HOW LONG SHOULD A TAPROOT DEVELOP BEFORE PLANTING?
Before a farmer can harvest beautiful wet buds, plants must undergo several stages of growth. Unfortunately, many people give priority to the vegetative and floral stages of plant development. They often neglect the germination of hemp seeds or only pay as much attention to it as they can afford at the beginning of the season. However, growers must realise the importance of handling cannabis plants properly during the germination phase to ensure healthy plant development throughout the growing process.
Ensuring that cannabis seeds get the best possible start is essential to encourage a strong, healthy plant. After all, unless the plant germinates and transplants successfully, there won’t be much yield.
For this reason, it is essential to transplant cannabis plants at the right time to avoid damaging the taproot. Below, we explore the right time for taproot transplanting and discuss why it is so important in the first place.
WHAT IS A TAPROOT?
Britannica defines taproot as “the main root of a primary root system, growing vertically downward.”
HOW LONG SHOULD A TAPROOT DEVELOP BEFORE PLANTING?
The taproot will appear immediately after a seed cracks open. From this taproot, other roots will progressively develop. Knowing how long to wait for the taproot to develop before it is transplanted ensures the best outcome and protects the integrity of the taproot as it is particularly fragile and easy to damage at this stage.
There are different schools of thought on exactly when to transplant hemp plants into the soil. An important factor to consider when handling seeds is to ensure minimal damage to the growing parts. Growers must also ensure that it is mature enough to withstand the shock of transplanting.
With this in mind, the best time to transplant a germinated cannabis seed is when it is 1 to 2 cm long. This is ideal because at this time the root shows all the signs of full germination but it is still small enough to be handled without harm. Growers must be careful not to miss this window because sprouted cannabis roots proliferate rapidly. Taproots can easily grow to a size that would be difficult to handle safely without damaging the root.
When transplanting the freshly germinated seed into the medium of choice, the seed should be placed approximately half an inch below the surface; the taproot should be pointing downwards. This allows for the downward growth trajectory of the taproot and also allows the shell to make its way upwards through the medium.
