Author: admin-rocket-seeds

In countries where buying Cannabis and its seeds are legal, you can easily get hold of them from dispensaries, grow shops, and coffee shops. Unfortunately, there are many countries like the one located in Australia, and some states in the USA are not yet open about it.

The good thing is that there are seed banks that can let you cross this boundary of prohibition. Seeds are being sold, and they can be shipped to you even if you’re located overseas. With this setting, seed banks have made their website, so even people across the globe have the chance to check their products. 

Is It Safe to Buy Online from a Seed Bank?

This question will pop in your mind on the moments that you need to decide when you buy Cannabis seeds from a seed bank. You’re scared of many possibilities like receiving bad seeds, poor customer service, little or no guarantee at all, and scam. 

Here are some simple tips

1. Being Aware of the Legislation of your Country

You may know that some countries allow customers to avail of a small amount of Cannabis seeds. It doesn’t mean that buying and germination of these seeds are also permitted in your country. 

It’s best to check first the legality of this matter within your country. Know the regulations of importing these seeds. However, seed banks have their ways to make shipment and delivery discreet.

2. Choosing a Reputable Seed Bank

There are reputable seed banks based on Canada, like Rocket Seeds, the UK, and the Netherlands. A good manifestation of a trust-worthy cannabis seed bank is its familiarity to consumers. Another way to tell that you’re trying to reach a reputable source is a seed bank with a long period of operation. You will surely get the best possible seeds.

3. Don’t Spend a Lot of Money Without Thinking

It is something that first-timers should consider. Just to be safe and you need to see the proof of the seed’s credibility, place a small order first. It won’t apply if you’ve been satisfied with what you bought from a certain seed bank a couple of times. 

4. Division of Order

You need to divide your order when the need to buy multiple seeds arises. You can place more than one order, but it should be different times. It can be done another way, which is buying a small amount from different seed banks. 

5. Being Safe and Discreet with the Payment Method

You don’t want your purchasing of marijuana to appear in the transaction summary of your account. Seed banks understand this concern pretty well. So they would make their customers pay in methods like cash, Bitcoins, bank transfer, and external payment processor.

Using an external payment processor has advantages. First, the seed bank doesn’t require your credit card details, and secondly, the processor deletes your information after the payment is processed. If you remain uncomfortable with this method, you can use the other options.

6. What Name to Use

It’s possible to place and receive orders without your specific name. There will be no proof for tracking and tracing the buyer, and most of all, you don’t need to go to the post just to claim your package. 

You can just add initial or alias on your postal address. There’s no need to sign on some records when it’s delivered to you as it can fit your mailbox.

7. Another E-mail Address

It won’t be a lot of work if you make another email address for your online account on the website of a seed bank. You can use an ad that is not connected with you in any way.

8. Direct your Order to a P.O. Box

Many seed banks can deliver orders with ease to a P.O. Box.

9. Using a Different Address

It’s also possible to ask friends or family to let your order be delivered to their address.

10. Shipping Option With No Signature

Registered mail won’t require your signature. You can eliminate track and trace, but the disadvantage is that you can’t follow where your package has gone. 

Important Factors You Need to Know When You Buy Cannabis Seeds from a Seed Bank

If you have figured out which seed bank you will buy seeds from and you know the drill, you have to decide carefully on the important factors that you need to know. 

1. Comparison of Different Kinds of Seeds: Regular, Feminized, Auto-flowering

Regular Seeds

A pack of regular seeds comes with a mix of males and females. These seeds haven’t undergone backcrossing and inbred like what happened with feminized and auto-flowering. 

You only need to sort them out based on gender during the flowering stage. Male will just pollinate females, and seeds will come out instead of buds.

Feminized Seeds

These seeds guarantee you of all female plants. It saves your time and effort in sorting out the gender. Remember that a single male can pollinate the entire female population. You will only need to grow feminized seeds in soil or growing medium and let it bear buds.

These seeds are not suitable for breeding purposes due to the absence of a male plant.

Auto-flowering Seeds

The transition from vegetation to flowering happens as the plant ages and not with the light cycle. You can harvest buds after two months and a half or three months. The disadvantage of its plant is that the production is less potent, but you can finish quickly with it.

2. The Cost of Cannabis Seeds

A pack of Cannabis seeds usually has 10 to 12 pieces. It would cost you $40 a pack. That’s the lowest possible price, but seeds with high-end genetics will cost from $200 to $500 per pack. 

Feminized and auto-flowering seeds have a higher price, as a lot of effort was applied to its creation. They would only need a short time for them to mature.

3. Number of Seeds to Buy

Even though you have quality seeds in your hand, there will always be a percentage of them that won’t germinate. Expect that roughly a quarter of them won’t sprout.

If you’re growing regular seeds and you want to have six Cannabis plants, you can plant four times of them, so you need to have 24 seeds. Some won’t grow, and some will turn out to be males, and you would need to get the best phenotype of six plants.

In the case of feminized seeds, you only need to double from your target number of plants. A couple of seeds won’t germinate, and you can get the six pieces for successful growth. 

Final Thoughts

You can buy Cannabis seeds from a seed bank of your choice online. You can consider the tips mentioned above; then you can do your research. Dig as much information from possible sources before you decide what to order. 

Since you know the kinds of seeds, you can decide which one would be in your best interest. Don’t just throw your money and be excited to start growing. You have to know the number of seeds that you’re getting and how you would successfully turn them into plants.

There will be a lot of questions coming from people who grow Cannabis for the first time. What are the strains that beginners can start growing? Are marijuana plants easy to grow? 

With so many questions, wondering about the cost of marijuana seeds is not something a beginner can just miss. 

Cost of Marijuana Seeds

A pack with 10 to 12 seeds would cost you around 25 to 40 US dollars. So you can have the average $4 a seed, or each seed would be 3.5 to 8 Euros. This is the price tag set for regular seeds.

Auto-flowering and feminized seeds cost more as there’s a lot of effort put into making them. These seeds would only require a short time to finish. 

Seeds that carry high-end genetics would be sold around 200 to 500 US dollars. Therefore, a piece can be worth $50 due to its awesome genetics. Aside from this reason, other factors affect the cost of Cannabis seeds.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Cannabis Seeds

1. Cost of Production

Cannabis seeds are bred first due to the desirable traits breeders want to preserve. It doesn’t happen with just a single snap of fingers. Time, effort, and money were spent on research and testing to come up with a new strain. 

Breeders selected certain strains and stabilized them. Stabilization is important to have the phenotype that can be distinguished as a variety. It’s a challenge for all marijuana breeders. 

It just doesn’t happen overnight, as there are trials and errors. It can take years for some, so it means investing more money. That’s why some strains are more expensive than the others.

2. Risk and Legal Matters

Breeders continue with their impulse to discover new strains despite restrictions. They take risks for doing all the processes. So they would add this baggage to the worth of some Cannabis seeds.

3. The Strain’s Genetics

To determine the cost of Cannabis seeds, genetics is also an important factor aside from the cost of production and risking the process. Genetics is the plant’s DNA, accompanied by environmental factors. In the case of marijuana, it would specify the potency of a certain strain.

Genetics also includes taste, quality of weed, yield, and ripening. Expect expensive seeds from a strain with the best genetics. Just like cars, luxury ones have a great deal of horsepower, and several gadgets are used, so the production process is more expensive than basic cars.

It’s the same with Cannabis. The strains with dynamic genetics have gone through intensive procedures from the research and development department. So they are more expensive than the ones that were created with minimal and lower-cost operations.

4. Availability and Demand

Based on number 3, expensive seeds have incredible genetics among the rest. But would you believe that they’re not the best?

It’s possible as the price of Cannabis seeds also varies based on supply and demand. Anyway, it’s the normal cycle of the economy and market. When the demand for a certain strain is high while the supply is limited, expect the rise of the price. 

You may also notice that award-winning strains are more expensive than the ones that didn’t receive any prize. Winners became popular, so many customers would choose them, so there’s an increase in demand. 

5. The Type 

Feminized and auto-flowering strains are more expensive than regular ones. It’s hard work in making these varieties. Strains with high THC and CBD content can cost more as they abound in compounds that Cannabis enthusiasts crave for. So the cost will be higher if there’s a lot of advantages.

6. Quantity of Seeds

Each pack can have five, ten or twelve, and twenty seeds. Most seed banks would sell Cannabis seeds that are still inside the package bundled by the breeders. It implies that the more you buy, the lower the cost of the seeds will be. 

For instance, five pieces of seeds will cost you $75. Ten seeds will be for $130 while it’s $250 for 20 seeds. If you divide the price with the number of pieces, you will have the lowest price per piece with 20 seeds.

7. Source and Location

The cost of the seeds is also based on the source and its location. You can get cheap products from local seed banks and those that are far from the city. Seed banks that are close to business districts, hotels, venues of events, and transportation hubs would charge more for the seeds.

Expect more expensive seeds when you buy them online. Aside from the cost, you have to pay for shipping and delivery charges. Local shipment is a way lot cheaper than international shipping, of course. 

Different delivery methods would ask you to pay extra. Same-day, door-to-door, and special deliveries can cost twice the charge for regular shipment. 

Stealth shipment can also be made. It hides your identity when you place your order online. There’s extra care for the package, so you need to pay more bucks.

How to Save Some Money When Buying Cannabis Seeds

Discounts, Offers, and Deals

There’s nothing wrong when you take advantage of discounts, offers, and deals. It’s just about saving money in the long run. To be updated with this thing, it’s best to subscribe to the website’s newsletter.

Buy Seeds During Special Time of the Year

The special day for Cannabis is 420 or April 20, so seed banks would have a great deal for buyers. Other special periods that will have favorable offers are Christmas, Thanksgiving Day, Father’s day, or Mother’s day. 

Affordable Shipping Fee

You can settle for regular shipment if you’re in no rush of growing your seeds. Special deliveries are great for those who need stash urgently. It’s usually in demand for medical marijuana patients as it’s like their maintenance.

Take Time to Compare Prices

You can check out different reputable seed banks so you can make a comparison. You can check four or five, and it’s convenient to do it online.

Summary

Since the factors that affect the cost of Cannabis seeds are laid out in this article as well as other possible charges, it’s up to you on how you can manage your spending on the seeds. Some buyers may not mind this at all as they are after the quality and genetics of the seeds. 

You can do some tweaks to save even just a little amount of money without letting go of your priorities in buying Cannabis seeds. You have to be alert with great deals and promos set by seed banks. 

Authentic Cannabis seeds can be identified by using your senses. But you can do it once you open the package and get the seeds with your bare hands. You want to be sure that the seeds that you bought are not damaged, hastily processed, and degraded for some reason like being frozen.

The Authentic, Healthy Cannabis Seeds 

You may need a magnifying glass when checking your seeds.

– The seeds should be round and fat as signs of the likelihood to sprout.

– They should be in dark colors like brown, black, and gray. The surface should be with sheen light. Some may have stripes on them, and that’s fine. 

– It should also be hard, and it won’t break or be deformed when you squeeze them. Just apply a good amount of pressure.

– All in all, authentic, healthy seeds are hard and glossy with a dark hue.

Unwanted Things on Cannabis Seeds

– Seeds with deep purplish colors mean they were dyed, so it’s not a good sign. 

– If the seeds have dusty white powder around them, it means that they are powdery mildew. 

*Fake Cannabis seeds may have these unwanted things as the seller informs the buyers that they’re in good quality. You may trust what they’ve said, but you’ll end up growing nothing from those seeds.

Do Cannabis Seeds Look the Same?

There are three kinds of Cannabis seeds you can find in a seed bank website, and they are regular, auto-flowering, and feminized. All of them fit in the same description stated above if they’re the authentic ones. 

The difference is with genetics, and you can see them once the seeds turn into plants. Genetics is another basis for checking if your seeds are authentic or fake. 

Points that Would Help you Identify Fake Cannabis Seeds

You are identifying if the Cannabis seeds are fake or not is beyond the judgment of the senses. You can only go over the seeds’ condition once you have your hands on them. But before getting what you purchased, you can tell whether the seeds are fake or not.

Reputable seed companies provide high-quality seeds. Some are just copycat to what they do. Here are some points that would help you identify fake Cannabis before you place your order.

1. Buying from a Reputable Cannabis Seed Company

You can trust a seed company by experience. You bought some seeds from them, and with your care and gardening skills, you were able to grow some robust Cannabis plants out of their authentic, healthy seeds.

There are things that you can do when you haven’t found a trusted seed company. You can depend on experienced growers for guidance. They will give you direction where to purchase the authentic Cannabis seeds for your first ever cultivation.

If you consume marijuana in secrecy and you want to remain in the same status as cultivation, you always have that one friend that always answers your queries. It’s Google, so you can do some research. A seed company that has been operating for quite a long time can be dependable.

2. Going Over the Photos

Reputable seed companies post the same, exact photos of the products that they offer. They would usually show photos of the plant in full-grown or ready to harvest stage. 

Some websites don’t have these photos, but you can ask them for it. Of course, you can use some effort and do it yourself. There’s the ‘reverse image search’ that can show you the source’s origin. Some websites offer this service to make it easy for you.

3. Checking Reviews

Most websites, usually for business or selling, allow consumers to leave a review. It’s their way of showing their legitimacy to attract more buyers. Some have a different address or website where people can leave comments about their recent purchases.

All those things can help you decide where to purchase Cannabis seeds without getting ripped off. 

4. Split Packets are No Good

Some websites that don’t consider being ethical allow buyers to buy seeds per piece rather than having them in a packet. Although it’s not absolute proof that the seeds are fake, it would degrade the seeds as it is prone to tampering and switching. 

Seed banks are not inclined to play this kind of set up as they don’t want to be accused of being illegal. They make packets to show their identity, and it’s a way of putting a brand that people would easily remember. 

Some sellers would remove the packaging for the sake of discreet shipping. But they would still ask your permission, and it’s also to inform you so you wouldn’t be surprised. 

Another exemption at this point is in the case of resellers. They would repack seeds. So you have to do another research if they’re legitimate resellers. 

5. Directly Checking With the Seed Company

If the points from 1 to 5 don’t give you much clarity and explanation, you can directly inquire from the seed company. They have the list of the sellers that are authorized even if it’s not complete. 

If the seller that you’re checking is not on the list, there may be reasons behind this, but they can check it for you, and they can discover if it’s an unauthorized reseller. 

Reputable seed banks must have a responsive customer service so they can attend to the queries of their customers. It will be unlikely without having it.

Afterthoughts

When talking about fake cannabis seeds, viability, and the right genetics may be absent. Some sellers would tell you that you will get these seeds and a certain variety, but the real deal is that they don’t speak the truth. 

The fake cannabis seeds will be a failure to your aim of growing vigorous plants. You may grow some plants in some cases, but you don’t get what you expect. You can avoid these things by buying from a reputable seed company. It’s a good thing that you can access them online as you will also research the same place. 

If you are a cannabis enthusiast, you are probably interested in cultivating them on your own. This means acquiring cannabis clones or seeds from seed banks online. Once you have purchased them on your own, it is time to plant them. But, while you have them in storage, do marijuana seeds go bad? How long can you keep them unplanted, and how do you preserve them? In this article, you will find out.

Do Marijuana Seeds Go Bad?

Before we dive in to the cannabis seed storage, let us first answer the most important question. Do marijuana seeds go bad? Of course. Just like all organic matter, there is a chance for marijuana seeds to lose their quality while they are in storage. According to experts, cannabis seeds are generally usable within six months to 1 year after they are packed. But, some disagree, and they believe that cannabis seeds are usable for up to 5 years as long as you practice the correct ways of storing them.

As an aspiring cannabis grower, you should know that there are factors that can affect the state of your marijuana seeds, and it is really up to the handler to ensure that they last long and retain their quality. If they become damaged or mishandled, the cannabis seeds might fail to germinate when you decide on planting them.

What Does A Healthy Cannabis Seed Look Like?

Now that you know that there is a chance for your cannabis seeds to become duds, it is important that you have the skill to identify if they are at their optimal condition for when the growing time arrives. How do you know that a seed is still good for use? You can actually do so just by assessing the physical features of your seeds.

A good cannabis seed has a dark color – usually brown, gray, or black. If a seed’s color is green or white, it means that the seeds have not matured yet. Aside from its colors, healthy seeds are usually decorated with stripes and spots. When you touch this strain, you would also feel a coating that feels waxy. This thin film covering the seeds must also shine against the light.

Another way to check on good seeds is how hard they are. Weed seeds must be able to withstand some light squeezing. If it gets crushed or squished, it means that the seed is weak or dead. Finally, the seed must also have no cracks all over, so you should expect them for that.

Factors That Can Make Your Seed Go Bad

If you want to keep your cannabis seeds at their best and most potent state, you should always remember to watch out and carefully monitor the following:

1. Light – If you expose your weeds seeds in light, the light will burn out the most valuable aspects of your growth. This will make the seeds lose the cannabinoids and terpenes, which are the components that give them the characteristics and features that you are looking for. This is why seeds must be stored in a dark place where light cannot crawl in.
2. Air – Another important thing to monitor for cannabis seeds is how much oxygen they get. Cannabis seeds depend on oxygen, and they need this component so that they can germinate properly. But, giving them too much can shorten their life span and giving them too little may lead molds to grow on their storage space. The best way to maintain ideal oxygen levels is to keep them in an airtight container that is not too big or too little.
3. Humidity – Moisture also has great power over the fate of young cannabis seeds. This is because mold and mildew thrive in moisture, and no grower would want your cannabis seeds to get infected and die. What you should do is to ensure that you maintain that the cannabis seeds only have 5% humidity.
4. Temperature – Finally, you should also check temperatures because seeds can dry out when exposed in too much heat. Heat can also induce evaporation in terpenes, and no one would want that. The ideal temperatures must also play around 78 to 86 degrees.

Tips on Storing Your Cannabis Seeds

1. Mason jars are the way to go. Though you might be tempted to use plastic jars, these containers encourage sweating. The best option as a container will be glass or ceramic jars that come with airtight seals. This ensures that cannabis seeds will maintain fresh for a long time.

2. Only store seeds in a container and don’t mix them up. If you are storing cannabis flowers and buds, place them in a separate container from your seeds. Another important thing is to never mix them with lighters, pipes, and other cannabis paraphernalia, as their components can be absorbed by the seeds and result in unsatisfactory produce.

3. A dark cupboard or drawer is a great storage option. If you are planning to store seeds for a short amount of time, you can hide the container you’ve chosen in a cool, dark, and dry cupboard or drawer. Just make sure that you choose a part of your home where temperatures are at the most stable so that you do not expose the seeds to fluctuations and extreme changes.

4. Storing in the freezer can be an option, but only for long-time storage. Contrary to the belief of some people, you can actually do store your cannabis seeds in the refrigerator or the freezer – granted that you really do not open this regularly and that it will take you years to actually use the seeds. If you have no plans of doing that, storing in the freezer is an unnecessary step

Final Thoughts

Do marijuana seeds go bad? They definitely do. But, as a grower, there are many ways for you to protect your cannabis seeds and lengthen their shelf life. As long as you follow these steps, your seeds can stay on storage for many years to come.