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Growing
A Propagation Primer
by Jason Mispagel , contributing writer
Getting started is sometimes the hardest part of a grow , even if you ’ ve done it a hundred times . Granted , the seed stock , health of a mother plant , or vigor of a genetic variety can play a major role , but if certain rules are followed , the likelihood of successful rooting increases exponentially . Somehow , it ’ s easy to forget ( even as a longtime grower ) the basic principles behind propagation , so let ’ s review .
Cannabis is an annual plant , meaning that in nature , it grows and dies during a single year . The only way for it to perpetuate the existence of its species is to produce seeds — from hundreds to thousands per plant . Why so many ? Not only must they reach the ground without being eaten or damaged , but they must survive the winter . I keep this in mind when germinating new plants from seed — they ’ re resilient and can often sprout even when conditions seem less-than-ideal .
Jason Mispagel is the co-owner and operator of Year-Round Garden , a grower ’ s supply center serving both home and commercial customers since 2016 . His extensive growing experience in hydroponics and soil dates to the early days of legalization in Colorado , where he served as one of the state ’ s early caregivers . Year-Round Garden . 1225 W 103rd St , Kansas City , MO . 816.216.6917 – FB : yrroundgarden ● IG : @ yrroundgarden
30 August 2022
We ’ ll divide propagation into seeds ( sexual ) and clones ( asexual ).
Seeds
Sexual propagation occurs when pollen reaches a female pistil , contacting a stigma “ hair ” and traveling down through the bract and into the ovule , where a seed begins to form . For this article , we ’ ll consider sexual propagation to include feminized seed production , where the pollen doesn ’ t generate from a male plant with both X and Y chromosomes but rather from a female plant containing only X chromosomes . Regardless , pollen reaches the ovule and forms a seed . Once the seed is mature ( typically dark brown with speckling ), it will either fall from the plant or can be removed manually for future planting . ( For more information about seed storage , see the article “ Proper Storage and Germination of Seeds ” in the November 2020 edition at www . TheEvolutionMag . com .)
When spring arrives , so do warmer , humid , moist conditions , acting as a trigger for the seeds to begin anew . Each healthy seed contains all the necessary energy to perform two lifegiving tasks : 1 . Grow a primary root , called a “ taproot ,” that will allow the young plant to begin its uptake of water and nutrients . 2 . Sprout enough foliage to begin performing photosynthesis .
Once those two objectives are met , the plant can continue to grow by harnessing a combination of the sun ’ s energy with macro