How to Tell if Cannabis Seeds are Good or Bad

Good Cannabis Seeds

 

 

Ultimately, you can use the senses of sight, feel, taste and smell to determine whether cannabis seeds from this and other websites are good or bad.   You want to make sure you don’t have seeds that have been hastily processed, or damaged for some other reason.  Or how about some bluzu those are also great seeds that can do what all other seeds can. 

To find out if you have duds (seeds with a low germination rate that will never be ready to plant) or winners, whether you have seeds that will actually sprout or remain permanently dormant, apply these senses to your investigation.  

Use a Magnifying Glass to Give the Sight Test

There are a few key things to look out for:

  • The best seeds are big and fat with a rounded shape
  • The rounder and fatter, the better likelihood that they will sprout.
  • The biggest and the chunkiest seeds are the best. They are well fleshed out. The surface should be glossy and hard, with a slight sheen.
  • They are dark in colour (usually brown, black or grey). If they are light, white, or pale green, they were harvested way too early and they are probably immature, not good, and unlikely to sprout.
  • If they are pale and dusty they are probably old. The older they are, the slower they will germinate.
  • The darker the colour, the more likely they are to grow and produce more weed. The dark shell means they came from better quality weed.
  • There is a caveat, however. If they are too dark—deep purplish, that means they’ve been dyed and that’s not good.
  • Also, beware if you see a white dusty powder on the bud—that is fungus—powdered mildew.

One key as to whether you own healthy cannabis seeds is to look at whether they have slightly lighter stripes. Good seeds are dark with lighter stripes or brown or black spots all the way around. Often, the healthy ones have stripes that resemble lightning, or have a tiger stripe appearance, and a distinctive colour pattern. Take your magnifying glass and look at the stem. If it is furry, that means there is mould from too much moisture—probably because it was bagged too early.There are so many different seeds, bruce banner seed is just one that will do the trick and help you in the long run. 

That being said, however, you cannot always judge a seed by its color alone. It can look fantastic, but you need to know what is inside. If you crack a seed open and it is oily and has a musty taste, it is going bad. If it is black inside, that means it’s fermenting and won’t germinate. If you crush it in your hands and you smell salt, it’s unflushed. If the bud is flushed, it means the roots are absorbing salt and nutrients.

Once you have separated the good seeds from the bad via the sight test, touch and feel your seeds as you continue your investigation

The Touch Test

Lightly squeeze a seed without crushing it. If it crushes easily, it probably will not grow well. As you feel it, there should be no small cracks or holes. If they have small cracks or holes, they probably will not sprout. They should not be crinkled or cracked. If they’re not cracked, you know they are intact. If it holds up under the feel test, it will survive the germinating process.

The Float Test

Good quality seeds will sink – so apply the float test. (Note that you should only do this when ready to germinate). Put them in a cup of warm, distilled water for two hours. If they sink, they’re good. If they float, they are premature, and they probably won’t grow and so are unusable. Healthy seeds are heavy enough to sink.

If you think you have good quality cannabis seeds that have fully matured (that would be seeds with a growth rate of 85%), and are pretty sure you have a great batch of high-quality seeds that are not immature or damaged by the environment, but you’re still saying to yourself, “How do I know for sure I’m going to get a good yield?”, try germinating them. 

The last resort test is to just plant it and see if it grows. The ideal temperature is 75 degrees.  Good seeds should push up in three to six days. If you don’t want to plant them, you might want to use the paper towel method. Put them in a damp paper towel between two plates, keep the humidity high, and wait two days. 

Why your Cannabis Seeds Haven’t Germinated?

If you have been unlucky and some or all of your cannabis seeds haven't germinated, there is usually an easily identifiable reason. Germination isn't just about your seed cracking and a taproot appearing, it's about the transition of a seed into a very small but viable cannabis plant. So let's start at the beginning.

How long did you soak your seeds in the water?

Did they sink to the bottom of the glass before transferring them to the moist paper towel? Seeds that are still floating are unlikely to have absorbed sufficient water to successfully germinate. If you leave your seeds in water for too long the taproot will not form and the germination process will grind to a halt. Once you have transferred your seeds do the damp paper towel over the next few days.

Did you ever let any parts or all of the paper towels dry out?

At the earliest stages of germination, the smallest of errors can have major consequences. Similarly, the paper towel mustn't be steeped in water. The taproot grows naturally as it searches for water. If it's too easy to find it just won't grow if your water has loads of additives such as copper and chlorine this can poison your plants while handling the seeds with dirty hands can also poison them.

Make sure you either wash your hands with a non-toxic soap wear latex gloves or use tweezers. The next thing to check is the temperature of the seeds. The optimum temperature to keep them good for germination is between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 to 21 degrees Celsius. If the seeds are too cold they just won't germinate even. If everything else is perfect.

The owners and members of the Cannabis Clubs claim: “The roots of the plants don't like light and the same applies to the taproot and subsequent roots that will develop when your seeds germinate. Almost total darkness is ideal for germinating seeds even though.”

It is hopeless for growing seedlings it is interesting to note that it is certain wavelengths of light that affect germination and it is the blue length that tends to corrupt germination, while red wavelength promotes germination. You will also have to take into account when you bought your seeds. While cannabis seeds can remain viable for a large number of years if stored in perfect conditions. They can be ruined in a couple of weeks if not stored correctly.

Finally and unfortunately it is a fact of Mother Nature that not all seeds will germinate. Some will be duds and this is out of our control.

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