When looking at seed catalogues, you’ll find that many growers only have a handful of regular seeds on offer. Some are hermaphrodites, which means they produce both male and female flowers.
These plants naturally give rise to 50/50 male and female offspring, which makes them a firm favourite for old-school growers. They are easy to work with and avoid the need to identify & remove males, saving growers time and reducing wasted growing medium and nutrients.
Genetic Stability
Outside of the price, one major reason to choose regular seeds is their genetic stability. Compared to feminized seeds, which undergo a lot of genetic tampering, regular varieties are far more stable. This makes it much easier to produce robust descendants and create strains that produce a specific terpene profile or high.
This study aimed to investigate the genetic stability of seven promising rice entries under different climatic conditions through estimating their agro-morphological traits. It was found that the entry numbers 1, 3, 4, and 5 exhibited a very high genetic stability and had a high mean value for all studied traits calculated in all environments, except the plant height trait.
This is the result of the fact that they are very adapting to a wide range of climatic environments and can be used in breeding programs to transfer genes responsible for resistance to diseases and acclimatization to water stress. In contrast, the rest of the entries had a low genetic stability and were not as conforming to various environment factors.
Less Expensive
There is no denying that feminized seed offers some advantages, but that does not necessarily make it better than regular. Feminized seeds are easier to cultivate, as growers do not have to worry about identifying and removing male plants.
This ease of cultivation can lead to a higher yield, and that can mean more money for the grower. But if the grower is interested in breeding and would like to be able to work with both male and female plants, then regular seed may be a better option.
Regular seed is also less expensive than feminized seeds, and that can be important for a new grower who wants to save money while learning the ropes. Seeds are available for purchase both at walk-in marijuana shops and online, and they typically cost half as much or less than coated seeds. That can be a significant savings for the beginner grower, especially as they prepare to enter the world of breeding and mother plants.
Easy to Breed
Unlike feminized seeds, which eliminate male plants entirely, regular sexed Cannabis seeds offer the grower the advantage of a mix of male and female plants. This gives the breeder a chance to choose their best phenos for breeding projects and cloning. This also allows the grower to make a better assessment of the plant’s health and vigor.
The ability to grow male and female plants is especially valuable for strains that were left behind in the weed rush to become feminized. These old-school genetics might never get a chance to be improved on again, but they can still be preserved in regular seed form.
For the first-time cultivator, feminized seeds are likely your best bet for the simplest route to a successful harvest. But experienced growers will find that regular seeds provide a number of advantages, too. It is worth trying them if you are looking to hone your growing skills or are curious about creating a new strain of Cannabis.
Old-School Genetics
Old-school strains come from renowned breeders who have been working with the same genetics for years. They can be used to create hybrids that have the classic parent varieties but are bred for specific traits such as yield or disease resistance.
For example, Grow Shop Italia teamed up with Old School Genetics, a European cannabis seed company made up of a collective of leading breeders from the city of Barcelona. The main breeder is known as Oldman Green, a legend that’s best recognised for his Peach Slush strain from the 90s which won many ICMAG-Cups.
Old School Genetics has created a collection of beautifully-bred strains such as Widow Road, Petrol Skunk and Blue Grape Fuel using their special OS Glue variety – a triple-threat fusion between Karma Genetics’ Original Glue #4 and GG Strains’ Northern Lights #5 x Blueberry 80’s. The result is a complex and unique strain with staggering flavours and aromas! It’s a definite must-have!
