# Germination

> Germination is the stage where a viable seed absorbs water, splits its shell and pushes out a root (radicle), usually within 1-7 days at 20-30 °C.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/germination.html
- Also written: germinate, germinating, germ, popping seeds, sprouting
- Glossary category: Cultivation and training · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Germination is the process by which a dormant seed takes up water (imbibition), restarts its metabolism and emerges a [radicle](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/radicle.md), the first root. In cannabis the radicle normally appears within 24-72 hours of soaking at warm temperatures, with stragglers out to about a week. The [seedling stage](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/seedling.md) begins once the [cotyledons](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cotyledon.md) open above the surface.

## In practice

Growers "germ" or "pop" seeds by soaking them, starting them between damp paper towels, or sowing straight into a plug or the final medium about 5-10 mm (0.2-0.4 in) deep. Warmth matters more than method: around 22-28 °C (72-82 °F) is the comfortable band, and germination slows sharply below about 15 °C (59 °F). Keep the seed moist, not [waterlogged](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/overwatering.md); a seed sitting in standing water can run short of oxygen.

A germination rate is a percentage: 48 of 50 seeds showing a radicle is 96%.

## Don't confuse with

- **Seed viability**: whether a seed is alive and able to germinate; germination is the event itself.
- **Emergence**: the shoot breaking the surface, which comes after germination.
- **Sprouting (food)**: same biology, different purpose; seeds sold for eating are not selected for growing.

## Related terms

[Paper towel method](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/paper-towel-method.md), [Seedling](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/seedling.md), [Taproot](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/taproot.md), [Damping-off](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/damping-off.md)

## Read more

- [Germination methods compared: soak, paper towel, plugs, direct sow](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/germination/germination-methods.md)
- [Seed viability and storage: keeping cannabis seeds alive](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/germination/seed-viability-storage.md)

## Sources

1. Geneve RL, et al., 2022. Temperature limits for seed germination in industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). Crops 2(4):415–427. https://doi.org/10.3390/crops2040029
2. Sorokin A, Yadav NS, Gaudet D, Kovalchuk I, 2021. Development and standardization of rapid and efficient seed germination protocol for Cannabis sativa. Bio-protocol 11(1): e3875. https://doi.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.3875