If you occasionally enjoy a bit of cannabis, odds are you’ve run into some buds with seeds in them! Whether your cannabis comes from a dispensary or your own back yard, there can always be seeds — which raises the obvious question: can you grow weed from seeds found in a bud?
Most people ask this the moment they spot a seed in their baggy. And who doesn’t like free seeds? Especially if they came from a particularly good bag of buds! So what should you do with bagseeds or random seeds in your otherwise seedless grow?
Yes, it’s possible to grow weed from seeds found in a bud like this — results may disappoint.
Can You Grow Weed From Seeds Found in a Bud?
In short, yes — most seeds found in a bud are viable and will grow into a plant. That’s the good news. The catch is that you won’t know the genetics: seeds from bud are often the result of accidental cross-pollination or a hermaphroditic plant, so what you get can be very different from the bud they came from. If you’re aiming to grow a nice crop it’s usually best to simply buy cannabis seeds from a reputable breeder.
How To Tell If Cannabis Seeds Are Viable
Before you try to germinate weed seeds found in a bud, the first thing to do is look at the buds they came from. Because cannabis seeds and buds can be dried and cured in more or less the same way, this will usually tell you a lot. If your buds aren’t fully dry, the seeds will likely need to dry for a while longer. It is generally a good idea to cure your seeds for a month or two as this will increase the amount of seeds that will germinate.
Buds can mature at a different pace than seeds, so it is also possible that the seeds are not fully developed yet. Take a close look at your cannabis seeds before planting them to save yourself some disappointment.
Mature cannabis seeds are usually dark and will often have a pattern of dots and stripes.
Well developed cannabis seeds are rigid and tough enough to squeeze without breaking. If you squeeze a seed and it breaks this is a telltale sign that the seed hasn’t ripened completely. Another clear sign of development is the color. Cannabis seeds often become darker as they mature, this means that seeds with a lighter color are likely underdeveloped. You can also check the seeds for lines, dots or other marks. Not all strains of cannabis have markings on their seeds, but the ones that do only have them when they’re ripe!
So Why Do People Even Buy Cannabis Seeds?
Since it’s possible to grow weed from seeds found in a bud, why does anyone bother buying seeds at all? Most growers set out to grow the best buds they can, so they don’t want seeds in them! Buds that contain a lot of cannabis seeds contain less THC — one trial found seed production can cut cannabinoid content by as much as 75% — look less appealing, and don’t grind well. Nevermind the apetite-ruining experience of finding out you’ve rolled a joint with a seed in it!
Watch out when stuffing a pipe with seeded bud!
If you stumble upon some seeds while going through your bud one of two things happened: the bud got pollinated or it pollinated itself. Both of these scenarios could spell trouble for your cannabis seeds.
The Science Behind Seeded Buds
Why exactly do seeded buds lose so much of their potency? It all comes down to how the plant uses its energy. When a female plant remains unpollinated, it pours all its resources into creating sticky, cannabinoid-rich resin (trichomes) to catch pollen from the air. But the moment it gets pollinated, its priorities completely shift. Instead of producing THC, the plant diverts its nutrients and energy away from the buds and into growing those seeds so it can reproduce.
Cross Pollination
If your buds have been pollinated this usually wasn’t on purpose, making it very unclear “who the father is”. If outdoor cannabis plants suddenly start producing seeds you don’t know where the pollen came from and what cross was created. There’s an off chance your neighbour will have a prized father plant pollinating the neighbourhood, but this is usually not the case. Especially when you consider the amount of industrial hemp grown in rural areas around the world, the odds of crossing a commercial strain with something unsmokable can be quite high. Using seeds from outdoor plants means flying blind in terms of genetics!
Growing industrial hemp means you’re looking for very different traits than we are, crossing with the strain in the picture above probably won’t give you the best buds!
Hermaphrodites
A cannabis plant can only self-pollinate by becoming a hermaphrodite, which means that the same plant produces both male and female flowers. While seeds from hermaphrodites have a clear genetic background, they are apparently more prone to become a hermaphrodite!
So if you’re looking to grow some great buds you should probably avoid these cannabis seeds altogether. If your seeds came from a hermaphroditic cannabis plant, odds are they will produce more hermaphrodites. This could lead seeded buds in this plant and other plants around it and ultimately harming THC production.
The 50/50 Gamble: Male vs. Female Plants
When you simply buy cannabis seeds from a reputable breeder, you know what you are getting. But when you plant a random seed found in a bud? You’re completely rolling the dice! Because you won’t know the genetics, you have roughly a 50/50 chance of growing a male plant instead of a female.
Why is that a problem? Well, male plants don’t produce those sticky, smokable buds we all want. Instead, they grow pollen sacs. Just like with hermaphroditic plants or accidental cross-pollination, if a male plant pollinates your crop, your females will stop focusing on THC and start producing—you guessed it—even more seeds!
If you decide to take the gamble on a bagseed, you’ll need to watch your plants like a hawk during the early flowering stage. The moment you spot those little pollen sacs (they look like tiny balls at the nodes) forming, get that male out of your grow room immediately to protect your crop!
| Origin / Risk Factor | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Unknown Genetics (Cross-Pollination) | You are flying blind regarding genetics, meaning the plant could be very different from the bud it came from. There is also a high chance the plant crossed with unsmokable industrial hemp. |
| Hermaphroditism | Seeds from a hermaphroditic plant are more prone to becoming hermaphrodites themselves. This can lead to self-pollination and ultimately harm THC production. |
| Male Plants (The 50/50 Gamble) | You have roughly a 50/50 chance of growing a male plant. Male plants produce pollen sacs instead of the sticky, smokable buds you want. |
| Lower Potency | When pollinated, the plant diverts its nutrients and energy away from producing THC and into growing seeds. Trials have found that this can cut cannabinoid content by as much as 75%. |
| Poor Bud Quality | Buds that contain a lot of seeds look less appealing and do not grind well. Additionally, rolling a joint with a seed in it can be an appetite-ruining experience. |
You Get What You Pay For!
So, is it actually worth it to grow weed from seeds found in a bud? With all of these things taken into consideration, it really depends on the goal of your grow. For people that simply want “a plant” for fun, without the intention of growing a nice crop, it obviously doesn’t matter what kind of seeds are used. But if you’re looking to harvest some great buds it really pays off to buy quality seeds from a reputable breeder. Regardless of your style of gardening, we wish you the best of luck growing and are obviously always eager to supply you with high quality cannabis seeds!
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