You may have come across many cannabis seeds before; if you have, you already know that they look just like other plant seeds. These little seeds are about 2 to 4 mm, enclosed in a protective shell.
Apart from the shell, these seeds contain various other stuff like the embryo, albumen (nutrient reserve), genetic information, radicles (root), cotyledons, and hypocotyl. Suffice it to say that the seed contains everything it needs to turn into a healthy cannabis plant.
Enough biology for now. But, you should know that these seeds typically take 3 to 18 days to germinate, and after the first couple of centimeters of growth, they are considered seedlings. How quickly they sprout depends on various factors, including weather, genetics, humidity levels, location, pH, nutrients, etc.
As a grower, you shouldn't go for any random seed, especially if you don't know the type of seed you're tossing in your garden soil. Nobody wants to end up with an average cannabis plant with a poor-quality yield, so you need to learn how to make sure you pick the right seeds — high-quality seeds.
Avoid bag seeds; most of them are hermies and many of them don't even germinate to begin with. And if you end up growing these, you'll find out in the flowering season that they were never worth your time, effort, and energy. Instead, learn how to pick high-quality cannabis seeds.
Learn How to Pick High-Quality Cannabis Seeds
There are many steps to growing cannabis and you'll consider each of them as a grower. However, the first step is to pick high-quality or premium seeds. Even the best hydroponics setup in the world will not help you here if your seeds are bad to begin with.
1. Pick the Right Type of Cannabis Strain
Start with a seed strain based on your taste and preferences — it's fairly easy. Choose something you've already grown with good results. Or, go through various diaries and pick the ones that appeal to you. If you're a beginner, look at the diaries of cannabis growers who are beginners too.
Next, you need to select a strain that adjusts to your local climate but things can get slightly tricky here, especially if you are a beginner. For instance, some strains grow better in humid or tropical regions whereas others fail.
So, ask around your local growers and see what they recommend. You can even talk to local growers on online forums, and then pick a strain that will flourish in your local region.
Also, avoid high-risk strains — they are not worth the time and effort. Don't worry, there are plenty of good seeds for you to choose from. We'll go more into the details of it later in the article.
But what you should always ensure is that you are picking your strains from a reputable seed bank that also provides a COA. They offer thorough information on what the seeds are like to grow, and they even give growing tips for the same.
One example of such a seed bank is Seedsman, who has years of experience in breeding seeds. They've made a name for themselves in the industry, and thanks to their third-party lab testing, you know they are transparent and trustworthy.
2. Select the Right Type of Seeds
Next, you need to pick the right type of cannabis seeds that you want to grow. Usually, you'll have to choose from these three:
Regular Seeds
These are regular seeds of a photoperiodic nature. They rely on the light cycle to switch from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage, but they have one major downside: they don't guarantee a female plant.
You'll grow many seeds, but nearly half of them will turn out to be male, and there's no way to know for sure in the early stages of your plant's growth. And you don't want males in your garden as they can pollinate the females. You will end up with buds full of seeds if you don't remove the male plants in time.
Feminized Seeds
These are similar to regular seeds but fix the biggest flaw with them — they guarantee a female plant almost always. At least 99% of the time, you can expect female plants from these seeds, so you don't have to worry about rogue male plants pollinating your garden.
Autoflowers
The third type of seeds are the easiest to grow and are entirely different from photoperiod plants. These seeds grow into small plants but have a very short growth cycle. And since they don't rely on the light cycle at all, you can grow these plants stress-free. This is why they are also excellent choices for new growers.
3. Buy Many Seeds
You want to grow five plants, so you get a bag containing five seeds. But what if a couple of seeds fail to grow well? Instead, you should get a bag of ten seeds and germinate at least 7-8 pf them. This gives you a lot of wiggle room if something goes wrong. You can even pick the best seedlings and discard the rest!
Identify High-Quality Cannabis Seeds
Finally, you have to learn how to identify what makes a seed high-quality. Here are a few checks you can do:
- They shouldn't be mushy or brittle
- They should not smell sour or rancid
- No mold on them
- The color should be black-brown. Gray-green seeds are questionable and suggest they have been harvested too soon and may not germinate
- Turtle shell or tiger stripe patterns are fine
- Healthy shells have a slightly shiny appearance
- The shape should be even, having a tear-drop appearance without any dents
- They should be covered in a membrane that's not flaking off or falling apart
Check for Certificate of Analysis
Remember when we said you should buy seeds from seed banks that conduct lab tests? We weren't kidding. When a seed bank does lab testing, they give you a certificate of analysis (COA) along with the seeds.
This little document includes everything you need to know about the seeds, including their cannabinoid content, how and where to cultivate them, their success rate and maturity rate, genetic lineage, average yield, and a LOT more.
Here's why a COA is a must when buying seeds:
- Detailed chemotype analysis
- Legitimizes the seed bank
- In some places, COA is required for the seeds to be legally sold
- You'll know EXACTLY what you're purchasing
With that said, not every seed bank offers a COA, but you should avoid them. Choose seed banks that offer a COA.
Best Cannabis Strains to Grow in 2024
With everything out of the way, it can still be confusing to pick the right strain sometimes. That's where we come in. Here are three excellent seed recommendations for you that are resilient, easy to grow, and offer a fresh flavor and excellent potency.
Banana Jealousy
The first recommendation is Banana Jealousy, bred from Banana Cream, Gelato 41, and Jealousy. This is a resilient strain with an excellent yield. It is also resistant to mold, so you can grow it in all kinds of conditions without much maintenance.
Grow it right and you'll get a yield of 600 g/m2 indoors and 750 g/m2 outdoors from a single plant with a flowering time of 8 to 10 weeks.
The buds are also quite pretty with purple and green leaves and orange pistils peeking out. They smell sweet with notes of ripe banana and earthy skunkiness. Yummy! And with a THC of up to 28%, she will hit you hard with a mood-uplifting and body-relaxing euphoria.
Gelato 41 BX
Gelato 41 is one of the best strains of the decade — it won the Cannabis Cup, too — but it wasn't good enough for Seedsman. So, they backcrossed it to bring out its characteristics even more.
The result is the Gelato 41 BX, a highly resistant plant that is easy to grow. It flowers for up to 10 weeks and can produce a yield of up to 600 g/m2 indoors and 750 g/m2 outdoors from a single plant.
The buds taste awesome with aromas of orange, lavender, cinnamon, and skunk, and the flavor profile is of chocolate, cream, and hazelnut. The buds contain up to 30% THC, so don't take this one lightly. It produces a euphoric high but is only recommended for experienced users.
Alaskan Bananaberry Auto
Finally, there's the Alaskan Bananaberry Auto — strong genetics, short harvest time, and excellent humidity and drought resistance. This strain is an offspring of Alaskan Purple and Strawberry Banana Punch Auto, so you are getting the best of both worlds.
The yield is respectable for an auto — as much as 450 g/m2, and growing this is also very easy. You'll enjoy the aromatic profile with earthy, fruity, and floral notes. The THC levels range between 16% to 24%, so it's not a light auto either. It will produce a body buzz that will put you to sleep.
Summary: How To Find High-Quality Cannabis Seeds: Tips To Identify And Purchase Them
Now that you know what it takes to choose high-quality seeds, what are you waiting for? Use this information and pick seeds with stable genes and high quality, and make sure they are what you'll like.
Most importantly, make sure they come from a reputable supplier and insist on a COA when buying these seeds. It will give you the peace of mind that you are growing exactly what you need, and nothing else that might disappoint you down the line.
