Cannabis can be grown for various purposes and reasons. For some, it can be for personal use, research, or commercial purposes. To maintain a certain standard you may require to store some of your seeds for later use.
Seeds can remain viable for thousands of years, as long as they are kept in conditions that prevent them from dying.
In nature, cannabis seeds are dispersed and tend to linger in the soil for years. This organic dormancy is a great way to keep cannabis seeds fresh until germination. Like most grains, there is a need to store cannabis seeds in a way that will prolong their shelf life.
With the proper storage method, it is possible to store cannabis seeds for years! Seeds stored at the right temperature and humidity and in a dark place will have a greater chance of unlocking their dormancy when the time is right.
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Pest Control
It is common to encounter pests while growing and storing your cannabis seeds. Pests such as rodents, beetles, and even moths can be dangerous. The good news is that there are methods to keep those pests at bay.
Before storing your crop, you should ensure every pest and bug is gone. If not, they will tend to destroy your crop while they are in storage. It is also possible that they are still present and can quickly damage all of your hard work.
It is advisable to take pest control measures before storing seeds to keep unwanted pests out.
People have different preferences for which method to use to store cannabis seeds. Cold storage is commonly used in the commercial cannabis seed industry and is mainly associated with hardware stores as they are a common place to store food.
Home seed banks often use coolers or plastic bags to store their seeds. Common in all these methods is the control of temperature and humidity. Different strains of cannabis produce other germination characteristics.
For example, some germinate within a few weeks, whereas others need many months of cold conditions to unlock their dormancy, and seeds can be stored for years before being ready to use. You must go for the best Cannabis Seeds by checking out the list shared by mercurynews.com.
Steps On The Best Way To Store Cannabis Seeds
-we will go through these steps in more detail:
- drying the seeds
- keep humidity low
- temperature control
- Store in a dark area
1. Completely Dry The Seeds
When it comes to preserving your best quality cannabis harvest, it is crucial to dry them completely because the seeds will have much more energy when they are dry and potent.
For use at home or in small quantities, drying can be done by simply laying them out on paper towels or a screen. It is essential to ensure that the seeds are not in contact with anything but air, or it will dampen the paper, causing a lack of air circulation.
Using a dryer on low heat can assist in speeding up the process. For drying large volumes of Cannabis Seeds, a dehydrator is the most effective way to keep the temperature and provide uniformity in drying.
2. Moisture Control
Moisture control is simply a matter of keeping the seeds dry. In nature, Cannabis Seeds do not need to be held in a perfect environment to stay dormant, as long as they are kept away from areas that are overly moist and remain low in humidity. After the initial drying, it is required that the seeds stay dry until ready to use. The best way to leave moisture out is to keep the seed in a container with tight-fitting lids. The airtight container is to help keep air circulation and moisture levels low. In large-scale production, you can control moisture by using airtight plastic bags. These are easier to stay dry and less expensive than other methods.
3 Temperatures Control
Temperature plays a pivotal role in the storage of cannabis seeds, as it directly relates to how long the grain can remain viable. For instance, if you wanted to store the grain for spring, keeping them held at 70° F would be ideal.
The seeds will likely be active and ready to grow when you are prepared to plant them in the coming season. The same seed is likely to be dead if stored in the same conditions for a prolonged period. Because of this, take precautions when deciding how long to store seeds.
For seeds to germinate after years of storage, they must be kept at a temperature range of 45 F to 65F. This temperature is the sweet spot for seeds, as anything else will kill them or cause them not to germinate properly. The colder temperature is naturally the best way to prolong shelf life.
4 Light Control
Light might be the least I would have considered, but it’s primarily a mistake as it is also vital. If a seed is in a container that allows light to penetrate, the seed will begin to germinate. This process is due to a chemical reaction induced by light. This effect is called the photo-chemical process.
Why Light Is Harmful:
Allowing light to reach the seed will harm the potency of the cannabis seeds. It is vital to keep your seeds in an environment that they would naturally live in, and this one naturally is dark. Cannabis Seeds do not germinate because of a lack of light but because of exposure to light. The best way to do this is to remove the seeds from their container, wrap them in paper, and place them back into their container. The wrapping will inhibit photosynthesis and stop the germination process.
Having done and followed the above, I believe I have established the most effective way to store cannabis seeds. It is crucial to ensure that no other foreign compounds could harm the seeds. The most important thing to remember is that anything you use needs to be easily disposable and able to be cleaned thoroughly. The best way of storing cannabis seeds is by using a cool, dry, dark place.