How Do Cannabis Seeds Look Like?
The visual traits of cannabis seeds is a question that raises several questions amongst growers. We frequently get asked about the manner cannabis seeds should appear, with regards to their dimensions, shape and colour, as these characteristics are believed to be closely related to seed grade. In this post we take a comprehensive look at the primary physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any concerns that you may have.
This post has been created to answer all the key questions that we often get asked by clients and growers regarding the physical traits of our primary product: high-quality cannabis seeds.
Our decade and a half in the field have given us solid knowledge as well as an extensive perspective on this topic, so it is a privilege for us to be able to share our expertise with all of you in the cannabis community.
The size of cannabis seeds
As the majority of the cannabis strains that are currently on the market are polyhybrids, the dimensions of the seeds can differ depending on their genetic line.
Some customers, for instance, https://nativesusa.com/ (nativesusa.com) contact us to inform us that they have purchased Critical + seeds and they believe they look too small. But this is a typical feature of this strain: we've seen countless of Critical + seeds and we can confirm that they are naturally smaller than others. It is hence incorrect to believe that this is a marker of poor quality.
If, on the contrary, the seeds appear too big, this may be caused by a deficiency of macronutrients during the crop's growth cycle. As any grower with adequate experience will understand, calcium deficiencies are addressed by adding calcium and magnesium, a combination that helps reestablishing the ideal nutritional balance of plants.
So in this instance, a rise in size could be a clear indicator of this supplementation of calcium and magnesium, which is performed in order to alleviate that macronutrient shortage during growth. This has no effect on the plant's potential for sprouting, growth, flowering, or yield, nor on the development of the organoleptic characteristics of the buds (scent, flavour and effect).
So we can confidently say that this variation is simply visual. If we take the example of a Moby Dick seed, its size will most likely be bigger than those of Critical +, although you can also encounter slight variations between seeds from the identical strain. Don't overlook that, as with all biological beings, cannabis seeds are also genetically different amongst themselves.
The structure of cannabis seeds
Cannabis seeds can also exhibit slight changes at structural level. It's completely normal to see minor differences in the oval shape of seeds from the same batch.
In some instances their shape is more elongated; whereas in others one of the ends can be rounded whilst the other is more pointy. But this is no reason for concern: as with dimensions, these slight differences in the profile of the seeds are simply visual and have no relation to do with quality.
Related post: The most common mistakes when germinating cannabis seeds
The colour of cannabis seeds
Although it is correct that ripe cannabis seeds typically to have a dark shell that can range from brown to black, with stripes that look like tiger stripes, this cannot be considered as a quality marker by itself.
Yet once more, this is a deceptive physical attribute that does not guarantee the germination capacity or overall characteristics of an individual seed. A high-quality strain can also be pale or dark gray in colour.
Let's take the example of Critical + once more, one of our long-time bestsellers that has had tremendous success across the globe thanks to its outstanding scent, flavour, effect, and production capacity.
Critical + is a clear example that colour, contrary to what many growers believe, is not necessarily a quality marker: these undeniably high-quality seeds display a very light grey, almost whitish grey, to a medium grey colour.
However, a green-tinted colour is an obvious sign of immaturity, which means that the seed hasn't developed fully or it hasn't received all the needed resources to reach full maturity. In this particular case, if you acquire seeds with this color you need to contact your supplier immediately and try to have them replaced.
If this occurs to you with one of our seeds, don't delay to contact us immediately. Send us a couple of pictures so we can review them out, and our customer service team will replace them as soon as possible.
Another factor that can be confusing is the fact that a ripe, freshly-harvested cannabis seed has a more vibrant and darker color than after it's been packaged for one to two months.
This could be likened to a baby whose physical look quickly changes during their first few weeks of life in order to adapt to the completely new outside environment.
The same thing happens with cannabis seeds: the storage and the different stages before they're sold can entail lighting and humidity fluctuations, as well as a bit of oxidation, which may slightly affect the colour of the shell but definitely has no impact on the final product. Once again, this is just a visual effect.
We hope that this guide has provided you with some valuable information about the physical traits of your cannabis seeds to help you interpret them more objectively before starting their sprouting and cultivation.
