With the growing interest in feminized seeds, regular cannabis seeds may seem less exciting. But don’t be fooled, regular seeds offer plenty of possibilities for growers to experiment with their cultivation skills.
The biggest benefit of regular seed is that they provide more stable plant genetics than feminized seeds. This is especially important for new growers who are still learning their craft.
Breeding
Breeding is a process in which cannabis cultivators combine different strains to produce new genetics. It is a highly technical process that can take several generations to perfect, but the rewards are well worth it.
Typically, breeders use feminized seeds to produce crops with a specific ratio of female to male plants. This is ideal for commercial growers, as it makes it easier to manage the crop and reduces risk of unwanted pollination.
Regular seeds, on the other hand, are less predictable and may produce both male and female plants. This is why they are not as popular as feminized seeds, but it is still an important part of the seed market.
For breeders who are passionate about preserving cannabis traditions and are keen to re-establish natural cannabis plants in their areas, regular seeds are a good option. They are free from tampering, which means they have an even chance of emerging as female or male. They also provide superior clones.
Cloning
Cloning regular seeds is a great way to create new plants. But it does have its challenges, especially when trying to clone a strain that you already have in your garden.
For starters, you should select your mother plant carefully and ensure it is healthy and sturdy enough to withstand the stress of the cloning process. Also, try to choose a plant that has been in its vegetative stage for at least two months before you take your cuttings.
Lastly, make sure that your cut stems are straight. Branches that are crooked will not grow well in starter trays and may cause your clones to fail.
Once your cuttings have rooted, it’s time to transplant them into their new home. Before you do, dip the bottom of each clipping into a rooting hormone. This will help the clone to become more resistant to diseases, pests and pathogens that might have already attacked it in its mother plant’s soil medium.
Creating your own unique strains
Using regular seeds to create new strains is a great way to explore the genetic potential of cannabis. You can take older heirloom strains and make them into something even more powerful than they ever were before, and you can also use landrace strains to create new terpene and effect combinations.
As a result, these strains can be much more complex than the hybrid strains you can buy in the store. They can be blended to create a unique experience that is customized for your specific needs and preferences.
To get started, select two parent strains with desirable traits that you want to combine. Next, back-cross (or cross) them with each other and keep repeating the process until you’ve created a stable set of plants that consistently grow in the same way.
Then, you can start testing the offspring to see how they perform and what traits show up. This is called breeding and it’s one of the most effective ways to make new strains.
Old school genetics
Old school cannabis genetics are some of the most sought after strains in the industry. These strains have been around for a long time and they are often more robust than their feminized counterparts.
Some of these strains are only available as regular seeds. These seeds are unaltered, and they ensure that the genetics of a particular variety remain stable for generations to come.
Another benefit of regular seeds is that they make it possible to breed new strains without compromising the genetic integrity of the plant. Feminized seeds, on the other hand, only produce female plants 99% of the time, which can make it difficult to breed and create new varieties.
Old School Genetics is a European cannabis seed company formed from a collective of leading breeders. The company is based in Barcelona and has an extensive library of rare cannabis cuts from iconic seedbanks and growing collectives that they cross with contemporary strains from modern European seedbanks to produce unique hybrids.