Fresh cannabis seedling sprouting in a home grow setup with labeled seed packets and notes on a wooden bench.

Are Your Cannabis Seeds Good or Bad 

You may not know it, but the quality of your cannabis harvest is decided in part before you ever start. Because seed quality is such an important aspect of cultivation, it is critical to obtain marijuana seeds from a reliable business. In this article you will learn how to know are your cannabis seeds good or bad.

Sometimes you get 'poor' cannabis seeds that create issues later on. In rare circumstances, these seeds simply do not germinate. Although this will not harm your entire crop, it is a waste of effort and money that can be aggravating.

Here, we'll assist you to decide if your cannabis seeds are excellent or harmful. This guide should help you evaluate which seeds are worth your effort and which are not.

 

What Makes Cannabis Seeds Good or Bad?

Any cannabis seed that causes issues is considered a 'bad seed.' In certain cases, this implies a bad seed that never sprouts, wasting your time and money. While dud seeds are not harmful, they are vexing.

Male cannabis plants are also a source of faulty seeds. Regular seeds have a 50/50 chance of being either male or female. The issue is that as male plants reach maturity, they will pollinate female plants, eliminating the important THC content of female plants.

You should avoid having male cannabis plants in your yard at all costs. Here's how to tell if your plants are male or female.

One solution is to buy feminized marijuana seeds. Unless you buy from a shady grower, all seeds in a feminized lot should be female. Unfortunately, based on the seeds, it is impossible to determine whether a plant is male or female.

What Do Good Cannabis Seeds Look Like?

Simply looking at a cannabis seed may reveal a lot about its quality. Weed seeds range in color from green to brown. They also vary in shape and size, with some being little and round and others huge and pointed.

When cannabis seeds grow into plants, they exhibit distinct properties. Most current cannabis plants display distinct features based on their genetic heritage since they are poly-hybrids with a lot of genetic variation.

Breeders choose favorable tastes, scents, and effects from parent strains, which are subsequently handed down to the progeny. Seed shape and size also fluctuate slightly as new hybrid kinds are formed.

Marijuana seeds from the same plant, or even the same flower, might have distinct aesthetic traits.

Each cannabis seed has its genetic variety, ranging from the subtle to the evident, much as two human brothers have varied hair and eye colors, heights, and personalities.

Because of the wide range of diversity among cannabis seeds, even high-quality seeds differ in appearance. However, there are a few warning signals that consumers may look for to distinguish between good and poor weed seeds.

How to Examine Cannabis Seeds

Different types of cannabis seeds laid out in bowls on a table, ready for visual inspection with a magnifying lamp and notes.

There are various straightforward ways for evaluating cannabis seeds. Most of them may be done before germination, saving you time and money. Let's look at how to test your seeds. Let's look at how to inspect your seeds.

Method #1: The Sight Test

Cannabis seeds are very attractive. They have a mottled brown look with regions of bright and dark, and sometimes beautiful tiger stripes. When viewed closely, the seeds are also highly lustrous.

You may sometimes determine if a seed is excellent or poor just by looking at it. Here's how to tell if a seed is healthy:

Coloration:

A healthy seed has a dark tint with black or grey spots. White or green seeds, on the other hand, are unlikely to germinate since they are immature. Pale seeds are also more likely to be stale and useless.

Waxy Coating:

Seeds with a waxy, glossy covering are healthy. If it doesn't, the seed is most likely a dud.

Cracks:

Cannabis seeds should never be cracked. If your seed has cracks, it's generally better to throw it away.

Shape:

The more spherical and plump the seed, the more likely it will sprout into a healthy plant. Some gardeners are concerned about huge seeds with thick shells, yet they are unaffected. Water will dissolve the shell.

Mildew:

Get a magnifying glass and examine the seeds up close. Powdered mildew is identified by a white, dusty powder, indicating that the seeds have a fungus and should not be sown.

If you can't tell anything from the outer shell, you can crack the seed open and see within. An oily interior with a musty odor indicates that the seed has gone rotten. Similarly, dark within the seed indicates that it is fermenting. Again, it will not germinate in this case.

Think Age:

Cannabis plants develop, generate seeds, and then return to the ground each year in nature. Animal action disperses the seeds. The fortunate ones emerge from the dirt the next spring, while the unfortunate ones perish.

When it comes to planting, farmers should ideally use seeds that are less than a year old. Fresh specimens germinate quickly and are less prone to cause problems during a shorter period of storage.

We've all heard stories about researchers growing plants from 1,000-year-old seeds discovered in Egyptian tombs. While cannabis seeds do not have such a lengthy lifespan, gardeners frequently have had success producing seeds from two to three seasons ago.

However, when it comes to viability, germination rate, and healthy plants, fresh cannabis seeds are the greatest alternative.

Feel:

Healthy cannabis seeds have a hard and powerful feel to them. They should not give any amount of pressure when placed between your thumb and index finger.

Because of their high water content and lack of structure, immature seeds will most likely deform beneath your digits. In contrast, older cannabis seeds will break and become dust with mild pressure.

A zoomed-in comparison of good vs. bad cannabis seeds, including cracked and pale ones next to dark, healthy seeds.

Method #2: The Touch Test

Another excellent sign is the feel of cannabis seeds. Give the seed a little squeeze between your thumb and forefinger.

Apply just enough pressure to test its integrity, not too much. If the seed splits under little pressure, it is no longer useful. It's probably past its expiration date.

Strong seeds, on the other hand, have a higher chance of germinating and developing into a healthy plant.

A gardener testing a cannabis seed’s firmness between fingers to check if it's viable for planting,

Method #3: The Water Test

Do you have any reservations regarding your cannabis seeds? You may always do a floating test to determine their health. This procedure, by the way, works for a variety of plant seeds, not only cannabis.

Warning:

Do not do this test unless you are ready to germinate the seeds immediately away. If you dry it out afterward, the water might harm the seed and destroy a perfectly healthy plant.

You will need a cup, glass, or bowl of warm water for this test. It should be warm but not scorching. It's also great with spring or distilled water.

Since it requires little work, this approach is excellent for testing your seeds. You may also test numerous seeds at the same time, which is both inexpensive and simple.

Following this test, you must germinate healthy seeds. They will have absorbed water at this time, which might harm the seed if not germinated. Germination is also the ultimate test for your seeds.

Method #4: The Germination Test

If everything else fails, it's time to germinate. You may have no clue whether your seeds are healthy, but attempting to grow them is a simple last test that will separate excellent seeds from duds.

There are several methods for germinating seeds, including placing the seed directly in the soil and watching if it sprouts. This is an 'old-school' strategy, although it does work occasionally.

Growers are more likely to utilize the paper towel approach. Dampen a paper towel but do not saturate it. Place this on a kitchen plate, then top with the seeds and another plate upside-down.

Seeds can sprout in a damp, dark, and warm environment. Check on the seeds once a day; after germination, a white taproot should appear.

You may now transplant the seed into its pot. Handle each seed carefully with tweezers, being careful not to touch the taproot. The taproot is delicate and may break if you are not careful; also, touching it with your hands may contaminate it.

You're ready to go after germination. Check back as the plants grow to ensure you don't have any male cannabis plants.

How To Purchase Quality Cannabis Seeds Each And Every Time

It is suggested that you use feminized cannabis seeds to avoid males spoiling your harvest. Nonetheless, some shoddy sellers may offer feminized seeds while selling ordinary cannabis seeds.

It is critical to purchase from a recognized and trustworthy seller. If this is your first time, check the seed bank reviews to see what other customers thought.

Avoid the firm if many purchasers were disappointed by low-quality seeds!

Unfortunately, you may still encounter some harmful seeds from time to time. Plants are living entities that might be unpredictable; even the vendor may be unaware that some of their seeds are faulty.

With luck, the bulk of the seeds you purchase will be healthy and ready to use.

A terrible seller has seeds that are regularly old, lifeless, and coated in powdery mildew. That being said, don't be too hard on a seed bank if a couple of their seeds don't work sometimes when they're otherwise trustworthy.

How Are Marijuana Seeds Stored?

Cannabis seeds stored in a sealed jar in a fridge drawer with a humidity controller and label for optimal long-term preservation.

There are four major variables to consider while storing marijuana seeds for the long term:

Heat

Temperature is the most important element in determining how long marijuana seeds last. Heat signals to the seed that winter is ended and it is time to sprout.

If your marijuana seed is not in the soil, the plant materials within the marijuana seed will germinate and then decay.

If you're storing marijuana seeds in the fridge, keep them in a separate compartment or at the back. Every time you open your fridge, the temperature changes, which might damage the seeds over time.

Humidity

When it comes to how long your marijuana seeds will persist, humidity is also your adversary. When a seed is moist, it splits open, allowing the sprout and root to emerge.

If the seed is not planted, this will allow rot to enter. The maximum humidity level you should tolerate is roughly 5%.

Light

Light, like heat and humidity, signals that seed to wake up because it is time to sprout.

If you store your seeds in a dark or opaque container, they will sleep for a long time. Light can also harm the surface of the marijuana seed, causing what's contained beneath to deteriorate and your marijuana seed to become bad.

Air

Aside from being dark, you want to expose your marijuana seeds to as little oxygen and carbon dioxide as possible for them to persist as long as possible.

These gases are inhaled by developing plants and the bugs that devour them. If you're storing marijuana seeds in the refrigerator or freezer, make sure your container is as airtight as possible. Even better if you can vacuum seal them.

If you need to grow something in the following several months, standard postal envelopes will suffice. They'll keep the marijuana seeds dry and away from direct sunlight, so all you have to do is store them somewhere cold. Furthermore, envelopes make it simple to mark your strains and keep them separate.

The Cannabis Seed's True Test

Of course, the easiest approach to see if your seeds will sprout is to plant them. If some green shoots emerge from the dirt after a few days or weeks, you've found your solution.

Storing marijuana seeds is an excellent strategy to ensure that you always have your preferred strains on hand, as well as to ensure that you have enough plants for the long haul.

Marijuana seeds, on the other hand, may keep for years if kept cool, dry, airtight, and out of sight.

There's never been a better opportunity to pick up a new talent, so let's see how green your thumb can become.

Conclusion

There are many online businesses that offer seeds, making it simple to start with your preferred strains. However, if your seeds haven't come and you haven't yet planted them, you can be forgiven for worrying if you've waited too long.

How long, after all, do marijuana seeds last?

Whether you're a cannabis enthusiast who has just started cultivating a few plants for fun or you're seeking to put your green thumb to the test for the first time, one question is bound to arise.

The only method to assess the viability of cannabis seed is to germinate it, which is never a waste of time.

If you bought seeds to keep all or a portion of them for later use, inspect them carefully for the qualities listed above before storing them in an airtight container in a cold, dry, and dark location.

These circumstances ensure that the seed stays dormant until the time comes for germination. Though they may take a bit longer to germinate, properly maintained seeds can be kept for several years.

Back to blog