How Do Cannabis Seeds Look Like?

The look of cannabis seeds is a question that raises numerous questions amongst growers. We regularly get asked about the manner cannabis seeds should look, with regards to their size, shape and colour, as these parameters are believed to be directly related to seed quality. In this article we take a thorough look at the primary physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any questions that you may have.

This article has been created to answer all the main questions that we often get asked by clients and growers regarding the physical traits of our core product: premium-quality cannabis seeds.

Our 15 years in the field have given us great knowledge as well as an extensive 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 community.

The dimensions of cannabis seeds

As the majority of the cannabis varieties 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 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 naturally smaller than others. It is thus incorrect to assume that this is an indication of poor quality.

If, on the contrary, the seeds appear too big, this may be caused by a lack of macronutrients during the plant's growth cycle. As any grower with certain experience will know, calcium deficiencies are addressed by adding calcium and mg, a combination that helps reestablishing the ideal nutritional balance of plants.

So in this case, an increase in size could be a clear indicator of this supplementation of calcium and magnesium, which is performed in order to remedy that macronutrient shortage during growth. This has no impact on the plant's potential for https://nativesusa.com/ (https://nativesusa.com) sprouting, growth, flowering, or harvest, nor on the development of the organoleptic properties of the buds (scent, flavour and effect).

So we can confidently say that this difference is simply cosmetic. If we take the case of a Moby Dick seed, its dimensions will most probably be bigger than those of Critical +, although you can also find 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 shape 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 same batch.

In some situations their shape is more linear; whereas in others one of the ends can be rounded whilst the other is more sharp. But this is no reason for concern: as with dimensions, 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 germinating cannabis seeds

The color 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 regarded as a reliable quality indicator by itself.

Yet again, this is a deceptive physical attribute that does not guarantee 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 case of Critical + once more, one of our long-time bestsellers that has had outstanding success across the world thanks to its outstanding scent, flavour, effect, and production capacity.

Critical + is a clear example that colour, opposite to what many cultivators believe, is not necessarily a direct quality indicator: these undeniably high-quality seeds show a very pale grey, almost whitish grey, to a mid-tone grey colour.

However, a greenish colour is a clear sign of immaturity, which means that the seed has not developed fully or it hasn't received all the necessary resources to reach full maturity. In this specific case, if you buy seeds with this hue you need to reach out to your supplier immediately and try to have them replaced.

If this happens to you with one of our seeds, don't delay to contact us directly. 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 aspect 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 packaged for 1 to 2 months.

This could be compared to a baby whose physical look quickly changes during their first few days of life in order to adapt to the entirely new outside surroundings.

The same thing happens with cannabis seeds: the packaging and the various stages before they're commercialised can entail lighting and humidity fluctuations, 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 just an aesthetic effect.

We hope that this article has provided you with some useful information about the physical traits of your cannabis seeds to help you interpret them more objectively before starting their sprouting and cultivation.