The tiny oval seed, tapered at the tips, has more going than it meets the eye. Whether you are a passionate grower like me or a newbie, you need to know your seed before you start growing weed.

It is true when they say that a good marijuana seed is a deciding factor for a robust potent plant.

Marijuana seeds are found in numerous forms; auto-flowering, regular and feminized. Like many home growers, I prefer feminized seeds so that a flowering female adult plant is guaranteed.

The seeds of the cannabis plant, similar to all flowering plants, produce seeds wherein all the genetic information required for reproduction and growth are encased. This genetic material defines the unique characteristics of mature plants.

Traits like vigor, potency, smell, etc., are carefully selected by the breeder and genetically stabilized through multiple generations. This process leads to the creation of unique strains or cultivars.

Look And Feel

Brown in color, size of a peppercorn, oval in shape, tapered on each tip, the cannabis seeds have a ridge running across them.

During germination, this ridge cracks open, making way for the root. The surface opposite the ridge is smooth. Unfertilized and underdeveloped seeds are smaller in size and might be off-white.

Typically the body of cannabis seed is striped or spotted with light brown specks. Some varieties also have yellow or red marks.

Seed Production Process

Beginning with the pollen grain of a male marijuana plant, the production of cannabis seed is a fascinating process. A pollen tube grows from pollen grain dispersing pollen, which is the male generative cell.

Migrating into the female plant ovule, the pollen causes the pistils to drop off and kick-start the seed production process. After that, the bracts containing ovules fill up with the seeds.

Regular, Feminized, And Autoflower Seeds

Only female flowers of a marijuana plant yield harvest that can be commercially sold later on. Regular seeds cannot guarantee if the plant will be male or female. Moreover, if a male plant pollinates the female plants in the vicinity, they will produce flowers full of seeds.

All this was a thing of past though!

Marijuana cultivation went through a groundbreaking shift with the development of feminized seeds in 1982.

The feminized seeds are engineered genetically to produce female plants exclusively.

The rate of producing female plants with feminized seeds is almost 99%. If you use feminized seeds, make sure to check that no male plants have germinated.

Though almost all strains of marijuana can be manipulated to make them feminized, it is advisable to get your feminized seeds from top companies selling cannabis seeds. Moby dick seeds from Homegrown Cannabis Co are my favorite.

Two different methods are used to feminize the marijuana seeds: rodelization and chemical ethylene inhibition.

• In the rodelization technique, the natural self-defense mechanism of the plant is exploited. The Chemical ethylene inhibition method applies a chemical agent (gibberellic acid or colloidal silver) to disrupt its ethylene production.
• Ethylene is a hormone responsible for female flower production. Sometimes an unpollinated, fully mature female cannabis plant may fertilize itself by growing pollen sacs. In both methods, pollen is assimilated and used to fertilize female plants. After that, mature buds produce female seeds in the absence of the Y chromosome.

Autoflowering seeds are your answer if you are looking for seeds that are simpler to grow. These are perfect for beginners, indoor growers, or if the growing season is short in your location.

These seeds are cultivated by professional growers. They ensure that the flowering process does not need changes in the amount of light it receives every day.

The Legal Aspect Of Buying Marijuana Seeds

Being a marijuana product, cannabis seeds are illegal in places where marijuana is illegal. If you are among those lucky marijuana users who live in a state where it is legal and if home growing is allowed there, you can legally purchase them.

If cannabis is not legal where you live, you can still buy them as souvenir purchases from cannabis seed banks. There is a certain amount of risk involved though.

Getting The Seeds

Seeds are often legally sold online and in shops in many countries across Europe. More retail locations have started selling seeds with marijuana legalization expanding in North America.

I like getting my seeds online from reliable websites as professionally sourced seeds assure genetics, quality, and viability. The online stores also offer a variety of strains.

You can also sift through cannabis to find bag seeds before crushing the weed. Those are cheap and the best source of marijuana for the hobbyist grower.

However, genetics depends largely on the strain it is sourced from. Often most legal dispensaries in the cannabis legal state sell marijuana seeds.

Cost Of Marijuana Seeds

Typically around ten or more seeds are contained in a pack of cannabis seeds. These can cost anywhere from around $40 to $400 or $500. The price mostly depends on many factors, including the quality of the genetics, type of seeds, and reputation of the breeder producing the seeds. Rare or potent strains costs are higher. Autoflowering or feminized seeds tend to cost higher as they need more work while breeding.

Quantity Of Seeds

For your private consumption, buying one or two packs will be adequate. Even if a few seeds fail, you can grow a small plant patch with 10 or 20 seeds with a splendid harvest.

Storing Marijuana Seeds

Often the marijuana seed sellers freeze seeds in a vacuum-sealed pack for long-term storage. However, Dutch shops sell them in small plastic sachets at room temperature and controlled humidity (6-12%).

Seeds stored clumsily can also remain potent for up to two years. Often the seeds kept in the bottom of storage or found on the floor can grow into robust plants. Light and humidity are the main factors that deteriorate the quality of the seed.

Cannabis Seed Germination

The beginning of the vegetative growth of a new marijuana plant is known as germination. Exposure to light and water kick-starts the metabolism process, and the seed lets go of the dormant state. This is often termed as “popping.”

These metabolism processes feed on the seed’s energy, and the shell ruptures, making way for the baby root. The root elongates until it gets a firm grip on the growing medium. After that, two baby leaf-like structures known as cotyledons emerge from the seed shell. These cotyledons are not leaves in the true sense.

They are in the seed until germination takes place. These grow for about a centimeter till the stem underneath is about five centimeters in length. Another set of true leaves grow from the top, and the stems between the true leaves and cotyledons continue to become longer.

Marijuana is generally a sturdy plant that can withstand a variety of climates. However, some steps can be taken to ascertain germination. One quick method can be keeping the seeds in a damp paper napkin in a plastic bag.

Once the first root appears, the seedling must be carefully transferred to some soil before the root takes hold of the paper towel. A lot of professional growers germinate the seeds into peat pellets. You need to plant them just underneath the surface. After the roots take hold of the peat pellet, you can transfer them directly to a pot. They will grow through the soft fabric encasing the peat. The peat can then be directly placed into the soil.

Whatever method you use, ensure the temperature is between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit (21-32 degrees Celsius). About 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) is the ideal temperature for germination. The seedlings must be kept covered to maintain optimum humidity. A common desk lamp with fluorescent light will enable the seedlings and young cuttings to grow as they require active radiation from the blue end of the spectrum. You need to use the light until the young plants are about 13 centimeters or 5 inches tall.

Final Thoughts

Once you decide to grow your weed, choosing the correct speed is the most crucial step. With all the information contained in this article, you can now confidently go in the direction of your cannabis-growing dream.

So go on and capture the market with amazing harvest from weed seeds. May the victory be yours!