What Should Cannabis Seeds Look Like?
The appearance of cannabis seeds is a topic that raises several questions amongst growers. We often get asked about how cannabis seeds should look, with regards to their dimensions, shape and colour, as these factors are believed to be strongly related to seed grade. In this guide we take a comprehensive look at the primary physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any doubts that you may have.
This guide has been created to answer all the key questions that we regularly get asked by clients and growers about the physical traits of our core product: top-grade cannabis seeds.
Our decade and a half in the field have given us great knowledge as well as a wide perspective on this matter, so it is an honour for us to be capable to share our experience with all of you in the cannabis world.
The dimensions of cannabis seeds
As most of the cannabis varieties that are presently on the marketplace are polyhybrids, the dimensions of the seeds can differ depending on their genetic line.
Some customers, for instance, contact us to inform us that they have acquired Critical + seeds and they believe they look too small. But this is a standard feature of this strain: we’ve seen millions of Critical + seeds and we can confirm that they are inherently smaller than others. It is hence incorrect to believe that this is an indication of poor quality.
If, on the contrary, the seeds look too big, this may be triggered by a deficiency of macronutrients during the plant’s growth cycle. As any grower with adequate experience will realize, calcium deficiencies are corrected by adding calcium and magnesium, a combination that assists in reestablishing the perfect nutritional balance of plants.
So in this situation, an increase in dimensions could be a clear indicator of this addition of calcium and magnesium, which is done in order to remedy that macronutrient shortage during growth. This has no influence on the plant’s potential for germination, growth, flowering, or yield, nor on the formation of the organoleptic qualities of the buds (aroma, flavour and effect).
So we can clearly say that this variation is simply visual. If we take the case of a Moby Dick seed, its size will most probably be bigger than those of Critical +, although you can also find slight variations between seeds from the identical strain. Don’t forget that, as with all living beings, cannabis seeds are also biologically different amongst themselves.
The structure of cannabis seeds
Cannabis seeds can also display slight changes at morphological level. It’s perfectly normal to find minor differences in the oval shape of seeds from the same batch.
In some situations their shape is more elongated; whereas in others one of the extremities can be rounded whilst the other is more sharp. But this is no reason for concern: as with size, these slight differences in the outline of the seeds are merely visual and have no relation to do with quality.
Related post: The most frequent mistakes when germinating cannabis seeds
The color of cannabis seeds
Although it is correct that ripe cannabis seeds typically to have a darker shell that can go from brown to black, with lines that look like tiger stripes, this cannot be considered as a reliable quality marker by itself.
Yet again, this is a deceptive physical attribute that does not assure the germination capacity or overall characteristics of a seed. A top-grade strain can also be light or dark grey in colour.
Let’s take the example of Critical + again, one of our consistent bestsellers that has had tremendous success across the globe thanks to its exceptional scent, flavour, effect, and production capacity.
Critical + is a strong example that colour, contrary to what many growers believe, is not always a quality marker: these unquestionably high-quality seeds display a distinctly pale grey, almost white-ish grey, to a medium grey colour.
However, a greenish colour is a clear sign of immaturity, which means that the seed has not developed fully or it has not received all the needed resources to attain full maturity. In this specific case, if you acquire seeds with this colour you need to contact your supplier right away and try to have them replaced.
If this occurs to you with one of our seeds, don’t hesitate to contact us immediately. Send us a couple of pictures so we can check them out, and our support team will replace them as quickly as possible.
Another factor that can be misleading is the fact that a mature, freshly-harvested cannabis seed has a more vibrant and darker color than after it’s been stored for one to two months.
This could be likened to a newborn whose physical look quickly changes during their first few weeks of life in order to adapt to the completely new outside environment.
The identical thing happens with cannabis seeds: the storage and the different stages before they’re commercialised can entail lighting and humidity changes, as well as a little of oxidation, which may somewhat affect the colour of the shell but definitely has no effect on the final product. Once more, https://nativesusa.com/ (https://nativesusa.com) this is just a visual effect.
We hope that this guide has provided you with some helpful information about the physical traits of your cannabis seeds to assist you interpret them more objectively before starting their germination and cultivation.