Ways To Effectively Keep Cannabis Seeds
Cannabis seeds, with their tough outer shell, appear pretty hardy. And while nature has definitely designed them to withstand various variety of conditions, cannabis seeds aren’t invincible. Quick changes in temperature and high humidity, for example, can rapidly ruin batches of seeds. Luckily, looking after your seeds is simple. Keep reading to discover how.
Your Seeds Are Living
Most people forget this, but it’s true: your cannabis seeds are alive organisms. Before they grow, however, they are in a condition of rest, much like some animals when they sleep. And like all organisms, seeds can expire. When keeping your seeds, you’ll want to provide them the optimal conditions to ensure they survive until you’re ready to germinate and plant them.
Perfect Conditions for Cannabis Seeds
Cannabis seeds have four primary enemies:
- Humidity
- Temperature
- Light
- Oxygen
Optimally, you want to store your seeds in cool, dark, and arid place. Whenever possible, keep your seeds in their initial packaging. At Royal Queen Seeds, we’ve specifically designed our packaging to shield our seeds until you’re ready to grow them.
If your seeds get exposed to light or sudden changes in temperature, these conditions will trigger them to consume their nutrients before they ever touch soil, meaning they won’t have the nutrition they need to grow. High humidity, on the contrary, can cause fungi to form on your seeds.
Influence of Humidity on Cannabis Seeds
Humidity is definitely one of the greatest threats to your seeds. Here is how different levels of humidity (% relative humidity) influence your cannabis seeds:
| Levels of Relative Humidity | Influence of Humidity on Cannabis Seeds |
|---|---|
| 80 – 100% | Seeds sprout. |
| 40 – 60% | Seeds raise respiration and preservation fungi become major problem. |
| 20 – 30% | Short-term storage. |
| 18 – 20% | Intermediate storage. |
| 12 – 14% | Extended storage. |
| 8 – 9% | Shorter longevity than seeds preserved at somewhat higher humidity. |
Seeking advice on managing humidity for your plants? The Grow Guide gives key tips for preserving healthy development environments.
Where and How to Store Your Cannabis Seeds
For short-term storage, a dark cupboard or drawer with stable temperatures is generally fine. Try to keep your seeds out of areas of your house that are affected by the typical temperature changes of your regional environment.
If, for example, you live in a region with very hot daytime temperatures and low nights, try to protect your seeds from these changes and don’t keep them outside in sheds or garage.
For long-term storage, it’s best to keep your seeds with a desiccant, such as silica gel, in an airtight container inside the refrigerator. Remember that using the door of your fridge can actually create some pretty dramatic temperature shifts. If you have have another fridge that gets accessed less often than the one in your kitchen, pick that one to preserve your seeds.
Again, when possible, keep your seeds in their factory packaging. If you do break packages of seeds and have remaining seeds, transfer the remaining seeds directly into an airtight container.
Ziplock bags, for example, are perfect because you can eliminate all the air from them to make an almost vacuum-sealed container for your seeds. Once sealed, put your bag inside opaque plastic bag or black container to shield your seeds from your refrigerator light.
Low-humidity fridges are the best to store seeds. The problem is when there is humidity in the fridge, since humidity is the biggest enemy for seeds (more harmful than temperature, light, oxygen…). For this reason, it is preferable to store the seeds in No Frost fridges.
Can You Keep Seeds in the Freezer?
Yes, cannabis seeds can be stored in the freezer. The lower the temperature, the slower they decline. However, it’s generally not essential to freeze your seeds. Maintain the conditions we detailed above, and you should be able to maintain your seeds for up to half a decade and https://nativesusa.com/ – nativesusa.com, still get a high germination rate.
Determining Which Seeds to Grow and Which to Store
When you’re ready to germinate your seeds, check them and germinate any seeds with damage to the outer shell first. The exterior of your seeds is designed to protect the delicate genetics inside. Seeds with breaks in the outer shell are much more vulnerable and can’t be stored.
At Royal Queen Seeds, we excel in our work and want to make sure every grower only has the best genetics in their garden. That means we inspect all of our seeds before packing. If you see any damage to your RQS seeds, contact with our customer service team immediately.
Methods for Germinating Aged Cannabis Seeds
We’ve all located stray seed somewhere at the depths of old drawer or cupboard. Here are several tips on how to grow weed seeds:
Soaking with enriched carbonated water
Before germinating your old seeds, try submerging them in carbonated water enriched with fulvic acid, enhancers, hydrogen peroxide, or gibberellic acid. For top results, use ambient water and soak your seeds for half a day in a dark place.
Scar your seeds
Older seeds often have very tough outer shell. Gently scratching this shell with some sandpaper can help moisture and warmth enter your seed at the time of germination. Try lightly scarring your old cannabis seeds just before immersing to help them sprout.
Remove your seed’s ridge
The ridge is the marginally elevated side of your seed. Like parts of the shell, this ridge can become very tough over time. Eliminating it gently with sharp Stanley blade can help your seed germinate.
Slice open your seed
In a last attempt to grow your seeds, creating tiny cut in the seed’s shell may help. However, this is no magic solution, and you’ll need to be gentle to avoid hurting the inside of your seed. If you hurt the embryo, the seed will never grow.
Remember, some old seeds just won’t germinate no matter how long you try. Whenever possible, avoid purchasing more seeds than you intend to plant so as to avoid having any difficulties at the time of germination.