Cutting, it will be a question of preserving the genetics of an already existing plant by cloning it. For germination, it will simply be a matter of starting a new crop from scratch.

What is germination?

It is about making your seeds germinate with a little heat, darkness and water. As a beginner grower, this is most likely how you will start your first crop. You will discover that, just as every human being is unique, every plant has its own genetics, even within the same family. You will then have to learn to recognize the genetics that best suit your needs so that you can create mother plants that will allow you to retain those genetics.

Germination techniques

You may not know it, but putting a seed in the ground is not the only way to make it germinate. It is even one of the least effective methods because it prevents you from controlling whether the seed has opened when it comes into contact with water. Nevertheless, a seed will need 3 essential elements to germinate: humidity, a temperature between 20°C and 30°C and darkness.

What is the plate technique?

On a plate, place your seeds between two sheets of damp paper towels. Then close the whole thing with a second plate so as to plunge your seeds into the dark. Make sure that the paper remains moist until germination after 2 to 10 days depending on the plant. This method of grandmother has proved its worth. Be careful, however, that the cotton fibres on the paper do not cling to the first rootlets of the plant when you place your seed in your growing space.

The glass of water technique?

This is probably the simplest and most effective technique. Put your seeds in a glass of water. At first, your seeds will float. When they open, they will sink and you can plant them in your growing space.

Other germination techniques?

There are products designed to promote the germination of seeds in order to initiate explosive growth. It is the case for example of Dynamite seed. It is a mycorrhizal powder containing 500 propagules per gram of a fungus called Glomus intraradices. Its function is to facilitate the exchange between the nutrient solution, the plant and the soil. This seed coating powder will also allow you to germinate your seeds faster.

>>> Discover Dynamite Seed from Platinium Nutrients

What is Cutting?

Cutting consists, as explained above, in cloning the plant whose genetics you want to keep according to the criteria of your choice. In this way you will be able to obtain a more organized culture with each plant identical to its neighbour if you treat them all in the same way. Another important aspect of the cuttings is that you know the sex of your plant in advance.

Cutting technique

There are not 50 techniques to make your cuttings. You will nevertheless have to respect certain steps:

1. Choose a healthy mother plant that you will water 2 days before cutting.
2. Cut the branches 10 to 15 cm with a shears or a scalpel disinfected for the occasion.
3. Remove the leaves and side shoots, keep only 2 buds and cut the stem at an angle.
4. If necessary, cut off the tips of the leaves to limit evapotranspiration.
5. Plunge your cuttings into a nutritive solution based on cutting hormones or in clear water.
6. Plant the cutting in a special substrate such as coconut fibre or rock wool.
7. Place your cuttings in a covered greenhouse so as to retain maximum moisture and water generously.

Now that you have the basics, all you have to do is get started! For more detailed information, we recommend the very complete beginner's guide, "Réussir en intérieur" by Clément Griffond, published by the publisher Encygrow.