Before feminized seeds became available, growers used regular cannabis seeds to produce crops of female plants for cultivating. These mother plants are then used to make clones for future harvests.
These clones are then bred into new strains and marijuana plants. The seeds have a 50% chance of growing up to be either male or female plants. A good way to test a seed is by squeezing it between your index finger and thumb. Healthy seeds feel firm and resist pressure.
Size
Unlike feminized seeds, which produce only female plants, regular seeds have a 50/50 chance of producing male and female marijuana plants. Because of this, they are the choice of growers who want to begin breeding their own marijuana strains.
These seeds can be used to create hybrids, which are a result of crossing two different strains of cannabis. By choosing the best genetics and creating a hybrid, growers can achieve unique effects and flavors.
Regular seeds are also the preferred option for those who want to create their own marijuana strains from scratch. They can be used to find the perfect combination of terpenes, aroma, and color. This can lead to the creation of a completely new cultivar. This is one of the main reasons why these seeds are celebrated by expert growers.
Shape
As the name suggests, regular cannabis seeds have an equal chance of producing male or female plants. This is not a problem, per se, but it does mean that growers must be vigilant about sexing their plants early into flowering, or removing male plants altogether. This allows them to spend all of their energy and resources on female plants, which in turn results in a much higher yield.
For breeders, this can present an exciting challenge and opportunity for phenotype variation. However, the process of removing male plants can be cumbersome and time-consuming.
Feminized cannabis seeds, on the other hand, offer a more straightforward route to cultivating top-quality buds. These seeds don’t require reducing light hours to switch from vegetative to flowering, and they can produce a large quantity of high-quality marijuana in less time.
Color
While feminized seeds are the preferred option for novice growers, regular marijuana plants still hold a lot of value for more experienced cultivators. This is because regular seeds are able to produce both male and female plants, allowing you to harvest the seeds from a sex-upped plant that produces potent buds.
Because regular seeds operate exactly how nature intended, there’s a 50% chance that each seed will germinate as either a male or female plant. With a little bit of weed breeding knowledge, you can use these hermaphrodite plants as clones for future crops. Alternatively, you can plant them with other strains to create your own unique cultivar. This allows you to experiment with phenotypes and find new combinations of flavor, high and flowering time.
Health
Unlike feminized seeds, which are hermaphrodites, regular marijuana plants produce male and female specimens. Growers often select regular seeds to preserve strains or create new ones. They are also easy to cultivate, as they can withstand stressors like sudden photoperiod changes or over-fertilisation.
When growing a cannabis plant, it is important to separate the males from the females to prevent hermaphroditis. This is done during the pre-flowering stage. A hermaphrodite cannabis plant will produce minimal cannabinoids and harsh smoke.
Incorporating cannabis seeds in your diet is good for the health of your heart and blood vessels. The amino acid arginine found in seeds is responsible for improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure. In addition, the seeds contain high amounts of fatty acids that are good for skin health.
Weight
Due to the overwhelming commercial focus on feminized seeds, many growers don’t realize that regular cannabis seeds are just as important for breeding. Since cannabis plants are dioecious and contain male and female reproductive organs, growing regular seeds produces a natural proportion of female plants.
These plants are often used as ‘mothers’ and can produce hundreds of clones over the course of several years. These clones can be used to create new strains with a wide range of characteristics, including height, structure, internodal spacing, aroma, leaf pattern and resistance to pests. This is one of the benefits most coveted by expert growers. This is a great way to discover and preserve new cannabis phenotypes! Herbies has a wide variety of top quality regular seeds.