by Nebula Haze
In the wild, plant seeds that don’t sprout well don’t survive. But cannabis seeds that you buy online are bred for the plant and bud characteristics. A lot of breeders focus more on locking in particular plant or bud characteristics (fast growth, big yields, high THC, great bud smell, etc.) and may not spend as much effort ensuring seeds germinate. There are also lots of other factors that can have an effect, such as the age of seeds, how they were stored, the environment during shipping (for example being shipped in hot weather), and just luck/nature.
You can’t tell if a seed is going to germinate just by looking at it.
Some seeds germinate easier than others even in the exact same conditions. The age of seeds, storage conditions, and strain make a big difference. Choosing a fool-proof germination method increases your chances, but sometimes you simply can’t germinate every seed.
What factors hurt cannabis seed germination rates?
- Hard seeds – Certain strains produce seeds with extra-hard shells which often have poor germination rates. Some growers recommend soaking hard seeds in water for 24 hours to help soften the shell before proceeding to your regular germination method. Some growers will even crack hard seeds open gently to help the seedling embryo push its way out. However, trying to crack flimsy seeds will cause them to explode apart, so only do this if you have extremely hard, fat seeds.
- Pale or flimsy seeds – When cannabis seeds are pale and easy to crush, they may not have been given enough time to mature. Additionally, some strains just tend to produce thin small seeds. You may think there’s no chance these seeds will germinate or grow good plants, but as long as there is some tan color (instead of just pale), I recommend at least trying to germinate them if you want the strain. I’ve had sad-looking seeds germinate and produce some of the best plants I’ve grown.
- Old seeds – Seeds germinate best when they’re freshly harvested. The older seeds get, the less likely they are to germinate, and germination often takes longer. Fresh seeds often just burst with life the moment they get some water.
- Improperly stored seeds – In an ideal world, seeds should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place without a lot of temperature changes. Seeds are less likely to germinate if they were exposed to heat, light, high humidity, or other extreme conditions in storage. Another enemy of seed storage is water. If water gets on the seeds (or they experience high humidity), they may turn into duds. Seeds are sometimes packed with tiny pieces of cotton to soak up any extra moisture.
- Improper germination methods – Seeds may not germinate if they dry out after getting wet, or get exposed to cold, heat, or light during germination.
Learn how to germinate seeds perfectly every time!
If you use the right germination method, you should be able to germinate most seeds in 1-4 days.
