What Do Cannabis Seeds Look Like?
The appearance of cannabis seeds is a question that raises several questions amongst growers. We often get asked about the way cannabis seeds should appear, with regards to their dimensions, shape and colour, as these parameters are believed to be strongly related to seed grade. In this article we take a comprehensive look at the primary physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any concerns that you may have.
This guide has been created to answer all the important questions that we regularly get asked by customers and growers about the physical characteristics of our primary product: high-quality cannabis seeds.
Our decade and a half in the industry have given us solid knowledge as well as a broad perspective on this matter, so it is a privilege for us to be able to share our expertise with all of you in the cannabis world.
The dimensions of cannabis seeds
As most of the cannabis strains that are presently on the marketplace are polyhybrids, the size of the seeds can differ depending on their genetic line.
Some customers, for instance, contact us to tell us that they have bought Critical + seeds and they feel 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 naturally smaller than others. It is hence incorrect to assume that this is an indication of poor quality.
If, on the other hand, the seeds appear too big, this may be caused by a deficiency of macronutrients during the crop's growth cycle. As any cultivator with certain experience will understand, calcium deficiencies are addressed by adding calcium and mg, a combination that assists in reestablishing the perfect nutritional balance of plants.
So in this instance, a rise in dimensions could be a clear indicator of this addition of calcium and magnesium, which is performed in order to alleviate that macronutrient deficiency during growth. This has no influence on the crop's potential for sprouting, growth, flowering, or harvest, nor on the development of the organoleptic properties of the buds (aroma, flavour and effect).
So we can openly say that this difference is simply cosmetic. If we take the example of a Moby Dick seed, its size will most probably be bigger than those of Critical +, although you can also encounter 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 structural level. It's entirely normal to discover minor differences in the elliptical shape of seeds from the identical batch.
In some cases 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 size, these slight differences in the contour of the seeds are merely 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 true that ripe cannabis seeds typically to have a dark shell that can range from brown to black, with lines that look like tiger stripes, this cannot be viewed as a quality marker by itself.
Yet again, this is a misleading physical attribute that does not assure the germination capacity or overall traits of a seed. A high-quality strain can also be pale or dark grey in colour.
Let's take the example of Critical + once more, one of our well-known bestsellers that has had resounding 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 always a quality marker: these unquestionably high-quality seeds exhibit a very pale grey, almost white-ish grey, to a medium grey colour.
However, a greenish colour is an obvious sign of underdevelopment, which means that the seed hasn't developed fully or it hasn't received all the required resources to achieve full maturity. In this particular case, if you buy seeds with this hue you need to reach out to your supplier immediately and try to have them substituted.
If this happens to you with one of our seeds, don't hesitate to contact us directly. Send us a couple of pictures so we can examine them out, and our support team will substitute 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 1 to 2 months.
This could be likened to a newborn whose physical look quickly evolves 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 various stages before they're sold can entail light and humidity fluctuations, https://nativesusa.com/, as well as a little of oxidation, which may slightly affect the color of the shell but certainly has no impact on the end product. Once again, this is just an aesthetic effect.
We hope that this post has provided you with some helpful information about the physical traits of your cannabis seeds to help you interpret them more accurately before starting their germination and cultivation.