How to test marijuana seeds for germination?

*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.

Selecting quality seeds is one of the most important things in growing. Even with excellent lighting and quality fertilizers, you can get a poor harvest if you use non-varietal seeds. And if the seeds do not sprout, then there will be no harvest at all, and you just have to get new ones.

Literally everything depends on the planting material: yield, percentage of THC, aroma and much more.

So what should you pay attention to to distinguish good seeds?

Color

This is one of the most important parameters. Good viable seeds have a brown shell.

It comes in a variety of shades - from light brown to almost black. Also, the seeds can be multi-colored and combine different shades.

If they are green or white, then most likely they are underripe, which can be bad for your grow.

Size

The best germination is for large seeds, from about 3 mm or more, because the larger the seed, the more nutrients it contains.

This isn't to say that a small seed won't necessarily survive, especially if it looks otherwise healthy, but larger seeds are much more likely to germinate.

Form

Usually, a hemp seed has an oval shape, it is slightly pointed at the edges. If you see cracks, chips or any deformations on its shell, then this is a bad sign.

Again, if the grow is outdoors and you are not limited in space, you can plant these seeds. Indoors, strong whole seeds are the best choice.

Texture violations

Hemp seeds should be dense and hard. If for some reason they are soft or too fragile, then most likely these seeds are not viable. 

Excessive dryness and flaking are also negative signs.

In general, one cannot be 100% sure of the germination of seeds only on the basis of a visual inspection, you can be sure of this only after planting.

But the above signs are highly likely to help you weed out most of the non-viable planting material.

Author: Sergey Esipov

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