Buds with seeds in marijuana. How to prevent them from appearing?

The Sinsemilla weed, is the one that remains unpollinated by male plants, and this is the one highly valued among cannabis enthusiasts. The reason for this preference is that, by not producing seeds, the plant channels all its energy into generating abundant resin, leading to more and better trichomes and terpenes. For a grower, discovering that their cannabis crop has developed buds full of seeds can be extremely discouraging, as this results in a significant reduction in the quality and value of the final product. Read on to explore in depth the characteristics and proper handling of seeded cannabis buds, and how to avoid this situation in your future crops.

Seeds and cannabis quality

Seeds have a significant impact on the quality of cannabis buds, often diminishing the overall experience for users and affecting growers’ yields. When seeds are present, they not only detract from the appearance of the buds, but also affect their usability. For example, seeds increase the weight of the buds, which means that growers may think they are producing more, but actually have less usable cannabis. Also, when consumed, seeds produce a harsh and unpleasant smoke, which is not ideal for those who enjoy the smooth, aromatic experience that high-quality cannabis can offer.

In addition, the presence of seeds often indicates that the cannabis has been pollinated, halting the production of desirable compounds such as THC and CBD in favor of seed production. This shift negatively impacts the potency and taste of the buds. As a result, consumers may find seeded cannabis less satisfying, as the flavor profile and effects are compromised.

The appearance of seeds in the buds also suggests that the plants may have experienced stress or environmental problems during their growth, leading to lower overall quality. For growers looking to avoid this issue, purchasing high-quality seeds from reputable sources like Natural Experience can make a significant difference. The shop offers a wide variety of top-notch cannabis seeds, ensuring a greater chance of producing high-quality, seedless buds for an optimal experience.

Cannabis flowering and flowers

Marijuana is a dioecious plant, meaning it has distinct male and female sexes. The first signs of this sexual differentiation appear when the plant begins to develop its reproductive organs during the flowering stage, typically in the third or fourth week of growth. However, due to genetic or environmental factors, marijuana plants can also exhibit hermaphroditism, possessing both male and female characteristics.

This indicates that the sex of marijuana plants is not entirely predetermined. Factors such as light, temperature, and the type of fertilizer used can influence the plant’s sex. Consequently, whether using regular or feminized seeds, the resulting plants can be female, male, or hermaphroditic, depending on the environmental conditions provided. Thus, the likelihood of obtaining seedless buds also depends on our ability to create the optimal environment for the plants.

As flowering progresses, the formation of flowers becomes more pronounced. If female flowers are not pollinated by a male, they will continue to produce resin until the end of their life cycle. Conversely, if they are pollinated, they will produce seeds within the buds.

What causes buds with seeds?

Pollen from male marijuana plants, when it comes into contact with the stigmas of female plants, starts to form buds with seeds. Unless you are looking to produce seeds for later germination, it is important to discard males and hermaphrodite plants in order to get marijuana with the highest concentration of cannabinoids possible.

This pollination can occur in several ways. The first is by having male plants in the same growing space as female plants, allowing one to pollinate the other. However, pollen can travel for miles if weather conditions are favourable. This means that the planting of male marijuana by other growers can affect a crop by pollinating it.

Finally, plants can also pollinate themselves, a process known as hermaphroditism. This usually occurs when a plant has experienced a lot of stress during the flowering phase, but it can also be a genetic factor.

How to avoid the emergence of seed-grown marijuana?

Although it is true that feminised seeds offer a 99% guarantee that they will germinate female marijuana, mistakes can always happen and some male specimens can sneak in. It is therefore important to carry out a sexing test and identify possible males. In the same way, environmental factors can also cause a plant to correct its sex in order to adapt to the adverse context.

We must be especially careful during the flowering stage, which is when marijuana begins to develop its sexual organs. The aim is to obtain virgin plants, which devote all their energy to resin production instead of seeds.

Sexing marijuana

The first step in cultivating marijuana is to learn how to identify the sex of the plants. This means distinguishing between male and female plants. To detect and potentially influence the sex of the plants, we must wait until the cotyledons and three additional pairs of leaves have formed. This typically occurs between the third and fourth week of the plant’s growth.

If the plant is male, it will begin to develop sac-like pollen deposits at its nodes, where branches and stems intersect. These can appear as a single sac or in clusters, depending on the stage of maturity. In contrast, if the plant is female, the first calyxes will appear, each with one or two white pistils. This visual distinction is crucial for managing the sex of marijuana plants effectively.

As we have seen, through sexing we can distinguish the sex of the plants. This helps us to prevent the appearance of buds with seeds, as we can remove the males from our crop. It also allows us to eliminate polluting factors within our crop. However, we still have to deal with environmental causes.

Environmental causes that favour the appearance of marijuana with seeds

Stress can be a great ally in obtaining maximum yields in our Cannabis crop. On the other hand, it can become our worst nightmare, as it can cause female plants to turn into male plants. Stress is usually caused by stressful conditions.

We should avoid situations such as transplanting marijuana that damage the plant’s roots. But also take care of the environment in which the plants grow, such as applying photoperiods exhaustively, avoiding excessive pruning, using too much fertiliser, as well as watching out for nutrient and watering deficiencies.

During the flowering stage it is important to avoid any source of stress that could affect the sex of the plant. In the same way, pests are another trigger for this unwanted hermaphrodite process, which can affect female plants and result in buds with seeds.

Having been in direct contact with sexually developed male plants can also affect the crop. Thus, if any pollen remains on our clothes, for example, it can cause us to contaminate our females with pollen, resulting in buds with seeds. This can be avoided by simply changing clothes and washing areas exposed to pollen.

Growing indoors

Indoor growing environments offer greater control over the factors that contribute to seed formation, such as light, temperature, and humidity. By meticulously regulating these variables, growers can prevent the conditions that lead to the development of male flowers or hermaphroditism in female plants. Utilizing advanced ventilation systems and maintaining strict light cycle management can effectively isolate plants from unintended pollen exposure, significantly reducing the likelihood of seed development.

Avoiding seeded buds outdoors

Here we have less control over the environmental factors of our crop. Outdoors, the problem is that the plants are too large to examine effectively. Often, the plants are so large that a hermaphrodite or male Cannabis plant may slip into the crop.

It is also possible that a neighbour may not be able to effectively differentiate the sex of the plants. This causes pollen from the males to be carried by the wind to our females and pollinate them. This would also result in buds with seeds .

Harvest time outdoors is also very important. Thus, if we delay the harvest too much, we run the risk of developing male plants that pollinate the females of our crop. This is because the plant senses that the end of its life cycle is coming and that it has not been fertilised, so it develops a survival method whereby it self-pollinates and guess what it produces? Buds with seeds. :(

Final tips to avoid marijuana with seeds

Some people have had a few seeds in their marijuana. This does not mean that our entire harvest is useless. We simply need to remove the seeded buds, which we do not recommend using. One of the best ways to avoid seeded buds is to use marijuana seeds from the best seed banks. This guarantees top quality genetic selection processes, resulting in healthy specimens with less disposition to hermaphroditism.

This type of seed bank guarantees the best possible conservation of its products. This ensures that we receive top quality material that has received the best possible care. Now it is up to us to continue pampering the seed from germination and then the plant throughout its growth cycle.

One of the most common mistakes growers make is that of light pollution. We place special emphasis on this factor because it is the one we have detected most often among our customers. Interrupting the photoperiod of the marijuana plant during its flowering period repeatedly is a trigger for the appearance of seeds in marijuana.

This is why we must avoid any kind of light entering our grow tent. This, together with good nutrition, watering and the luck that there is no pollen in the area, is the perfect equation to avoid getting buds with seeds.

What to do with the seeds that appear in the buds?

If we have already found marijuana with seeds in our crop, what can we do with them? The answer is that we can plant them. However, these seeds run the risk of being at the optimum maturity point. This results in marijuana plants of poor quality.

You can see this if, when the plants are growing, the leaves look misshapen or are sparsely distributed along the branches. This can be a waste of time and resources, as we will be allocating light, space and nutrients to a plant that will not give good potential. Consequently, we will have to start the process all over again.

Our advice is not to plant this type of seeds and to opt for seeds from seed banks with guarantees. These varieties do not cause so many problems, as their breeders have spent years genetically selecting the most productive, potent and resistant specimens. Feminised seeds are a guarantee of success, as the chance of a male appearing is very low.

If you liked this article, we recommend you to read Prunning: A guide to increase cannabis harvest.

Brais Nieto

Founder of Experiencia Natural, creative and entrepreneur, designer, master in grower and marketing. For a normalization of all plants and substances, giving priority to patients and users.