Hey buddy! How is your journey of growing cannabis? I just was browsing through my seed collection today and thought, why not write about the art of storing marijuana seeds? Great idea, right?
I sometimes have leftover seeds from my favorite strains and store them for growing later. Some of the seeds are gifts from my grower buddies, and I also like to keep some stored when I don’t want to buy new seeds.
The best part about storing the marijuana seeds is that they last for years when stored properly. Phil, my friend, once grew his crop from a ten-year-old seed. Can you believe it?
So what does it mean to properly store the seeds? Well, cannabis seeds look for proper conditions to start sprouting. So you need to make sure to keep those conditions off-limits. Moreover, bad storage can make the seeds go dead or rot, and some might also catch fungus or disease.
Therefore, here is all you need to know about storing marijuana seeds. Let’s begin without much ado.
Marijuana Seed Storage Basics
Let’s begin with the five most important factors you should consider while storing your marijuana seeds for a longer period.
Temperature
Heat is the main condition you should pay heed to while storing your seeds to plant in the future.
Temperature fluctuations tell the marijuana seeds that winter’s gone, and it prepares to wake up and sprout roots and shoots. The seed will begin to germinate; its outer covering will crack open. The plant matter will come out of the seed, and moisture will seep in, along with pests and bacteria. With the absence of any growing medium, the seed will start rotting.
Therefore, you should notice that the storage space temperature doesn’t rise above 41 degrees Fahrenheit or 5 degrees centigrade, and somewhere around 38 degrees is the best temperature for it to stay dormant.
You should ensure that the temperature stays stable for a long time. If you are keeping the seeds in the refrigerator, place them near the back, if possible, in a separate unit. This will protect your seeds from temperature fluctuation every time you open the fridge.
However, I don’t recommend freezing the seeds for the long term. You need to know how to prepare and cure your seeds if you do. The inability to do so might let the water within the cells of the seed freeze and expand, and it will destroy the cell wall and kill the seed.
Humidity
Moisture is another hint that the cannabis seed looks for to know it is ready to germinate.
Therefore, you must ensure that the seed is stored properly, lest the seeds decide to spread their leafy legs and arms. The seed can get rotten in such cases if it is not in a growing medium.
However, you should not make the conditions too dry. 5% humidity level would be the best to take care of the protective waxy layer of the seed undisturbed so that the seed does not split open.
Light
Like humidity and heat, light sets off an alarm for the seed to wake up and germinate. Even if your seed is not exposed to the sun, the bulb inside the refrigerator can trigger its germination process. Therefore, avoid exposure to light to protect the seed from getting damaged or breached.
The seed surface can also get damaged when exposed to light. And afterward, the plant matter within it will also start to decay. Just like you store the cannabis buds or other products, you must use an opaque or dark container to store the seed. The darkness will help them to sleep for a longer period.
Air
Next comes air. This means you would want to expose the seeds to a minimum amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen. The cannabis plants breathe these gases, which can be another potential trigger. So, make sure that the seeds are stored in an airtight container to refrigerate them.
Vacuum sealed plastic pouches are also great to keep them off any exposure to air.
Genetics
Genetics also play a huge role in storage as some marijuana strains would produce hardy strains that last for long.
The top online seed bank i49 has the most amazing collection of seeds that have stabilized genetics, and you can store most of them for the long term in proper condition.
Cannabis Seeds Storage Methods
Now that you know how factors like light, temperature, air, humidity, and genetics play up against storing cannabis seeds, let me share with you the best methods for marijuana seed storage.
Envelopes
If you want to store your marijuana seeds for a short period, like a two-three weeks or a month or so, you can use a standard envelope used for mailing or a tan coin envelope.
Your marijuana seeds will be protected from ambient light if the envelope’s paper is thick. The envelope must be kept in a dry, cool, dark spot where the temperature does not fluctuate.
The best place can be the back of a drawer or a closet. This will allow the marijuana seeds to stay dormant for a couple of weeks or a few months. You can also write the storage date, strain name on the envelope along with any other important information you want to keep note of.
You can also put in a few rice grains to keep the humidity regulated. A desiccant pack will also serve the same purpose. However, if you stay in an area where the weather fluctuates or there are frequent storms, storing in envelopes won’t be that useful.
Glass Jars
Glass jars are my favorite for storing seeds for a longer duration. They are airtight and much better alternatives to storing in envelopes.
I love the jars that come with rubber stoppers as they work much better than the plastic coverings.
Plastic might let a bit of humidity in over the long term. A desiccant pack also comes in handy to absorb any moisture in the jar and keep the moisture content stable.
I like using paper towels or cotton balls to separate the pack from the seeds, and this helps absorb excess amounts of humidity in the beginning.
Vacuum sealing the jar would be the best. Remember to wrap the glass jar in an opaque covering. If you keep the jar at a steady room temperature, the seeds can stay protected for over a year. Sometimes, the seeds also last for two years when refrigerated in glass jars.
Mylar Bags
Remember my friend Phil? He stores his seeds in thick vacuum-sealed mylar bags. He shares that those seeds stay good for over five years or in the best case, for a decade.
This happens because mylar bags are great for long-term storage. However, you must ensure that you keep the bags away from light.
Throw in a desiccant pack to absorb any remaining humidity. Mylar bag storage works best if you want to refrigerate your cannabis seeds.
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell, you need to protect your cannabis seeds from light, heat, air, and moisture if you want to store them for long. Putting proper care in storing the marijuana seeds will ensure long-term storage. Though these might seem like too much to care for, you will pick them up in no time.
Trust me, storing the seeds has worked well for me when I wanted to grow a particular strain that was not available at the market at that time.
However, you should know that marijuana seeds grow best when they are sown as soon as you purchase them.
Adieu for now!
I hope these tips will be useful if you are looking to preserve your seed. I am bidding farewell with best wishes from my end. Have fun growing your favorite weed. Best of luck, mate!