If you are a cannabis enthusiast, you are probably interested in cultivating them on your own. This means acquiring cannabis clones or seeds from seed banks online. Once you have purchased them on your own, it is time to plant them. But, while you have them in storage, do marijuana seeds go bad? How long can you keep them unplanted, and how do you preserve them? In this article, you will find out.
Do Marijuana Seeds Go Bad?
Before we dive in to the cannabis seed storage, let us first answer the most important question. Do marijuana seeds go bad? Of course. Just like all organic matter, there is a chance for marijuana seeds to lose their quality while they are in storage. According to experts, cannabis seeds are generally usable within six months to 1 year after they are packed. But, some disagree, and they believe that cannabis seeds are usable for up to 5 years as long as you practice the correct ways of storing them.
As an aspiring cannabis grower, you should know that there are factors that can affect the state of your marijuana seeds, and it is really up to the handler to ensure that they last long and retain their quality. If they become damaged or mishandled, the cannabis seeds might fail to germinate when you decide on planting them.
What Does A Healthy Cannabis Seed Look Like?
Now that you know that there is a chance for your cannabis seeds to become duds, it is important that you have the skill to identify if they are at their optimal condition for when the growing time arrives. How do you know that a seed is still good for use? You can actually do so just by assessing the physical features of your seeds.
A good cannabis seed has a dark color – usually brown, gray, or black. If a seed’s color is green or white, it means that the seeds have not matured yet. Aside from its colors, healthy seeds are usually decorated with stripes and spots. When you touch this strain, you would also feel a coating that feels waxy. This thin film covering the seeds must also shine against the light.
Another way to check on good seeds is how hard they are. Weed seeds must be able to withstand some light squeezing. If it gets crushed or squished, it means that the seed is weak or dead. Finally, the seed must also have no cracks all over, so you should expect them for that.
Factors That Can Make Your Seed Go Bad
If you want to keep your cannabis seeds at their best and most potent state, you should always remember to watch out and carefully monitor the following:
- Light – If you expose your weeds seeds in light, the light will burn out the most valuable aspects of your growth. This will make the seeds lose the cannabinoids and terpenes, which are the components that give them the characteristics and features that you are looking for. This is why seeds must be stored in a dark place where light cannot crawl in.
- Air – Another important thing to monitor for cannabis seeds is how much oxygen they get. Cannabis seeds depend on oxygen, and they need this component so that they can germinate properly. But, giving them too much can shorten their life span and giving them too little may lead molds to grow on their storage space. The best way to maintain ideal oxygen levels is to keep them in an airtight container that is not too big or too little.
- Humidity – Moisture also has great power over the fate of young cannabis seeds. This is because mold and mildew thrive in moisture, and no grower would want your cannabis seeds to get infected and die. What you should do is to ensure that you maintain that the cannabis seeds only have 5% humidity.
- Temperature – Finally, you should also check temperatures because seeds can dry out when exposed in too much heat. Heat can also induce evaporation in terpenes, and no one would want that. The ideal temperatures must also play around 78 to 86 degrees.
Tips on Storing Your Cannabis Seeds
1. Mason jars are the way to go. Though you might be tempted to use plastic jars, these containers encourage sweating. The best option as a container will be glass or ceramic jars that come with airtight seals. This ensures that cannabis seeds will maintain fresh for a long time.
2. Only store seeds in a container and don’t mix them up. If you are storing cannabis flowers and buds, place them in a separate container from your seeds. Another important thing is to never mix them with lighters, pipes, and other cannabis paraphernalia, as their components can be absorbed by the seeds and result in unsatisfactory produce.
3. A dark cupboard or drawer is a great storage option. If you are planning to store seeds for a short amount of time, you can hide the container you’ve chosen in a cool, dark, and dry cupboard or drawer. Just make sure that you choose a part of your home where temperatures are at the most stable so that you do not expose the seeds to fluctuations and extreme changes.
4. Storing in the freezer can be an option, but only for long-time storage. Contrary to the belief of some people, you can actually do store your cannabis seeds in the refrigerator or the freezer – granted that you really do not open this regularly and that it will take you years to actually use the seeds. If you have no plans of doing that, storing in the freezer is an unnecessary step
Final Thoughts
Do marijuana seeds go bad? They definitely do. But, as a grower, there are many ways for you to protect your cannabis seeds and lengthen their shelf life. As long as you follow these steps, your seeds can stay on storage for many years to come.
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