Cannabis seeds are the embryonic phase of a marijuana plant inside the outer protective coating called the testa.
After the fertilization process, the ovules develop into seeds.
The embryo of the cannabis seeds, which stores the food necessary for the germination process, contains the radicle that develops into the taproot and the cotyledons that sprout through the testa during germination and break through the growing medium to form the shoot system.
The marijuana seeds are the most important part of the plant because they are responsible for the reproduction process to maintain the genetics of a cannabis strain or come up with new genetics.
What do cannabis seeds look like?
All cannabis seeds look alike, so it’s vital to buy pot seeds from a reputable seed bank that names the marijuana seeds and their genetic makeup when delivering.
They are approximately the size of a match head, and mature seeds are dark brown with dark stripes.
Anatomy of Marijuana seeds
On the outside, a cannabis seed is brown with stripped coatings that are brown, red, or yellow, depending on the cannabis strain.
The seed has the embryo, which contains cells that differentiate into the roots, leaves, and stems.
The primary root is the radicle that sprouts and becomes the plant’s taproot.
The cotyledons are the primary leaves that break through the growing medium from which other leaves develop.
A look into the process of making cannabis seeds
Like other seeds, pollination occurs to form cannabis seeds. Since cannabis plants are dioecious, the male and female reproductive parts exist on different plants; some marijuana plants, especially females, self-pollinate. Therefore, be aware of hermaphrodite marijuana plants with male and female organs capable of self-pollination.
That is why we have male and female marijuana plants. The tricky part is you can’t tell the difference between male and female weed seeds by looking at them unless the breeder informs you; otherwise, you have to wait until after the vegetative stage.
You identify male cannabis plants by sacs at the joints or nodes of the plants one to three weeks after the vegetative stage as you start flowering. The male plants have fewer leaves and thicker stalks.
To identify the males during the vegetative stage, look for tiny sacs on the pre-flowers at the intersections where the stalks meet the stem, especially where the light is sufficient. On the other hand, you identify the females by the growing hairs or pistils.
The male plants release the pollen that fertilizes the female plant’s flowers to reproduce, forming the pot seeds.
Types of Marijuana seeds
What are auto-flowering cannabis seeds?
Auto-flowering cannabis seeds trace their origin from crossing less potent cannabis ruderalis strains with more potent cannabis strains.
The result is a resilient marijuana strain that is a non-photoperiod and flower when they mature and don’t depend on the change in the light cycle to switch from the vegetative to flowering stage. It’s the reason growers in places with shorter summers, and cold temperatures grow them because of their consistency.
They are suitable for low-maintenance growers and beginners because they yield buds even amidst limited maintenance and learning experience.
However, for better yields, expose the plants to more hours of light
What are feminized marijuana seeds?
Before feminized cannabis, you would plant your seeds and wait on a 50-50 chance of either male or female plants, and if you’re already confused, I beg your pardon, let’s go back to the basics.
In the cannabis world, we have male and female plants. The male plants release pollen that fertilizes the females if you want weed seeds.
But if you purely want buds, then let’s start the conversation. In the 1990s, farmers came up with the idea to eliminate the male chromosomes in cannabis seeds, so they remain with genetics that has purely female chromosomes to eliminate the gamble with male plants that lower the quality of your buds with marijuana seeds.
Feminized marijuana seeds are created by stimulating female plants to produce pollen that pollinates other female plants, and you can do this by using the colloidal silver solution, spraying gibberellic acid and Rodelization
What are regular cannabis seeds?
Regular cannabis seeds are the natural form of cannabis seeds with no genetic alterations.
They are the weed seeds that result when pollen from male stable fertilizes the female stable plants resulting in pure, healthy genetics.
They grow into the male or female plants depending on the genetic make of the seed, and you can only differentiate if a plant is male or female after the vegetative stage, 1-3 weeks into the flowering stage.
They are the best pot seeds for breeding to maintain good genetics or even come up with new ones.
They, however, produce buds with less concentration of THC compared to the feminized weed seeds.
What is a clone?
As we talk about cannabis seeds, its essential to understand that you can cultivate marijuana even without the marijuana seeds using clones
A cannabis clone is a cutting from a marijuana plant, preferably the female, during the vegetative stage. You then place it into the growing medium to develop roots and continue its germination process.
Rooting, however, is only possible with healthy, nutrient-rich disease-free plants.
Cloning is necessary to replace high-performing strains and maintain their genetics because the clone has the plant’s genetic makeup from which you cut it.
How can I obtain high-quality cannabis seeds?
Breed strains with good quality genetics
Most parent strains usually pass on their traits to the offspring. You can stabilize the desirable characteristics and produce phenotypes.
Maturity
Mature, healthy seeds are darker brown with dark stripes, and they are highly viable. When you harvest immature seeds, they are between white, brown, white, and green and are usually unviable.
Storage
Store the cannabis seeds in a clean, cool dark place free from germs that can contaminate and spoil the seeds. If you don’t plan on using the marijuana seeds immediately, you can freeze them.
Where can I buy cannabis seeds?
Keep in mind that the possession of pot seeds is legal in many countries as a collector’s item since they contain low levels or no THC. In addition, you can buy weed seeds online from different cannabis seed banks.
The delivery time depends on your location, how far you are from the seed bank, and the delivery method used, either ship or air.
Seed Connect and ILGM are some of the reputable seedbanks from which you can buy cannabis seeds.
Can you eat cannabis seeds?
Yes, cannabis seeds are edible; however, you would need so many because of their small size, which is not justifiable considering a cannabis seed costs an average of $14 depending on the strain.
However, if you grow the cannabis seeds you buy for more pot seeds, you can then consume these because a marijuana plant produces hundreds of pot seeds.