Home Blog store Errors Seeds Is it safe to touch cannabis seeds with bare hands?

Is it safe to touch cannabis seeds with bare hands?

08.05.2023

*This text is provided for informational purposes only. The information given by the author is his own development using information from publicly available sources. The company is not responsible for the author's material presented.

Content:

Having finally received their cherished seed in the parcel, many people rush to get it out of the package and examine it from all sides. Of course, curiosity is not a vice.

However, after such a study, the seed may not germinate.

While many people usually chalk it up to bad luck or bad genetics, it turns out there could be another reason.

Many new growers fall into this trap of touching the seeds with their bare hands. This is a serious problem, because our palms are covered with a layer of subcutaneous fat and dirt. Although we do not feel it, touching the seed with our bare hands, we multiply the risks many times over. If the seed is not immediately germinated after such a "study", then bacteria and subcutaneous fat will certainly do their dirty work and violate the integrity of the seed. It can even lead to death. Keep in mind, if your hands were very greasy, then the seed will be covered with a layer of fat that will not allow water to pass through the shell. The seed will simply suffocate and not germinate.

Safe transfer of seeds

There are many ways to transfer cannabis seeds from the manufacturer's packaging to a cotton pad or other germination medium without damaging them. Below are a few techniques using common household items.

Long tweezers

Most people have a set of long metal tweezers. This tool can be used to collect individual cannabis seeds and plant them with surgical precision. You can also use them to carefully inspect each seed. Either hold them close to the naked eye, or use a magnifying glass in your other hand to take a closer look at them and select the one you like best.

Disposable gloves

Disposable gloves ensure close hand contact with hemp seeds. They will give you much better touch control. Latex or nitrile gloves allow you to move all of your fingers individually and are much more effective than any other method. They don't have the precision that tweezers provide, but they make it much easier to work with multiple seeds at the same time.

Use original packaging

You can always just pour the seeds from the original packaging directly into the germination medium without touching them. It also minimizes contact with unpleasant environmental conditions and possible contamination. Of course, this method is more clumsy, but it definitely saves time and effort.

I touched the seeds so many times with my hands and everything germinated well!

Many growers and breeders dispute that you can't touch the seeds with your hands, claiming that they grow cannabis seeds that they touch without any problems. However, if you talk to biologists and botanists, they will tell you that in their expert opinion, lard and other oily substances do affect seeds, especially in the long run.

So who's right? Breeders are clearly capable of growing seeds after touching them. Touching a seed is certainly not so critical, but at the same time there is scientific evidence that this is a dangerous practice.

But why risk it once again? You can probably get away with it if you drop fresh seed directly into a cotton sponge and start sprouting. But if you're planning on using it a little later, what's wrong with wearing a pair of disposable gloves or using tweezers?

What can be the conclusion?

Touching cannabis seeds with your bare hands is not an instant death sentence, but if there is even the slightest chance that it could cause the seed to fail - which is certainly dangerous - then the extra precautions are definitely worth the effort. .

Author: Dmitry Morgan