Marijuana Seeds: Do They Expire?

As a cannabis enthusiast, you may have tried germinating some cannabis seeds unsuccessfully, or you may have been holding onto some seeds and are considering planting them. Either way, is your big question is, do marijuana seeds go bad to avoid wasting your time if they are no longer good?

After your weed seed purchase from the best seed banks, you may want to plant immediately and maybe store some. However, you will need to know how long do marijuana seeds last to make the decision effectively. Dive in!

Do Marijuana Seeds Go Bad?

Yes, marijuana seeds are similar to other plants’ seeds and organic matter, and they can lose quality while stored. According to experts, they typically lose their potency six months to a year after being packaged. However, contrary to popular belief, some say that, when stored properly, cannabis seeds can last up to five years.

Why Do Cannabis Seeds Go Bad?

A cannabis seed has an embryonic shoot, stem, and root found inside, is shielded by a waxy outer shell known as the seed coat and is fed by a nutrient-rich oil around them. Your cannabis seed still has a chance to develop into a cannabis plant if the outer shell is intact and the plant within doesn’t dry out or suffer any other damage.

This outer shell, nevertheless, won’t stay forever. The seed coat has the potential to crack as it dries up and hardens, endangering the developing plant. Alternately, the waxy coating can become so rigid that it stops allowing moisture to enter. In both situations, the cannabis seeds will be no longer viable.

Weed seeds go bad when the protection is broken, which can be caused by environmental factors. For example, if the outer shell is too dry because of lack of moisture, it becomes a hard shell and is more brittle, meaning it’s likely to crack. Even if the marijuana seed doesn’t crack, the hard shell no longer lets in moisture, causing the genetic material inside to dry out and die.

The outer seed shell is not the only part impacted by the environment, and it also affects the interior as well. As a result, it can make the cannabis seed go bad even if it still appears in excellent condition.

How Long Do Marijuana Seeds Last?

Marijuana seeds last long and can be healthy for over five years if stored properly. There have been cases of 10-year-old cannabis seeds remaining viable when stored but remember germination rates vary, and the old seeds might take longer to germinate than fresh seeds.

If you store them in a drawer, they can be viable for a year or two, meaning they have an almost 100% germination rate. Generally, the better you treat your weed seeds, the longer viable they stay, but if not stored correctly, their germination rate drops.

What Factors Can That Make Your Seed Go Bad?

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If you want to store your cannabis seeds at their most potent stage, you need to consider the five factors that make them go bad. Below, we have also listed the ways to protect marijuana seeds from lengthening their shelf life.

1. Light

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One of the main factors to consider is light, where you need to store your seeds in a dark place and block out any light. Light is an important factor in the seed germination process, so when a marijuana seed is exposed to too much light, it may lose its nutrient reserves, making it useless.

If your weed seeds are exposed to light for long periods, they become too weak to germinate, and if they become too weak, they may have difficulty starting.

Solution

Use a blacked-out or opaque container when storing in your fridge or a black bag to ensure the light inside the fridge doesn’t affect the seeds inside when opened. Also, when you buy your seeds from a seed bank, there is the packaging they come with, and you can leave them there but in a dry and dark place.

2. Humidity

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Healthy weed seeds should not be stored in conditions that will dry them out. However, they must still be stored in dry conditions with a relative humidity level of 8 to 10%.

When high-quality seeds are stored in humid conditions, the marijuana seeds can easily rot. High humidity levels can promote germination when stored in warm temperatures, leading to the same issues.

Solution

We recommend storing your marijuana seeds in a low-humidity container if you live in a humid area. Cannabis seeds require an RH of 40-60% to germinate, and humidity levels over that will drown and destroy the seeds.

However, humidity levels between 9-20% may also result in various problems, including insects, fungi, and even seed sweat due to excessive heat. Therefore, your seeds should be stored in an environment with a humidity level between 20 and 30% RH.

Some cannabis growers in the Cannabis community claim to use silica gel packs or sachets to keep humidity down, and it’s a perfect solution, especially if you live in hot and humid climates.

3. Temperature

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Warmth might promote germination. Modest temperatures can initiate some of the chemical processes for germination even if the seed does not germinate, which is possible if the other conditions for effective germination are not met.

This can cause the seed to exhaust its store of nutrients in the oil sac, making them unusable later when you truly try to get the seed to germinate.

Solution

The ideal temperature is cold, but it shouldn’t be too cold. Unless you have the tools to freeze the seeds quickly, they risk going bad if they freeze.

For short-term storage, ensure you store your seeds at a stable temperature and avoid a location with many temperature changes but for long-term storage, store your seeds at about 6-8°.

If you plan to store many weed seeds, we recommend you buy a small cooler to keep the temperature stable. This is because opening your fridge now and then can cause temperature changes, so keeping them with other products is not the best idea.

4. Air

Fresh air also causes bad cannabis seeds since it signals germination. A healthy seed should be stored in a vacuum sealing; if you don’t have one, store them in a sealed location. The lack of fresh air will prevent seed germination from taking place, which causes the marijuana seeds to go bad.

Solution

To ensure your marijuana seeds last, store them in a mason jar or an airtight container. Although you may want to use a plastic bag or jar, they are not the best as they may encourage sweating.

We recommend using a ceramic or glass airtight container with an airtight seal to maximize how long marijuana seeds last.

How to Test Cannabis Seeds

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There are various methods of testing cannabis seeds, and you can perform most of these methods before germination, saving you time and resources. So, how can you check if your old cannabis seeds are still viable?

1. The Sight Test

Cannabis seeds have a mottled brown appearance with light and dark patches and sometimes may have tiger stripes with a slight sheen if you view them closely. To tell if you have a healthy marijuana seed, some physical features will tell, including:

• Color– Dark color with gray or black patches is a sign of healthy seed, while white or green seeds will hardly germinate because they are immature. Pale seeds are most likely old and not effective.
• Shape– A round and fat marijuana seed will most likely sprout into a healthy plant
• Mildew– Use a magnifying glass to view them closely where a dusty white powder will symbolize powdered mildew meaning the seeds have a fungus and can no longer germinate
• Cracks– Cannabis seeds shouldn’t be cracked, and if they have a crack, its best to discard them
• Waxy coating– Good marijuana seeds have a waxy, shiny coating, and if your seeds don’t, they are no longer viable

If you cannot tell there is anything wrong with the seed’s shell, crack it open, and if it’s black inside, the seed is fermenting. Also, if it has a musty smell, this is an indicator that the seed has gone bad and cannot experience the germinating process.

2. The Touch Test

Another good indicator is how your cannabis seed feels. Apply a  light squeeze on the seed while holding it between your forefinger and thumb. Avoid too much pressure and use just enough to test the structure’s integrity.

If the cannabis seed cracks under slight pressure, it’s unusable and likely gone bad. However, if it’s a strong seed, it has a better chance of germinating and growing into a healthy plant.

3. The Water Test

If you are still unsure if your seed is healthy, perform a floating test to check if it is healthy. However, don’t use the water test unless ready to germinate the cannabis plants immediately because water could damage them.

Take a bowl of warm water, add your seeds to the water and wait for one to two hours. If they float on the surface, they have gone bad, but if they sink, they are probably healthy. After this, you will need to germinate the healthy seeds as they have absorbed water, damaging the seed if not germinated immediately.

4. The Germination Test

The final test could be trying to germinate your seeds, which can be done in multiple ways, including planting the seed directly or using the paper towel method. After germination, you are good to go, and ensure to check back to confirm you don’t have any male cannabis plants.

Can you Save Bad Weed Seeds?

No amount of darkness, low humidity, or low temperature will be able to save seeds that have already gone bad. However, you can try a few tricks if your seeds show no signs of hatching after a few days. They include:

1. Sandpaper the Outer Layer

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Use sandpaper and scrape off the outer layer, which creates small abrasions that allow moisture to enter the seeds. This can help in cases where the shell has hardened, and no moisture can enter. However, use a fine sandpaper and don’t rub for too long.

2. Cut Outer Layer

Using a sharp knife to make a small cut into the shell is an alternative option, so water can now enter. The cut should be made across rather than from tip to tail. Since it is so simple to cut too deeply, this process is riskier than using sandpaper.

Conclusion on Do Marijuana Seeds Go Bad

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Telling whether your weed seeds remain viable is not exactly science, but sadly, you don’t know what is inside apart from its appearance. At the very least, you can now identify if your marijuana seeds have gone bad, giving you greater chances to develop a successful growth.

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