Limited Edition Seeds is a product that is exclusive to a botanist. Limited Editions, as their name suggests, are only produced in limited numbers. They may be a variation of a perennial or annual plant, so that the plant grows in a restricted area. The limited edition seeds are then crossed with another variety to create a new generation. Limited Edition Seeds is available for cultivation in specialist garden centres and nurseries, however it is possible to grow them at home if the gardening expertise is possessed.
The first step in trying to attract the limited edition seeds is to join a garden centre or garden society that specialises in this type of gardening. This can be done by contacting the Growers Association, National Landowners Association, Nursery growers Association or South Australian Breeders Association. They will be able to advise on the best suppliers in South Australia. Once the basics have been clarified, the breeders should be able to provide detailed information about their stock.
Once the basics have been provided, the buyer should visit the online website of a breeder known to be producing limited edition seeds, such as the South Australian breeder Nicole clone. The website should give all the relevant information relating to the varieties sired from this cross. The breeder will also be able to provide details of how these sires are maintained, how to care for them and any disease resistance mechanisms included. It is always better to ask for advice from a breeder rather than buying directly from a supplier, as this will ensure that all aspects of the growing process are explained, and that an adequate amount of time is given to evaluating the traits of the variety being requested.
Limited Edition cannabis seeds can be cross bred with regular seeds to provide further variation and potential interest. This is called feminization and can sometimes be undertaken by the same person who is cross breeding the original source. Some feminized cannabis seeds can be quite rare, so care must be taken to find out where these are before making a purchase.
When the desired pattern of the cross is obtained, the breeder may provide images of the resulting strains and may even provide pictures of the finished product. It is not uncommon for the feminized strains to be crossed with another plant or even a different species entirely, to produce new and unique results. It is possible to obtain feminized cannabis seeds, which contain none of the cannabis’s genetics at all, and so these would be called cultivars. There are some examples of this, where the desired end result was to achieve crossbreeding without altering the genetics in any way.
Cultivars can be crossed with regular seeds to create new ones that will produce high-end quality plants with outstanding quality and strong aroma. Regular seeds cannot be crossbred, meaning that a breeder would need to have an exceptional understanding of the plant and its needs, and this is usually beyond most private breeders. Crossbreeding is not only limited to females; some of the best marijuana varieties, like Stanley, are also produced by crossbreeding with other rarer plants, including the Australian Treeflower. Some feminized strains are so powerful that they produce more psychoactive THC than regular seeds, making them highly desirable.
Limited Edition Seeds is generally rarer and much more expensive than standard indica-dominant strains, but the resulting buds are some of the most rewarding to grow. Flowering time is shorter and buds have a stronger aroma and more intense flavor. Some Limited Edition strains are very efficient at producing large amounts of buds in a short flowering time, while other varieties may take years to reach their flowering time. Many Limited Edition seeds are very rare, and they are almost always exclusively female. The selection of rare Limited Edition flowers is often dictated by the availability of the female parent in the environment, meaning that the flower might be lost if it was saved and not reproduced by its parent.
To avoid losing the potency of your feminized seeds (female plants), do not harvest them when they are ready to bloom. The potency of feminized (or “hybrid”) cannabis is often improved by allowing the flowers to flower for a longer period of time. The process of letting buds fully bloom is called rinsing. The longer the flowering period, the higher the concentration of THC will be in the buds, making them even more potent. If you plan to grow feminized cannabis plants, it is best to allow your plants to flower for several weeks before harvesting, or you may end up losing some of the potency.