How Do Cannabis Seeds Look Like?

The visual traits of cannabis seeds is a question that raises several questions amongst growers. We often get asked about the manner cannabis seeds should seem, with regards to their size, shape and appearance, as these parameters are believed to be closely related to seed quality. In this guide we take a detailed look at the main physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any doubts that you may have.

This article has been created to answer all the key questions that we often get asked by customers and growers about the physical characteristics of our primary product: high-quality cannabis seeds.

Our 15 years in the field have given us solid knowledge as well as a wide perspective on this subject, so it is an honour for us to be capable to share our expertise with all of you in the cannabis world.

The size of cannabis seeds

As most of the cannabis varieties that are currently on the market are polyhybrids, the dimensions of the seeds can differ depending on their hereditary line.

Some clients, for instance, contact us to tell us that they have acquired Critical + seeds and they feel they look too small. But this is a normal feature of this variety: we’ve seen millions of Critical + seeds and we can verify that they are naturally smaller than others. It is thus incorrect to believe that this is an indication of poor quality.

If, on the contrary, the seeds appear too big, this may be triggered by a shortage of macronutrients during the crop’s growth cycle. As any cultivator with certain 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 case, a rise in dimensions could be a clear indicator of this supplementation of calcium and magnesium, which is done in order to alleviate that macronutrient deficiency during growth. This has no impact on the plant’s potential for germination, growth, flowering, or harvest, nor on the development of the organoleptic characteristics of the buds (scent, flavour and effect).

So we can clearly say that this variation is simply aesthetic. 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 discover slight variations between seeds from the same strain. Don’t forget that, as with all biological 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 elliptical shape of seeds from the identical batch.

In some instances their shape is more linear; whereas in others one of the extremities can be rounded whilst the other is more pointy. But this is no reason for concern: as with dimensions, these slight differences in the contour of the seeds are simply visual and have no relation to do with quality.

Related post: The most typical mistakes when sprouting cannabis seeds

The color of cannabis seeds

Although it is true that ripe cannabis seeds typically to have a darker shell that can range from brown to black, with stripes that look like tiger stripes, this cannot be considered as a quality indicator by itself.

Yet once more, this is a deceptive physical attribute that does not ensure the germination potential or overall characteristics of a seed. A top-grade strain can also be pale or dark gray in colour.

Let’s take the case of Critical + again, one of our well-known bestsellers that has had tremendous success across the globe thanks to its exceptional scent, flavour, effect, and https://nativesusa.com) production capacity.

Critical + is a strong example that colour, contrary to what many growers believe, is not necessarily a quality indicator: these unquestionably high-quality seeds display a distinctly pale grey, almost white-ish grey, to a mid-tone grey colour.

However, a green-tinted colour is a definite sign of underdevelopment, which means that the seed has not developed fully or it has not received all the needed resources to attain full maturity. In this particular case, if you acquire seeds with this hue you need to reach out to your supplier immediately and try to have them exchanged.

If this occurs to you with one of our seeds, don’t delay to contact us immediately. Send us a few of pictures so we can check them out, and our support team will exchange them as soon as possible.

Another factor that can be confusing is the fact that a ripe, freshly-harvested cannabis seed has a brighter and darker colour 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 environment.

The same thing happens with cannabis seeds: the packaging and the various stages before they’re commercialised can entail lighting and humidity changes, as well as a bit of oxidation, which may slightly affect the colour of the shell but certainly has no effect on the final product. Once again, this is simply a visual effect.

We trust that this post has provided you with some valuable information about the physical traits of your cannabis seeds to assist you interpret them more accurately before starting their germination and cultivation.