Many growers wonder why we at Sensi Seeds still carry regular cannabis seeds. It’s a reasonable question, as it can be a little more work to weed out male plants than with feminized seeds.
But the pleasure of crossing strains to produce offspring with unique flavours, colours, and phenotypes is hard to beat. There are several reasons to choose regular seeds over feminized ones:
Unaltered Genetics
While feminized seeds are great for cultivators who want a quick and easy harvest, some growers prefer the power of regular seed. Because regular seeds have not undergone the process of sexing via chemical intervention, they can produce both male and female plants (hermaphrodites) and offer a wider genetic variation than feminized strains.
The wide variety of phenotypes that regular seed can produce makes it perfect for breeders looking to create new cannabis strains and varieties. By crossing two strains with different phenotypes, breeders can create offspring that have the best traits from each parent plant.
If you are a veteran cultivator with the time and space to nurture your plants, regular seed is for you. You can enjoy a wide selection of terpenes, flavours, highs and colours that you wouldn’t get with feminized seeds. Plus, you can have the added peace of mind knowing that your plants are free from chemical interference. Our range of regular seeds also includes some rare and old-school strains that were originally bred in the 1980’s before feminized seed was invented.
No Sexing Males
One major reason that feminized seeds are so popular is that they reduce the amount of time and effort needed to cull male plants. In a typical garden, or even in an indoor grow tent with limited space, it is essential to remove any male plants that show signs of having their sex organs (anthers) at the nodes.
The good news is that with regular seed, on average around 50% of the seeds will produce male cannabis plants. This means that in a batch of 10 seeds, you will probably get 3 or 4 male plants to cull.
Male plants will fertilize female cannabis plants, resulting in seeds that can then be collected. This is known as breeding and can be an important part of the cultivation process for growers who want to create their own strains. In fact, growing your own strains is something that can be a lot of fun for the home grower and is also a great way to save some money on your weed.
100% Organic
Some vegetable seeds are treated with chemicals to improve germination or make them resistant to mold and rot. This is against the organic farming guidelines that the USDA regulates. Organic seeds cannot be treated with chemicals of any kind.
If you grow organically, it’s best to choose regular seed. Some manufacturers of organic marijuana seeds like Pure Regular Seeds offer an outstanding selection of high quality strains that are all 100% organic. Their Amnebula variety, for example, is a fab cross of two old school classics from Hy-Pro.
Look for manufacturers that are a part of the organic community and grow their seeds on-site. It’s important that they are involved in the growing process from start to finish. This ensures that they have strict controls and are able to verify the purity of their organic seeds. Check out their About Us pages for more details. This is a good sign that the company takes pride in what they are doing.
More Variety
Whether you’re looking to preserve strains that were never feminized or want the option to cross breed your cultivars, regular seeds give you a lot of options. Many experienced growers choose regular seeds over feminized for the ability to create their own hybrids. All you need to do is take a male and female plant and let them pollinate each other to produce smokable buds.
However, this comes with a bit of a catch. Because regular seeds don’t automatically turn into sex-capable plants, about half of your plants will grow to be male. This can be frustrating, especially for small-scale indoor operations or growers who are legally capped on their number of plants.
But it’s also a great way to discover new strains and experiment with your growing technique. For example, Harlequin x Bubba Kush regular offers a hearty blend of cannabinoids that stimulates the mind and soothes the body. Its citrus aroma tickles the taste buds with lemon, orange, tangerines and grapefruit flavors that invigorate the senses.