For those who have a discerning eye, regular seed offers an opportunity to explore the unaltered genetics of cannabis. These phenotypes will vary from plant to plant in terms of growth pattern, scent, terpene profile, yield and more.
They are a favourite with old-school growers, as well as those looking to experiment with phenotypes. A batch of regular seeds will usually produce approximately 50% male and female plants.
Stable Genetics
The ability to consistently produce predictable offspring with uniform traits, like height, yield, potency, and flavor, is the goal of many cultivators. This requires a long and rigorous breeding process.
Stable genetics are achieved through multiple generations of selective breeding, a time-consuming process that involves selecting the right parents and backcrossing them to create new strains. This can take up to twelve generations of plants before the desired traits are stable.
After successful breeding, a line of stable seeds is created, which is often considered intellectual property for seed companies. These seeds may be licensed to growers or sold directly by seed companies that want to further develop them by imparting desired traits.
While the breeding process is lengthy and time-consuming, it’s a necessary step in creating a stable strain. It can also lead to the development of novel cannabis traits that growers are interested in and that can be patented by plant trait companies.
Cheaper
Regular seed is the most affordable type of cannabis seeds. Compared to feminized or autoflower seeds, they are less expensive to produce. This is because they require fewer sexing efforts and don’t require the same amount of hand pollination.
These cheap weed seeds are ideal for breeders looking to create new strains from scratch. They also make excellent clones, as the female plants germinate easily and grow sturdy and robust.
Despite their low price tag, regular seed varieties still come with all the necessary features for good growth, including high potency, rich terpene profiles, and great yields. At Herbies, you can purchase quality regular seed varieties at a reasonable price with top germination rates guaranteed by the breeders.
Whether you’re an experienced grower or just starting out, it’s important to choose a cannabis seed bank that stocks a variety of cheap seeds from reputable cultivators. Herbie’s Seeds, for example, offers plenty of buy-one-get-one-free deals to reduce the average seed packet cost.
Easy to Breed
For those that enjoy breeding their own strains, regular seeds provide a great source of clones to work with. If you’re looking for a particular morphology, colour, or even a certain flavour profile, regular seeds can give you what you need.
While feminized seeds are the most popular for newer growers, regular seed can be a good option for veteran cultivators who want to try their hand at cloning and breeding. Typically, regular seeds have a much higher sex ratio than feminized seeds, which can make the process of creating clones more predictable.
However, if you want to breed a sativa or indica, feminized seeds can be more practical for this purpose. They produce a predominately female crop, which makes it easier to manage a large harvest and prevents male plants from spoiling the final product. Feminized seeds are also more expensive, which can make them less desirable for some growers. But the advantages outweigh any disadvantages, so they’re a great choice for those looking to expand their horizons.
More Vigorous
Unlike feminized seed, regular seeds can be grown by a grower who prefers to keep the cannabis plants 100% unaltered. This is a great option for those who are environmentally conscious and want to grow their crops in as natural a way as possible.
Regular seed is also more vigorous than feminized seed and produces cuttings that can be used to cultivate and produce multiple harvests. This is important for the experienced grower who wants to increase their yields and maintain the potency of their original strains.
In addition, if you’re an experienced breeder, regular seed is a key component in creating new strains that you can use to experiment with genotypes and phenotypes. The ability to create a new genetic lineage that expresses your vision is an incredibly rewarding process and will be something that you will cherish forever!