The Cannabis Horticultural Association is pleased to announce a new perk to joining the CHA, Seeds!
All new members in the Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers will receive an exclusive pack of non-feminized seeds from a specialty breeding project for 2021 that is selecting for a diverse array of terpenoids and concentrate production. A Slapz (Runtz x Grease Monkey) male plant was chosen and bred into a few select females of Gelonade, White Runtz, and Blood Orange Kush. Members can contact us directly for more info after signing up and to choose varieties and inquire if any new genetics are available. ***Seeds are for novelty use only and are collectors items.
Germinating seeds can be both an art and a science. Whether you’re a home gardener or a professional horticulturist, understanding various germination techniques can significantly improve your success rate. In this article, we’ll explore six scientific methods for seed germination, starting with generally used techniques and moving on to more advanced methods for hard-to-open or old seeds.
Generally Used Methods
Paper Towel Method
The paper towel method is a simple and effective technique commonly used for germinating a variety of seeds. It provides an ideal environment for seed germination by maintaining consistent moisture and warmth.
Steps:
Moisten a paper towel without soaking it.
Place the seeds evenly on one half of the towel.
Fold the towel over the seeds, ensuring they are covered.
Place the towel in a plastic bag to retain moisture.
Store the bag in a warm, dark place.
Check daily for moisture and signs of germination.
Scientific Basis: Seeds require moisture, warmth, and air to germinate. The paper towel method provides these conditions while preventing fungal growth, thanks to the controlled environment within the plastic bag.
Stratification
Stratification is a pre-treatment method that simulates natural winter conditions to break seed dormancy. This is particularly useful for seeds that require a period of cold to germinate, such as many perennials and tree seeds.
Steps:
Mix seeds with a moistened medium, such as sand or peat moss.
Place the mixture in a sealed plastic bag.
Store the bag in a refrigerator (32-41°F or 0-5°C) for a specified period, usually 4-12 weeks.
After stratification, plant the seeds as usual.
Scientific Basis: Many seeds have evolved to germinate only after experiencing a period of cold, ensuring they sprout in favorable spring conditions. Stratification mimics this natural cycle, breaking dormancy and triggering germination.
Advanced Methods for Hard-to-Open or Old Seeds
Scarification
Scarification involves physically breaking or softening the seed coat to encourage water absorption and germination. This method is often used for seeds with hard coats, such as beans, certain flowers, and some tree species.
Steps:
Gently nick the seed coat with a knife or sandpaper.
Alternatively, soak the seeds in hot water (not boiling) for 24 hours.
Plant the seeds immediately after treatment.
Scientific Basis: Hard seed coats can prevent water uptake and gas exchange, delaying germination. Scarification mechanically alters the seed coat, allowing water and oxygen to penetrate and activate the seed’s metabolic processes.
Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment
Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) treatment is used to disinfect seeds and enhance germination rates, especially for old or hard-to-germinate seeds.
Steps:
Prepare a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide and water (1:10 ratio).
Soak the seeds in the solution for 30 minutes.
Rinse the seeds thoroughly with water.
Plant the seeds immediately or use another germination method.
Scientific Basis: Hydrogen peroxide helps break down seed coat inhibitors and provides oxygen, promoting faster and more uniform germination. It also disinfects the seeds, reducing the risk of fungal and bacterial infections.
Gibberellic Acid (GA) Soaking
Gibberellic acid (GA) is a plant hormone that promotes seed germination and growth. This method is particularly useful for seeds that are very old or have strong dormancy mechanisms.
Steps:
Dissolve gibberellic acid powder in water to make a solution (concentration varies; typically 100-500 ppm).
Soak the seeds in the solution for 24 hours.
Rinse the seeds with water before planting.
Scientific Basis: Gibberellic acid stimulates the production of enzymes that break down stored food reserves in the seed, providing energy for the growing embryo. It can override dormancy mechanisms, leading to quicker and more consistent germination.
Seed Priming
Seed priming is a pre-germination treatment that enhances germination rates and seedling vigor. This method involves soaking seeds in a solution to initiate metabolic processes without allowing full germination.
Steps:
Soak seeds in water or a diluted solution of salts (e.g., potassium nitrate) for a specific period (usually 6-24 hours).
Drain and dry the seeds thoroughly.
Plant the seeds as usual.
Scientific Basis: Priming initiates the early stages of germination, such as enzyme activation and energy metabolism, without radicle emergence. This leads to faster and more uniform germination once the seeds are planted.
Conclusion
Understanding and applying these scientific methods can significantly improve your seed germination success rate. Whether you’re dealing with common seeds or challenging ones, these techniques provide the necessary conditions to overcome dormancy and promote healthy seedling growth. Happy gardening!
Cherry Bananas (Trop Cherry x Honey Bananas) is the the latest hot new washer cross from CHAnetics. An insane mashup of the Trop Cherry from Relentless Genetics and the Honey Banana from Elemental Seeds. Amazing resin production with that sharp cherry and tart strawberry tropical sulfur gas like smells combine with the sweet honey banana smell to create a mouth watering rosin flavor. This one has HUGE potential for cup winning genetics!!! GRAB A PACK HERE!!!
Peanut Butter Face is the new “strain” drop from CHAnetics. It takes the iconic Peanut Butter Breath from Thug Pug and crosses it together with the exotic flavors of Gas Face from Seed Junky. Gas Face scored a 96 out of 100 on a new Leafly review. Peanut Butter Face hits you in the face with glistening buds of nutty kush and petrol gas with a thick strong smoke. The undertones of that petrol from the gas face blend really well with that nutty kush/gas profile from the PBB. A strong high, good for stress relief and its creative, relaxing effects. More evening time medicine or for those that prefer a heavier indica like experience. Expect an early October Finish outdoors with beautiful purple hues that get darker and darker the more it matures. There is some variation in these F1 offpsring, the real winners have a clear higher calyx to leaf ratio.
Double dose of terps from the Tropaya and the Poochies Papaya, plus the heavy trichome rich profile coming from the Slapz puts the Testing in a 29% THC and 2.1 % terpenes. This cross has flowers that are covered in trichomes. Large expression of terpenes coming out of these selections. Some of a tropical bubblegum like smells and that is the most desirable profile for hash production with definite papaya influences. Some of the plants have this interesting undertone of a earthy/musty limey sour terp. Some reek kind of a sour tropaya gelato like smell. When washed the smells turn more tropical bubblegumish. The runtz from the grease monkey side helps with that candy flavor. There are some unique terpene profiles coming out of this mashup. All of the genetics lend itself towards being a plant for extraction production.
Pakistani Cherries – Trop Cherry x Pakistani Chitral Kush
CHA is happy to announce that Happy Dream Farms has field tested the Pakistani Cherries in Central California and it is performing beautifully at scale. Check it out in this video!!!
NOW THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER, GET 50% OFF ALL ORDERS OF THIS STRAIN USING PROMO CODE: “TROP50”
Once again, Instagram is up to its shenanigans! Deleting cannabis accounts that have done nothing wrong. The latest account @cha_humboldt has been officially wiped. The appeal process says there is not even a record of the username. So please follow the new private Instagram account @chanetics_
We’ll be talking about all the greatest genetics, having some freebie giveaways, and discussing horticultural techniques.
ALSO! Please sign up for the NEWSLETTER to stay up-to-date with all of the latest seed drops and growing tips!!!
Cannifest was born from an annual event called Humboldt Green Week. This was a week long celebration of all things green including environmental clean ups, sustainable businesses, music, gardening and cannabis.
The week would host over 50 events in locations across the county and offered local businesses and organizations the opportunity to connect through networking while having fun. Ultimately Green Week included the Humboldt Garden Expo (2012-2015) which morphed into Cannifest in 2016 and the incubator was born. The community finally had a local space to showcase the products that their families and lineage had been known for- out in the open and with pride. It was a time of celebration and an era that would inspire so many of us to keep this dream alive.
With great pride we co-produced the First Cannabis Farmers Workshop in 2014 featuring Best Management Practices and invited the state agency’s to present and educate, with an open armed approach, the farmers of our community. This event drew over 100 participants and paved the road for the state licensure process that would follow in a few short years.. At this point we knew the celebration had to continue and that the community was hungry for strong presenters, educational talks and we began taking notes of the hot topics we would feature at our next event. We were having fun identifying opportunites for the vents to grow and working with a strong team to execute.
Producing Cannifest as a stand alone event in Humboldt from 2015-2017 allowed us the focus that we had wanted, ways to subscribe to peoples needs in a more cohesive way. The Yes We Cann Parade 2015 would kick things off and snake its way through Eureka to the Redwood Fairgrounds- the new home of this event. The parade was a way for the community to sign up, get involved and create, build floats, discuss local issues while doing so and just connect our community like we had anticipated.
The inaugural parade was led by Frank Benlin (Tom Hummel, from Philadelphia PA) and Mike, Lennon and Morice Gieder as they were pulled by horse and buggy waving and marveling in all that had come together so quickly through the determination and drive that Cannifest engulfed.
Local businesses, community activism groups, public works and many cannabis advocates would walk arm in arm showcasing their roles in the local community and expressing their purest emotions along the way- smiles, laughs and tears of joy could be seen by all. This event would draw international touring artists, journalists and photographers to take note and document history in the making.
In 2016 we would include the first Humboldt Green Jobs Fair, now that cannabis businesses needed to fill local positions and we saw an opportunity to devote part of the event to building those bridges it was a no brainer. The event was a success and was instrumental in identifying opportunities to strengthen and stimulate the local economy. Competitive games, the Cannifest Bowl competition, Ganja Games, the Humboldt Grow Games, Community Choice Awards for Live Art, Functional Glass and the like really boosted the interactive experience that we wanted- everyone had a voice and everyone cast their vote!
Winners received trophies designed by local artsisans at Mirador Glass and the Woodlab- they fused their styles together and came up with some beautiful keepsakes that the winners still treasure to this day. Although Mirador has relocated to the northeast part of the country- they still accept the challenge each year of collaborating w/ the Woodlab folks to blend beautiful handblown glass with the richest of redwoods, just for our events. We are so lucky to have the network of beautiful people we have. Along the way we have had team members that gave their truest passions to helping us create memories that will last forever.
Cannifest 2017 would pack a real punch!!! The annual Humboldt Grow Games would take center stage on the race track – and the teams of 4 would work hand in hand to secure the grand prize- a Polaris Side by Side! The excitement brought out fans and the emcees, namely Steve Gieder, kept things exciting as always.
Local families had a ton of fun in the Family Interactive Zone- making crafts, hula hooping, pony rides- watching local karate clubs show off their skills and attending workshops for drumming just to name a few of the activities provided.. Encouraging a safe space for families to enjoy their time together was a HUGE goal of ours.
In 2017 we also rolled out the Yes We Cann Parade and Hullabaloo event at the Arcata Ballpark- this one day event really showcased our ability to mobilize as a community and express ourselves in the parade setting in a bigger way. The parade began on the campus of Humboldt State University and made its way through the lively streets of Arcata to the ballpark. The Plaza at the center of town was alive with face paints, crepe paper, elaborate floats, bands on trailers and even the kinetic sculptures showed up. This was a day that was heavily documented by press near and far- and gave our community the beautiful ability to express itself and its most desired and world renowned crop. The parade spilled into the beautiful Arcata ballpark where you could find carnival games, multiples stages hosting presentations, talks and live music by local and touring acts. The ‘Survivor Stage’ was alive with stories of struggles with body. mind and spirit that gave way to the power of the beautiful cannabis plant and the solutions found inside its healing properties.
In 2018 regulations changed direction and due to some local hurdles regarding cannabis consumption events-
We did all we could to communicate with those who had the local authority to host our event but it proved to be an uphill battle. Those that the state gave approval to were against having a cannabis related event in their town.
The talks began to take the show on the road into emerging markets that really needed what we had to offer- an instant networking opportunity among multiple industries in markets that were young but excited.
St Louis would be the first on our radar- we had planned the event initially for 2020 but pushed it back to 2021 once the pandemic took over. The event was outside in the Arts District of St Louis under a Big Top Circus Tent. The vendors showed up, the attendees had an educational experience learning from 2 full days of panelists and presenters and the local cannabis network was reinforced. Like all of our events we brought in world renowned musicians including Don Carlos, Karl Denson and other talented touring acts for a concert.
Next up, Chicago and Oklahoma City in 2022- both events featured high caliber vendors, expert speakers and a distinct celebration of the culture.
We were proud to make the connections we could and look forward to heading back to both of those cities in 2024 as well.
There are so many opportunities out there for our events to tackle the hot topics head on- by bringing in the experts and securing data that so many groups have focused their day to day on- we are advocating for this industry by supplying the community the ability to have conversations and healthy debates as well as playing games, laughing and bringing elements of joy back to our human expereince.
This year we are headed back to where the fun all began- the gorgeous waterfront, Halvorsen Park in Eureka CA. We have high hopes of shining the light on the amazing people of Humboldt County and the surrounding counties while inviting communities from other regions of Cali- and ultimately from around the world. We have strong keynote speakers committed- and musical acts to bring in the irie vibes. This event will be a licensed consumption event that brings the community together each fall for years to come!
Cannifest continues to celebrate the small farmers initiatives and we hope you will join us in meeting them one one.
Lets take a step back into time and discover more about the ‘stories’ of how our local farms came to be. Stand up for the local farming community at Cannifest- there has never been a more important time for us to come together.
Come out and get to know your neighbors- ask questions, celebrate wonder and play some games!!!
We would love for you to be involved in some capacity- spin around this site and sign up or reach out to us! There are so many ways to get involved and stay elevated at Cannifest!
🌼🌿Mullein is a great plant that attracts a generalist predator called Dicyphus.
Dicyphus is a genus of bugs belonging to the Miridae family, also known as the plant bug family. These insects are generalist predators and are found in various parts of the world. They are recognized by their elongated bodies, oval-shaped heads, and vibrant red eyes.
Dicyphus species are attracted to the mullein plant due to its structural and chemical properties. Mullein provides a suitable environment for their eggs and the plant’s biochemical properties (it emits volatile organic compounds) attract these bugs. Furthermore, mullein often hosts the aphids and mites that Dicyphus predate on.
As generalist predators, Dicyphus predate on a wide variety of small arthropods, such as aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies. They use their sharp mouthparts to pierce their prey and consume their body fluids. In this way, they act as a natural pest control, helping to manage populations of these small, plant-damaging insects.
Dicyphus on a cannabis leaf
Beyond its role as a bug magnet, Mullein leaves, when fermented or ground into a powder, serve as an excellent natural fertilizer. The leaf matter contributes a wide range of nutrients to the soil, promoting the growth and health of your garden plants. This green fertilizer helps improve soil fertility and encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria and fungi, contributing to a more vibrant, self-sustaining garden ecosystem.
From a health perspective, Mullein holds a revered place in herbal medicine. It has been used as an expectorant for centuries, helping to clear the lungs of mucus and congestion. The plant’s leaves and flowers have been used in teas, tinctures, and topical applications to alleviate a variety of ailments including respiratory issues, skin conditions, and gastrointestinal problems. Boasting anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, Mullein is a potent ally in promoting human health.
To sum it up, Mullein is much more than just an attractive plant. It’s a gardener’s partner, assisting in pest control and soil fertilization, and a valuable addition to any home remedy kit. So next time when you see that weed growing, consider leaving it there instead of ripping it out. With Mullein, you’re investing in a healthier garden and a healthier you.
If you found this article helpful, please support CHA by purchasing seeds on our website here:
CHAnetics seeds are made in Humboldt county did with it amazing consortium of endophytic microbiology to help provide robust and vigorous growth for you!
CHA’s 2 other Instagram accounts have been shut down again due to the discriminatory policies from Instagram. This hateful prohibition against plant Medicine cannot last forever. CHA is here is ensure that plant medicine is available for the people of the world. SO FOLLOW OUR NEW ACCOUNT!!!