How Long are Cannabis Seeds Stay Viable

Experts say that cannabis seeds can stay viable for a decade if stored in a safe, dry and dark place. Heat and moisture can stimulate your seeds to sprout so as long as these are placed in a dry and dark place these can be used up to ten years.

The storage container of your seeds also matter a lot. As much as possible, your seeds should be in a container that is dark colored or opaque or an airtight container. You can store it inside a

• Ziplock bag

  – this type of storage is easy to open and close and will keep moisture away

• Vacuum-sealed bag

  – even better than a ziplock bag because you can use a pump to actually remove ALL the air out to keep moisture 100%.

• Airtight container

  – a small, opaque container with an airtight cover will keep water out of your seeds.

Whatever container or bag you use to store your seeds in you can make sure that there is no moisture inside by placing a few bits of rice inside the container or bag. A packet of food-grade desiccant can also work. Label your containers before storing them. Place your container or bag in a cool and consistent environment. Here are a few popular choices

• Refrigeration

Possibly the best way to store seeds is to refrigerate them. There are many advantages of using a refrigerator in preserving your seeds. First, it is easy to do it because almost every home or office has a refrigerator. It is also easy to adjust and maintain temperature inside a refrigerator to help your seeds become viable for many years. Also, refrigerators have freezing compartments that can store seeds for a longer period of time. Just make sure that your containers are placed in a dark area of your fridge.

There are also downsides of using a refrigerator. First of all, refrigerators have moisture and this can seep into your container. This can be prevented by using a desiccant or a few bits of rice inside your container. Refrigerators are electrical appliances and therefore a power outage can be detrimental to your seeds.

• Freezer

Another good place to store your seeds is inside a freezer. Temperature should be constant and your seeds should be in a tightly-sealed container before you freeze. It should also remain in a dark area inside your freezer.

Some growers disagree in freezing seeds saying that freezing will prevent the seeds from germinating. On the other hand, some say that this is safe as long as these stay in the darkest part of your freezer with a desiccant to completely eradicate moisture.

Germinating seeds after freezing or refrigeration

Now that you want to germinate your seeds right after storing them for a long time, you must thaw them out first. Allow it to acclimate by leaving it in room temperature before use. This will prevent shocking your seeds. Let your seeds acclimate in the container or bag that it came with. Do not let it thaw outside the container and never microwave your seeds.

Take note that the longer you wait, the less viable your seeds will become. The chances of germination become lower as time goes by so don’t wait too long to use your seeds Therefore as a safety measure, split your seeds into batches. Store a few inside the freezer, some inside the refrigerator and some in room temperature. This practice will ensure that you will have enough seeds to use for years and you can offset any error in storing your seeds. There may be many other ways to store seeds so choose the best one that will work for you.