Regular cannabis seeds have just a 50% probability of emerging as females or males as nature intended. This means that they will always be more expensive than females and are not always preferred by breeders. Regular seeds are particularly popular amongst breeders as they produce consistently high-quality, strong-quality cannabis. Since they make strong males, frequent breeders use male flowers to cross-breed with female flowers resulting in new, improved strains. This process also helps to remove undesirable characteristics of both parents, thus increasing the likelihood of a cannabis crop with desirable characteristics being formed.
However, not all feminized plants make good crosses. Some hybrid seeds may have desirable qualities that a breeder is willing to pass on to future buyers. There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to cultivate a particular hybrid. These include the possibility of producing desirable traits (crosses that are more likely to become marijuana) for subsequent generations, the ease of growing feminized plants, and the costs involved in breeding the plants.
Crossbreeding allows one to get two plants with nearly identical genetic makeup. The chances of two randomly chosen plants sharing only one trait are remote. A cross produces the equivalent of one individual plant with each parent possessing exactly the desired trait from each parent. Crossbreeding often results in better attributes for future generations. It also provides an improved product with a greater potential for harvest. This is especially important for indoor gardeners who want to cultivate marijuana that is more likely to yield favorable results.
Regular seeds are easier to cultivate than feminized plants. Some breeds of cannabis plants, such as African or Indonesian indicas, can only be sown in one season. Others, such as Mexican and Jamaican Blueberry varieties, may take two to three years to reach flowering. This is because it takes time for seeds to break down and generate new life, so the older plants have more time to acclimate to growing conditions.
While some disadvantages exist for breeding marijuana plants using seeds, they pale in comparison to the numerous advantages. Hybrids that do not produce viable seeds are less expensive to raise and maintain. Male plants can be used to produce male plants that can be used for re-fertilizing outdoor plots. The advantage of producing a plant with one parent that will grow well is that there is no need to pay for costly start-up costs. In addition, most people can grow most types of hybrid plants at home for very little cost.
Many disadvantages exist for breeding cannabis using feminized seeds. Crossbreeding often leaves behind small or missing chromosomes, resulting in fewer or different characteristics among the offspring. Some disadvantages include the possibility of producing incompatible offspring, small differences in the composition of the hybrid and reduced diversity. Since the cannabis plant has existed for centuries, it contains a lot of information regarding the crossbreeding techniques used and the possible consequences.
Cultivators and breeders who are used to using regular seeds may find it difficult to begin breeding with feminized seeds. There are special procedures for crossbreeding with specific chromosomes, but most breeders find it easier to start with the common ones. Some gardeners prefer the consistency offered by regular seeds over those that can vary so much when a new crop is released. For new growers attempting to get into marijuana growing, the task of finding a consistent source of seeds may prove challenging without access to a breeding library. Fortunately, most breeders have breeding sources close to them and can readily supply new growers with a variety of hybrid seeds that can easily be found.
Hybrid marijuana is quickly becoming the new favored method of cultivation. Despite some advantages offered by regular seeds, many different breeds of cannabis have shown themselves to be much more resilient to environmental stresses and diseases than their regular seeds counterparts. New growers that are interested in hybridizing must take the time to research and compare the traits of the many different types of high-cBD varieties available, which may help yield better results than any organic farmers would ever achieve by working with regular genetics. Many different traits can also be found in regular genetics made for outdoor gardens, and those are perfect for hybrid gardens as well.
