What Should Cannabis Seeds Look Like?
The look of cannabis seeds is a subject that raises many questions amongst growers. We frequently get asked about the way cannabis seeds should look, with regards to their dimensions, shape and appearance, as these parameters are believed to be directly related to seed quality. In this post we take a thorough look at the primary physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any doubts that you may have.
This post has been created to answer all the main questions that we regularly get asked by customers and growers about the physical features of our core product: top-grade cannabis seeds.
Our decade and a half in the industry have given us solid knowledge as well as an extensive perspective on this matter, so it is a privilege for us to be able to share our knowledge with all of you in the cannabis community.
The size of cannabis seeds
As most of the cannabis varieties that are presently on the marketplace are polyhybrids, the size of the seeds can fluctuate depending on their hereditary line.
Some clients, for instance, reach out to us to tell us that they have acquired Critical + seeds and they believe they look too small. But this is a standard feature of this variety: we’ve seen millions of Critical + seeds and we can attest that they are inherently smaller than others. It is therefore incorrect to assume that this is a sign of poor quality.
If, on the other hand, the seeds look too big, this may be caused by a shortage of macronutrients during the plant’s growth cycle. As any grower with some experience will realize, calcium deficiencies are corrected by adding calcium and magnesium, a mixture that helps reestablishing the ideal nutritional balance of plants.
So in this instance, a rise in dimensions could be a clear indicator of this supplementation of calcium and magnesium, which is carried out in order to remedy that macronutrient deficiency during growth. This has no influence on the plant’s potential for sprouting, growth, flowering, or harvest, nor on the formation of the organoleptic properties of the buds (scent, https://nativesusa.com/ (https://nativesusa.com) flavour and effect).
So we can clearly say that this difference is simply visual. If we take the case of a Moby Dick seed, its dimensions 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 biologically different amongst themselves.
The structure of cannabis seeds
Cannabis seeds can also show slight changes at morphological level. It’s entirely normal to find 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 tips can be rounded whilst the other is more pointy. But this is no cause for concern: as with size, these slight differences in the contour of the seeds are simply visual and have nothing to do with quality.
Related post: The most typical mistakes when sprouting cannabis seeds
The colour of cannabis seeds
Although it is correct that ripe cannabis seeds usually to have a darker shell that can go from brown to black, with markings that look like zebra stripes, this cannot be viewed as a reliable quality indicator by itself.
Yet again, this is a misleading physical attribute that does not assure the germination potential or overall qualities of a seed. A premium strain can also be light or dark grey in colour.
Let’s take the case of Critical + once more, one of our long-time bestsellers that has had tremendous success across the world thanks to its exceptional scent, flavour, effect, and production capacity.
Critical + is a strong example that colour, contrary to what many cultivators believe, is not necessarily a direct quality marker: these undeniably high-quality seeds display a distinctly pale grey, almost white-ish grey, to a medium grey colour.
However, a green-tinted colour is a definite sign of immaturity, which means that the seed has not developed fully or it hasn’t received all the needed resources to attain full maturity. In this specific case, if you purchase seeds with this color you need to reach out to your supplier immediately and try to have them exchanged.
If this happens to you with one of our seeds, don’t delay to contact us immediately. Send us a few of pictures so we can review them out, and our customer service team will substitute them as soon as possible.
Another element that can be deceptive is the fact that a mature, freshly-harvested cannabis seed has a brighter and darker colour than after it’s been packaged for one to two months.
This could be likened to a baby whose physical appearance quickly develops during their first few days 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 light and humidity changes, as well as a little of oxidation, which may slightly affect the color of the shell but certainly has no impact on the final product. Once again, this is just an aesthetic effect.
We hope that this post has provided you with some useful information about the physical traits of your cannabis seeds to help you interpret them more accurately before starting their sprouting and cultivation.