Regular cannabis seeds are an old-school favourite for both experienced and new growers alike. They offer untampered, pure genetics formed through breeding both male & female parents.
They’re an ideal choice for first-time or novice botanists, as they are more resilient to stress than feminized seeds. In addition, they’re much cheaper to produce.
Breeding
Breeding cannabis strains is a skill that many growers are keen to learn. It’s a great way to take a unique strain and further stabilise its genetics by crossing it with another strain.
The best regular seeds for breeding are those that have been bred by professional breeders, using top-tier parent genetics. This ensures high germination success rates and healthy plants that meet their quality standards.
While the feminized seeds of the 1990s brought a revolution to weed culture, there are still some people who prefer to breed their own strains with regular seeds. For them, it’s more about expressing their creativity with new genetics than producing instant yields.
To begin, it’s important to choose two strains that you are interested in. This will help you select the right pairings for your first breeding project.
Cloning
Cloning is a process where growers take a cutting from one plant and make an exact genetic copy. This is a great way to duplicate strains with specific colours, flavours, potency or morphology.
The key to a successful clone is taking it from the right mother plant. For best results, choose a female that is healthy and strong.
Using a pair of sharp scissors, cut the stem of your chosen plant at a 45-degree angle below the second or third node. This angle maximizes the rooting surface area and facilitates development.
You can also add a little apple cider vinegar mixed with water to the growing medium to encourage rooting. It is also a good idea to keep your growing medium free of pests and disease.
Once your clone has been cut, rooted and grown in the right environment, it is time to transplant it into a larger grow room or greenhouse. You will want to maintain high humidity levels and a comfortable temperature for the clones to thrive.
Yield
Regular seeds aren’t feminized or auto-flowering, so they produce male and female plants with 50/50 chances. This makes them great for breeding your own strains or creating hybrids with new genetics.
Feminized seeds, on the other hand, are made using at least one hermaphrodite plant as a parent. This gives them a much higher chance of producing hermaphrodites when stress is applied to the plants, such as topping, fimming, or lollypopping.
Aside from being easier to manage, a feminized crop will also typically produce higher yields and better buds. They’re also more reliable and predictable than their non-feminized counterparts, making them a great choice for beginner and expert growers alike.
Breeding your own strains and hybrids is a very rewarding experience. It’s a great way to find specimens that produce the terpenes, high, and flowers you love.
Security
Regular seeds offer several security measures to keep seedbanks, plant breeders, and growers safe. First of all, they provide more stable genetics because they haven’t undergone any genetic modification to make future generations less pure.
The second reason that regular seeds are a good choice is that they offer the opportunity to produce new strains. For breeders, this is a major plus since it allows them to create genetics that are unique, stable and consistent with every generation.
Despite these advantages, however, it is important to note that regular seeds do have a few limitations. For starters, they produce on average half male plants, meaning that you’ll need to weed out these specimens in order to get the yield you want. Also, some regular seeds may be too weak or have poor vigour for their intended purpose. The best way to avoid this problem is to choose quality seeds from reputable seed providers like Herbies.
