Cannabis seeds, enclosed in their sturdy outer shell, may seem resilient at first glance. Nevertheless, despite their strong natural structure, cannabis seeds are not immune to damage. Abrupt changes in temperature and excessive moisture can quickly harm a batch of seeds. Thankfully, taking care of your seeds is uncomplicated. How to store cannabis seeds? Keep reading to find out the best ways to ensure their proper care.

Cultivate Your Seeds to Thrive

It’s often forgotten, but it’s important to remember: your cannabis seeds are living organisms. Before they start to grow, they lie dormant, similar to how some animals hibernate. How long do cannabis seeds last? Like all living things, seeds can die. Proper storage conditions are essential to keep them viable until you’re ready to plant them and help them grow.

Best Settings for Cultivating Marijuana Seeds

Cannabis seeds encounter four main challenges: moisture, heat, light, and air exposure. To maintain their quality, it’s advisable to store them in a cool, dim, and dry place, ideally in their original packaging. Royal Queen Seeds has developed packaging specifically designed to protect seeds until they’re ready to be planted. How to store seeds long term? Exposing seeds to light or abrupt temperature changes can exhaust their nutrient reserves too soon, impeding germination. Moreover, excessive humidity can promote fungal growth on the seeds.

Cannabis Seeds and Their Response to Humidity

Humidity poses a significant risk to your seeds. Below, we’ll explore how various humidity levels impact your cannabis seeds.

Effective Methods for Keeping Your Cannabis Seeds Safe

For temporary storage, place your cannabis seeds in a dark, consistently cool area like a cupboard or drawer, avoiding places prone to temperature swings such as sheds or garages.

For prolonged preservation, store seeds in a sealed container along with a desiccant like silica gel, kept in the refrigerator. Opt for a secondary fridge with less frequent use to minimize temperature variations.

How to store seeds? Whenever possible, maintain seeds in their original packaging. If opened, transfer any surplus seeds to an airtight container like a ziplock bag, expelling excess air to create a nearly vacuum-sealed environment. Store this bag within a dark container in the fridge to shield seeds from light.

Ensure your refrigerator remains dry, as humidity poses a more significant risk to seeds than temperature, light, or oxygen. Consider using a No Frost refrigerator for optimal storage conditions.

Is it Possible to Keep Seeds in the Freezer?

Cannabis seeds can be kept in the freezer because colder temperatures slow down their deterioration. However, freezing them isn’t usually necessary. By following the previously mentioned conditions, you can anticipate preserving seed viability for around five years with a strong germination rate.

Selecting Seeds for Planting versus Storage

Before starting the germination process, carefully inspect your seeds and give priority to germinating those with any damage to their outer shell. This protective outer layer plays a crucial role in safeguarding the fragile genetic material inside. Seeds with cracks in this shell are vulnerable and should not be stored for future use.

At Royal Queen Seeds, we are dedicated to providing top-quality genetics to all growers. To maintain this high standard, we meticulously examine all our seeds prior to packaging. If you discover any damage in your RQS seeds, please reach out to our customer service team without delay.

Tips for Growing Old Cannabis Seeds

We’ve all stumbled upon an unexpected seed tucked away in a forgotten corner of a drawer or cupboard. Here are some suggestions for germinating aged cannabis seeds:

• Pre-soak in carbonated water: Prior to germination, try soaking old seeds in carbonated water infused with additives like fulvic acid, germination boosters, hydrogen peroxide, or gibberellic acid. Allow the seeds to soak in room temperature water in darkness for 12 hours for best results.
• Scarification: Aged seeds often develop tough outer shells. Lightly scratching or rubbing the shell with sandpaper before soaking can aid in moisture and warmth absorption, promoting germination.
• Ridge removal: The ridge along a seed’s shell can harden with age. Gently removing it using a sharp blade, such as a Stanley knife, can help facilitate sprouting.
• Consider seed slicing: As a last resort, making a small incision in the seed’s shell may prompt germination. Exercise caution to avoid harming the embryo, as damage could hinder successful sprouting.

Remember that despite your efforts, some old seeds may not germinate. To minimize potential germination issues, it’s advisable to only purchase the quantity of seeds you intend to plant.