The visual traits of cannabis seeds is a topic that raises several questions amongst growers. We frequently get asked about the way cannabis seeds should seem, with regards to their size, shape and color, as these factors are believed to be directly related to seed quality. In this post we take a comprehensive look at the key physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any doubts that you may have.
This guide has been designed to answer all the main questions that we often get asked by customers and https://nativesusa.com/ (https://nativesusa.com/) growers concerning the physical traits of our core product: premium-quality cannabis seeds.
Our 15 years in the business have given us solid knowledge as well as a broad perspective on this topic, so it is an honour for us to be capable to share our expertise with all of you in the cannabis community.
As most of the cannabis cultivars 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 inform 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 countless of Critical + seeds and we can confirm that they are naturally smaller than others. It is therefore incorrect to assume that this is a sign of poor quality.
If, on the other hand, the seeds look too big, this may be triggered by a lack of macronutrients during the crop's growth cycle. As any grower with certain experience will realize, calcium deficiencies are corrected 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 direct indicator of this addition of calcium and magnesium, which is done in order to remedy that macronutrient deficiency during growth. This has no impact on the plant's potential for sprouting, growth, flowering, or harvest, nor on the development of the organoleptic qualities of the buds (aroma, flavour and effect).
So we can openly say that this variation is simply aesthetic. If we take the example of a Moby Dick seed, its dimensions will most likely be bigger than those of Critical +, although you can also discover slight variations between seeds from the same strain. Don't overlook that, as with all living beings, cannabis seeds are also biologically different amongst themselves.
Cannabis seeds can also show slight changes at structural level. It's entirely normal to find minor differences in the elliptical shape of seeds from the same batch.
In some cases their shape is more elongated; whereas in others one of the ends can be rounded whilst the other is more tapered. But this is no reason for concern: as with size, these slight variations in the profile of the seeds are purely visual and have no relation to do with quality.
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Although it is correct that ripe cannabis seeds usually to have a dark shell that can go from brown to black, with markings that look like zebra stripes, this cannot be viewed as a quality indicator by itself.
Yet once more, this is a deceptive physical attribute that does not assure the germination capacity or overall characteristics of an individual 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 long-time bestsellers that has had resounding success across the globe thanks to its remarkable scent, flavour, effect, and production capacity.
Critical + is a good example that colour, opposite to what many growers believe, is not always a quality marker: these unquestionably high-quality seeds show a distinctly pale grey, almost white-ish grey, to a mid-tone grey colour.
However, a greenish colour is a clear sign of immaturity, which means that the seed hasn't developed fully or it has not received all the necessary resources to achieve full maturity. In this specific case, if you acquire 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 customer service team will replace them as quickly as possible.
Another aspect that can be deceptive is the fact that a ripe, freshly-harvested cannabis seed has a brighter and darker colour than after it's been packaged for 1 to 2 months.
This could be likened to a newborn whose physical appearance quickly evolves during their first few weeks of life in order to adapt to the entirely new outside surroundings.
The same thing happens with cannabis seeds: the packaging and the different stages before they're sold can entail lighting and humidity changes, as well as a little of oxidation, which may slightly affect the color of the shell but certainly has no impact on the final product. Once again, this is simply an aesthetic effect.
We hope that this guide has provided you with some helpful information about the physical traits of your cannabis seeds to help you interpret them more objectively before starting their germination and cultivation.