How Do Cannabis Seeds Look Like?

The visual traits of cannabis seeds is a question that raises many questions amongst growers. We frequently get asked about the way cannabis seeds should look, with regards to their dimensions, shape and color, as these factors are believed to be directly related to seed grade. In this guide we take a comprehensive look at the key physical characteristics of cannabis seeds in order to clarify any doubts that you may have.

This post has been designed to answer all the key questions that we often get asked by customers and growers regarding the physical characteristics of our primary product: premium-quality cannabis seeds.

Our decade and a half in the industry have given us strong knowledge as well as an extensive perspective on this matter, so it is a privilege for us to be capable to share our knowledge with all of you in the cannabis world.

The size of cannabis seeds

As most of the cannabis strains that are presently on the market are polyhybrids, the size of the seeds can fluctuate depending on their genetic line.

Some customers, for instance, contact us to tell us that they have purchased 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 thus incorrect to assume that this is a sign of poor quality.

If, on the contrary, the seeds seem too big, this may be caused by a deficiency of macronutrients during the crop’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 optimal nutritional balance of plants.

So in this case, a rise in dimensions could be a clear indicator of this addition of calcium and magnesium, which is performed in order to address that macronutrient shortage during growth. This has no impact on the crop’s potential for sprouting, growth, flowering, or harvest, nor on the formation of the organoleptic qualities of the buds (scent, flavour and effect).

So we can confidently say that this variation is simply cosmetic. 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 identical strain. Don’t forget that, as with all living beings, cannabis seeds are also biologically different amongst themselves.

The form of cannabis seeds

Cannabis seeds can also exhibit slight changes at morphological level. It’s entirely normal to find minor differences in the oval shape of seeds from the identical batch.

In some cases their shape is more elongated; whereas in others one of the extremities 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 merely visual and have nothing to do with quality.

Related post: The most common mistakes when germinating cannabis seeds

The colour of cannabis seeds

Although it is accurate that ripe cannabis seeds tend to have a darker shell that can go from brown to black, nativesusa.com) with markings that look like zebra stripes, this cannot be considered as a quality marker by itself.

Yet again, this is a deceptive physical attribute that does not guarantee the germination potential or overall characteristics of an individual seed. A premium strain can also be light or dark grey in colour.

Let’s take the example of Critical + once more, one of our consistent bestsellers that has had tremendous success across the globe thanks to its exceptional scent, flavour, effect, and yielding 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 display a very pale grey, almost whitish grey, to a medium grey colour.

However, a green-tinted colour is an obvious sign of immaturity, which means that the seed has not developed fully or it hasn’t received all the necessary resources to attain full maturity. In this particular case, if you buy seeds with this color you need to contact your supplier right away and try to have them exchanged.

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 support team will substitute them as soon as possible.

Another factor that can be deceptive is the fact that a mature, freshly-harvested cannabis seed has a brighter and darker color than after it’s been stored for 1 to 2 months.

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

The identical thing happens with cannabis seeds: the packaging and the different stages before they’re sold can entail lighting and humidity fluctuations, as well as a little of oxidation, which may somewhat affect the colour of the shell but certainly has no impact on the end product. Once more, this is merely 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 germination and cultivation.