Seeds in Weed: Why Does My Weed Have Seeds In the Buds?

Seeds in weed are generally an undesired sight. These tiny green or brown balls drive down potency and make the smoke harsh and unpleasant. Why do they occur, and what can you do to address them?

Seeing seeds means the plants got exposed to pollen during development. Whether you grew your own or shopped at a dispensary, they imply a low-quality smoking experience. These nugs aren’t always useless, though.

Besides being a teaching moment, buds with seeds can be valuable for cultivators and consumers.

Keep reading to learn about seeded weed. We discuss why it occurs, how to make the most of it, and ways to keep your buds smooth and seedless.

Seeds in weed: Is it bad to find them?

Have you found a few seeds in your buds? Their occurrence is neither good nor bad, but most tokers prefer their weed seedless.

Modern tokers expect marijuana to be very potent and flavorful, with a high THC content and a complex terpene profile. Seedless buds, also known as sensimilla, are the gold standard. Those with seeds fall short of expectations.

Growers may see female buds with seeds as a personal failure, but they’re not a net loss. While they often result in lower yields, they provide genetic material for future grow ops.

Do seeds affect potency?

Weed with seeds in it usually has a lower potency than sinsemilla. The extent of this difference depends on genetics, growing conditions, and the moment of pollination.

When a plant gets pollinated in early flowering, it focuses on creating and caring for seeds. It produces minimal cannabinoids and terpenes, so the resulting nugs are mellow in aroma and effect.

Getting seeds in late flower is another matter. The plant spent time producing and thickening its buds, meaning its flavor and potency are already high.

So, weed that developed seeds late is no big deal. What can you expect from smoking the buds of an early pollinated female?

As the plant dedicates less energy to producing its cannabinoids, you’ll usually get less CBD and THC from weed with seeds. Besides not getting you high, these nugs are less effective at addressing health concerns.

Terpenes are also scarce in seeded marijuana. As a result, it exhibits a weaker flavor and fewer therapeutic properties.

Why is my female plant producing seeds?

Have you ever asked yourself “why does my weed have seeds”? Cannabis anatomy predicts seeds as a part of the plant in nature. This species is dioecious, meaning it has separate males and females. They reproduce near the end of their life cycle to propagate the species.

Seeds form when a male plant fertilizes a female plant. Pollen dust catches onto the pistils, and they create reproductive material.

Unpollinated female plants produce smokable material. If pollen reaches them, seeds emerge inside the buds. They sit enclosed in the calyxes, the leafy structures surrounding the pistils.

Seeds in flowering buds play a vital role in the cannabis reproductive cycle since they get released when the plant dies in the fall. They contain the genetic material to create the future generation and can spend a long time dormant before germinating.

In some cases, growers intentionally pollinate their females to produce seeds or breed strains. We call this approach controlled pollination.

Accidental pollination happens when males share a growing space with females. They release pollen, and wind or insects carry it to the pistils.

Seeds in your weed may emerge even when no males are present. Female plants may go hermaphrodite and self-pollinate.

Hermaphrodite cannabis plants have male and female reproductive organs. The pollen sacs may burst and send the dust onto the pistils. This may happen due to genetics, light leaks, or excessive stress.

Seeds in a bud look like small, teardrop-shaped nodules. Some sit buried deep among the calyxes, while others are prominent on the surface. They’re more common on the base than the top, as this section sees fewer disturbances.

The color changes with age. Immature seeds in buds are small, green, and not immediately noticeable to the naked eye. Mature ones are brown or gray and may exhibit stripes or spots.

How to prevent female buds with seeds 

Now that you know why your plant is producing seeds, let’s discuss ways to get only sticky, smokable sinsemilla.

The first step in preventing seeded buds is to ensure you’re only growing females. Sex your plants early on and isolate the males before they release pollen.

You can identify cannabis sex in the pre-flowering stage, between vegging and flowering. Inspect the space between the main stem and branches for the following organs:

• Oval-shaped pre-flowers with no pistils signal the male sex. They eventually grow into clusters of flowers with hanging pollen sacs.

• The early signs of a female plant include tear-shaped pre-flowers with hair-like pistils emerging from their base. They develop into long, white hairs after several weeks.

Immediately move any males in the ranks into a separate room or discard them. You should also keep your grow space enclosed to avert any pollen coming from the outside.

Next up, you should prevent seeds in female buds due to self-pollination. This task boils down to good gardening practices.

Avoid environmental stressors that could trigger hermaphroditism. Maintain a consistent light cycle and be mindful of extreme temperature and humidity changes. Provide ample water and nutrients to keep plants stress-free as they flower.

Understanding the differences between seeds is another way to ensure your crops are seedless. Shop feminized to eliminate the male chromosome at ground zero and keep buds potent, flavorful, and seed-free.

Visit our store for the broadest selection of feminized weed seeds, and stay tuned to our blog for more handy guides.

What to do with the seeds in weed

A seed in weed isn’t a welcome sight, but it doesn’t mean you should discard your stash. It’s still a valuable resource for your growing and smoking journey.

Let’s discuss ways to make the most of the seed and the weed.

Can I grow weed from the seeds in my buds?

You can grow seeds you find in your bud, but success isn’t a guarantee. The bud-drying process includes a long period of sun-drying or dehydrator usage. It could damage the seeds and make them unable to germinate.

Check whether your seeds are viable by examining their color and hardness. Soft, green, and tiny white seeds in buds are too young to produce healthy plants. Brown, hard ones are mature enough to pop and grow.

It’s best to germinate a batch of seeds, plant them in solo cups, and let them sit in a warm, humid room for two weeks. Then separate healthy-looking ones that gained several inches in height and fan leaves for your cultivation journey.

Is it worth smoking buds that contain seeds?

While seeds in weed detract from the overall smoking experience, you can still get high from this bud. You’ll have to examine each nug to determine its value.

Gauge whether your stash is worth saving by examining the seeds. If they’re dark brown and hard, the plant likely spent the entire flowering on their production. The cannabinoid contents are minimal.

Seeing little green seeds in buds means your stash is worth saving. They likely emerged in late flowering, when cannabinoids and trichomes already developed.

The seeds could irritate the throat and lungs when burning. To stay safe, pick the seeds out before grinding and lighting up.

Given the flavor issue, cooking with weed could be better than blazing. Edibles make the seeded bud a palatable option for folks who don’t want to waste their crop.

To avoid getting seeds in your female buds, visit our shop and get the most stable genetics for cannabis seeds in the market. Happy growing!