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 how cannabis seeds should seem, with regards to their size, shape and colour, as these factors are believed to be directly related to seed quality. In this guide we take a detailed look at the key physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any concerns that you may have.
This article has been conceived to answer all the important questions that we regularly get asked by customers and growers about the physical characteristics of our core product: top-grade cannabis seeds.
Our 15 years in the field have given us strong knowledge as well as a broad perspective on this topic, so it is an honour for us to be able to share our expertise with all of you in the cannabis community.
The dimensions of cannabis seeds
As the majority of the cannabis strains that are currently on the marketplace are polyhybrids, the size of the seeds can differ depending on their genetic line.
Some customers, for instance, reach out to us to tell us that they have bought Critical + seeds and they feel they look too tiny. But this is a typical 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 think that this is a sign of poor quality.
If, on the other hand, the seeds appear too big, this may be caused by a lack of macronutrients during the crop’s growth cycle. As any grower with certain experience will understand, calcium deficiencies are addressed by adding calcium and mg, a combination that helps reestablishing the perfect nutritional balance of plants.
So in this situation, a rise in size could be a clear indicator of this supplementation of calcium and magnesium, which is done in order to address that macronutrient shortage during growth. This has no influence on the plant’s potential for sprouting, growth, flowering, or harvest, nor on the formation of the organoleptic characteristics of the buds (aroma, flavour and effect).
So we can confidently say that this variation 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 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 discover minor differences in the oval shape of seeds from the identical batch.
In some instances their shape is more elongated; whereas in others one of the tips can be rounded whilst the other is more sharp. But this is no reason for concern: as with dimensions, these slight variations in the contour of the seeds are purely visual and have nothing to do with quality.
Related post: The most frequent mistakes when germinating cannabis seeds
The color of cannabis seeds
Although it is true that ripe cannabis seeds typically to have a darker shell that can go from brown to black, with markings that look like tiger stripes, this cannot be viewed as a quality marker by itself.
Yet again, this is a deceptive physical attribute that does not assure the germination potential or overall qualities of a seed. A top-grade strain can also be pale or dark grey in colour.
Let’s take the case of Critical + once more, one of our consistent bestsellers that has had outstanding success across the world thanks to its exceptional scent, flavour, effect, and production capacity.
Critical + is a good example that colour, opposite to what many cultivators believe, https://nativesusa.com/ – https://nativesusa.com/ – is not always a direct quality marker: these unquestionably high-quality seeds show a distinctly pale grey, almost whitish grey, to a mid-tone grey colour.
However, a greenish colour is an obvious sign of underdevelopment, which means that the seed has not developed fully or it hasn’t received all the required resources to achieve full maturity. In this specific case, if you buy seeds with this color you need to contact your supplier right away and try to have them exchanged.
If this occurs to you with one of our seeds, don’t delay to contact us directly. Send us a couple of pictures so we can check them out, and our support team will exchange them as quickly as possible.
Another element that can be confusing is the fact that a mature, freshly-harvested cannabis seed has a more vibrant and darker colour than after it’s been stored for one to two months.
This could be likened to a baby whose physical appearance quickly develops during their first few weeks of life in order to adapt to the entirely new outside surroundings.
The identical 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 little of oxidation, which may slightly affect the color of the shell but definitely has no effect on the final product. Once again, this is merely a visual effect.
We hope that this article has provided you with some valuable information about the physical characteristics of your cannabis seeds to assist you interpret them more objectively before starting their sprouting and cultivation.
