How to Store Cannabis Seeds | Our Guide to Keep Them Dry and Safe

Cannabis seeds last for long periods if stored properly. Starting with good seeds helps you produce quality marijuana. Following the legalization of marijuana, many people grow it for recreation and medicinal purposes.

Many people choose to grow marijuana, which helps them monitor the growth of their cannabis seeds and saves them the time and money of purchasing cannabis frequently.

Nonetheless, you may get cannabis seeds and not plant them immediately. You need to store cannabis seeds safely regardless of the cannabis strain. You may lack the skill of storing your marijuana seeds perfectly. There are many factors and ways you could store cannabis seeds dry.

Like other living organisms, the seeds can die if not taken care of correctly. Before germination, cannabis seeds are in the same state as in hibernation. You cannot bear the loss of destroying your seeds.

A wonderful fact is that marijuana seeds can stay up to 5 years in proper seed storage. We will look at the various locations and factors for storing cannabis seeds for longer shelf life.

Environmental Conditions for Storing Cannabis Seeds

Appropriate cannabis seed storage is not as simple as it appears because seeds hunt for any reason to sprout. There are a variety of variables that signal to the seeds that it is time to spread their root systems and stems.

If you keep your cannabis seeds in improper circumstances, they may die, rot, or get the disease when you're ready to plant them. Storing weed seeds requires the following factors for them to have a longer shelf period:

• Light exposure
• Humidity level
• Temperature
• Insects present

Light Exposure

Marijuana seeds have important embryonic seeds where they store their genetic code. The code determines which cannabis you will grow. You need to store cannabis seeds in a cool, dry place away from light. A good location is a light-proof container.

The seed's outer shell is not too strong to guard the embryo against the light. A perfect scenario is when farmers leave the seeds to fall on the ground in autumn, exposed to some light. In the coming spring, the seeds germinate. Cannabis seeds aren't designed for intense light exposure.

Putting the seeds in an Eppendorf tube is becoming a popular trend. Eppendorf tubes are plastic tubes used to store liquids. However, they work for marijuana seeds.

Humidity Level

Humidity levels are important when it comes to storing cannabis seeds. Germinating seeds requires humid conditions; hence lowering the humidity level is safe for cannabis seed storage.

You should avoid storing your weed seeds in areas with water droplets. Water softens the seeds' shell, which allows the taproot to grow. When you store your seeds, the water percentage in the seeds is around 10%.

Storing cannabis seeds in a cool, dry place with no condensation will give your seeds a longer storage period and still maintain a good germination rate. There is no need to check the humidity fluctuations when your seeds are in a sealed container and in the right environment.

If you've ever grown cannabis seeds, you'll know that they can be a little too fresh to germinate when they're very new, just from the plant.

Some people believe in storing and ripening cannabis seeds at room temperature for a short time. The seed's moisture content decreases, allowing the seeds to become more viable.

How long should seeds be allowed to dry before storing? A few months at room temperature should be enough.

Temperature Fluctuations

Temperature fluctuations are an important factor when storing marijuana seeds. To ensure high germination rates for cannabis seeds, store them in a dry, dark location with minimal humidity.

However, using low temperatures to preserve cannabis seeds is one of the finest methods. Cannabis seeds have a longer shelf life when stored at cold temperatures.

The seed's fragile live plant tissue can survive for considerably longer durations at chilly temperatures, which reduces the cellular biochemistry process.

It is the same as how food lasts longer in the refrigerator than at room temperature. 

Many people set their thermostats at roughly 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit). However, 4 °C isn't a magical number. For example, if you can store cannabis seeds at 10 degrees Celsius, they will stay longer than if you store them at 20 degrees Celsius. Cannabis seeds stored at 4°C will last longer than those stored at 10°C.

Insects and Pests

Undergoing a 100 dollar loss is not what anyone would wish. Insects can ruin your seeds within days. Only one insect can cause unimaginable damage. Avoiding exposure to ultra-low humidity could help keep away insects from your seeds. For longer shelf life, we need low humidity.

Another way to keep insects away is using diatomaceous earth, where you'll store your seeds. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a form of sand with a fossilized algal basis, and it is used in the construction industry.

DE is a good natural insecticide. You should not use DE in the fridge when storing other food.

In addition, it would be beneficial if you kept your seeds as high as feasible above the ground level. A pest such as a mouse entering the house and eating the seeds is less likely to occur.

Cleaning and sanitizing storage facilities help to keep insects and pests at bay. Due to this, the storage room must be kept tidy.

As a result, you will not only attract bugs to your seeds, but you will also encourage the formation of microorganisms, which will cause the seeds to deteriorate. You should also avoid contaminated seeds to avoid spreading the disease to other seeds.

Storage Locations For Marijuana Seeds

There are many storage options for cannabis seeds, including containers, bags, and envelopes—your chosen location matters to keep your cannabis seeds viable and not trigger germination.

Glass jars

If you're looking to preserve your cannabis seeds for a lengthy period, you should utilize glass jars since they don't allow any water to enter the container. Since the jars are huge, they are ideal for keeping significant quantities of marijuana seeds.

Place a desiccate packet inside the jar to help control moisture levels. Furthermore, you can use cotton balls to separate the pack from the seeds and absorb excess moisture that could harm the seeds.

Use a tight-fitting lid or a jar wrapped in an opaque cloth to seal the jar; this procedure will allow you to preserve your seeds for several years.

Paper Envelopes

If you need to keep marijuana seeds for a brief time, you can use envelopes. You may use a normal mailing envelope for this purpose.

Nevertheless, you should ensure that the envelope is sufficiently thick to shield the seeds from direct sunlight.

You may store the seeds in a dark spot away from light, which acts as a germination agent to preserve them inactive and inhibit them from sprouting. Additionally, you may tag the package with the strain's name, the seed storage date, and the duration of storage.

If you want to guarantee that your weed seeds remain extremely safe within the envelope, sprinkle uncooked rice grains or purchase a dehumidifier pack to manage the humidity.

You must store your envelope indoors to avoid it being damaged by adverse weather.

Mylar Bags

If you don't want to use glassware, you can keep your seeds in Mylar bags for an extended period. But, you need to ensure that the bags are sturdy.

Purchase a dehydrator pack to guarantee that the seeds are kept at the right humidity level and no light enters. These bags are stable over a wide range of temperatures, ensuring the safety of your stored cannabis seeds.

Vacuum Sealed Bags

Preserving cannabis seeds needs a vacuum seal. You can keep your marijuana seeds in vacuum-sealed pouches.

They are enclosed, ensuring that no oxygen comes into contact with the seeds. Store numerous seeds in an airtight container.

You may use the vacuum-sealed pouch alone or in a lightproof container or dark cupboard. Both procedures are successful, and the seeds will stay dormant for the remainder of the set timeframe.

Refrigeration

You can keep your seeds fresh for a long time by storing them in the refrigerator. You must, however, take precautions to guarantee that your seeds do not become spoiled in the refrigerator.

To store marijuana seeds in refrigerators, you must first wrap them in plastic bags resistant to freezing temperatures.

Notably, consumers must ensure that their refrigerators do not let any light get through them because this might damage the seeds.

How Long Can Cannabis Seeds be Frozen?

The reality is that no one knows for certain, not even cannabis seed companies.

Therefore, if you are determined to freeze your seeds, continue reading.

When seeds are frozen, you should not defrost them until they are ready to use. Repeated freezing and thawing can cause your seeds to deteriorate and prevent them from growing.

When defrosting them, do it gradually at room temperature, not in the microwave or hot water. Even some opposed to freezing cannabis seeds for long-term preservation assert that freezing them just once should have no detrimental effect on the seeds.

Keeping cannabis seeds in freezers can be an efficient solution for storing seeds for many decades.

Storage Pot

You may preserve your marijuana seeds in a storage pot with a tight-fitting lid to keep them fresh. There are several different pot sizes designed to accommodate all your seeds.

Furthermore, you may mark the pots with the names of various strains to always tell them apart quickly later or in the process.

Keeping the preservation pot in a cold location is preferable to avoid heat from hurting the seeds inside it. To safeguard your seeds from dampness, you may use a desiccant bag and cotton to wrap them in.

No air must enter the container because this will help the seed remain viable and prevent premature germination.

Why is Storing Cannabis Seeds Important?

Rather than putting marijuana seeds in the soil and allowing them to do their thing, there are several advantages to storing marijuana seeds. Cannabis seeds, when stored properly, may remain viable for five to ten years!

Seed preservation is critical for a variety of reasons. Someone who has recently developed their strain with superior genetics may wish to retain the seeds to propagate it.

Some residents of areas with strong cannabis advocacy and reform movements are presently storing seeds of their favorite strains to cultivate when cannabis is legalized in the future.

Whatever your motive for possessing seeds, remember that caring for seeds is among the most crucial qualities you can do to ensure a successful harvest.

Marijuana seeds may survive up to three years without losing their germinating power. Certainly more than that, just time to determine. Store cannabis seeds in airtight containers.

Can Broken Marijuana Seeds Still Germinate?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. It will not sprout because the seed's important inside component, which holds the plant's genetic information, will be revealed. Once exposed, the seed will not develop.

You must exercise extreme caution to avoid damaging or crushing the seeds, including placing them in vials packed with cotton balls to prevent rattling around and harming one another.

Cannabis seeds may be stored for an extended time if properly preserved. While a cold, dark area free of humidity and strong scents are ideal for storing the seeds for some months, they must be refrigerated to extend their shelf life.

Conclusion

You can store your seeds in any of the methods above to enjoy the benefits of marijuana and its growth in the future. However, you must guarantee that your cannabis seeds are not harmed by heat, light, or humidity.

If you want to utilize marijuana seeds immediately after purchasing them, you shouldn't have any problems. Everything changes when the objective is to keep the cannabis seed for long. You'll need a sealed jar that you should keep in the refrigerator. Avoid exposing them to germination conditions, including keeping them out of direct sunlight.