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There’s nothing like seeing that first crack in your cannabis seeds! It’s the first sign of life and signals that the germination process has successfully started. Before celebrating another popped bean, keep a close eye on your seed. Cannabis seeds can crack, but the taproot isn’t always visible. Is the cannabis seed still healthy, or is it time to move on to the next seed? There are several possible causes for why your seed cracked but no taproot is growing. Luckily, your seed can still grow if you don’t spot it right away. Here’s why!

It hasn’t emerged yet

We know the feeling of wanting to check your seeds every five minutes to see if they have finally germinated. Ironically, leaving the seeds undisturbed is one of the fastest ways to get them to germinate. If you haven’t noticed a taproot sprouting from your cracked seed, it may be because you checked too early.

Cannabis seeds average 3-10 days to germinate. Seeds can crack within 24 hours. The time gap is when the tap root is growing to push its way out of the seed.

It’s lacking resources to grow

Germination is a major transition stage for the seed. It has all the nutrients it needs inside to crack the seed and sprout a tap root. Once the tap root is exposed, it relies on the external environment to supply the resources it needs to grow. Germinating a seed in soil rich with nutrients gives it a head start, but too many nutrients can actually be harmful at the early stage. The tap root may be lacking or have excess nutrients, which can slow its growth.

Pre-mix soil with nutrients, or use starter plugs, for better control over the nutrients the taproot receives once it sprouts. Also, make sure your grow room is warm enough and well-lit to guide the taproot.

You have a bad seed

Let’s be honest—sometimes you just get stuck with a bad seed. Whether you scored a free seed from your friend or got the unlucky pick from a seed batch, some seeds develop from bad plants. Irregular characteristics on the seed, such as cracks or mold, may prevent it from sprouting a healthy plant. Healthy seeds come from healthy parent plants. Knowing where your seeds came from, such as using a trusted seed bank like Amsterdam Genetics, gives growers confidence that they’re growing high-quality seeds.

The seed was old

Even fresh seeds go bad! If you’re germinating a seed you’ve had for a while, it may be too old to germinate. Cannabis seeds have a long shelf life—often lasting more than 10 years. Growers can keep their seeds fresh for years with the proper storage. Storing them in a bad location can make them useless when trying to germinate old cannabis seeds.

Growers can use a germination hack to sprout old seeds. Old seeds with a harder outer shell can be pre-soaked in a water solution. This technique softens the shell and helps the seed absorb water to germinate. Learn more about germinating old cannabis seeds.

The seeds were immature

Contrary to old seeds, you may also have immature seeds that aren’t fully developed to grow. The enzymes and genetic material a seed needs to sprout are stored inside it. If it was harvested too early, it may not have had time to develop them.

Young seeds can be identified by their outer appearance—typically lighter in color and lacking the black stripes. These seeds may crack, but the tap root is too weak to sprout.

The seed suffered from root rot or damping off

A cracked seed but no tail can be a sign of root rot, also called damping off. This fungal disease attacks the taproot and can occur as soon as it starts to grow. Since the taproot is the seed’s main lifeline for growth, damaging it makes the plant unable to grow. Common reasons why it happens are reusing old growing pots or planting in contaminated soil. It occurs when you plant your seed too deep, so it can’t receive oxygen. Overly humid conditions can also cause root rot.

The effects of root rot are irreversible. So, be sure to clean old equipment before using it to germinate a new seed. Also, place your seeds in a more ideal setting to germinate with proper humidity and warmth.

The tap root got damaged by the grower

Use care when handling your seed during germination. The taproot is extremely delicate and can be damaged by user error. Growers germinating seeds using the paper towel method can tear the taproot when transferring them to a new growing medium. Seeds germinating with the glass water method may tear their tap roots as they swirl around the container.

Check to see if you can see a separate taproot in your paper towel or glass to determine if it happened to your seed. Tweezers are useful for carefully handling seeds.

Get your cannabis seeds from a credible source, like Amsterdam Genetics, which have a 95% germination rate.