Regular seed is a good choice for intermediate growers. It is less prone to stress throughout the growing process, and it produces both male and female plants.
This means that you will have to spend more time and effort weeding out the male plants. However, this extra work is well worth the investment.
They are cheaper than feminized seeds
Regular cannabis seeds don’t have a guaranteed male-to-female ratio, so they are cheaper than feminized ones. In addition, they don’t require any chemical or genetic modification. For many growers, this is a good thing because it allows them to preserve the original plant’s genetics.
In contrast, feminized plants are bred to produce female flowers 99% of the time, eliminating the need to identify and remove males in the early vegetative stage. However, this process is not without its drawbacks. It can be stressful and wasteful, especially for new growers who have to deal with germinating and vegging a lot of seeds.
Moreover, the process of breeding feminized plants can result in unstable progeny. For this reason, some growers prefer regular seeds. They want to be able to create their own strains, and the genetics of these seeds are more stable. Besides, they offer better stress tolerance and can be grown in a variety of climates.
They are easier to grow
Regular seeds are genetically different from feminized ones in that they contain male (XY) chromosomes as well. This means they can produce both male and female plants, whereas feminized seeds will only produce female specimens. This is a good thing for some growers, who prefer to use their regular strains as mother plants for clones and backcrossing.
A predominately female crop also makes the growing process easier, as you won’t have to worry about sexing your plants and waste time and space on removing male flowers. This can be especially useful for small-scale indoor operations or those who are legally capped at a certain number of plants. It also leads to better yields and overall plant quality. Regular seeds are also less likely to become hermaphrodites under stress, unlike feminized varieties. This is particularly useful when it comes to breeding new strains. This stability also makes them a great choice for keeping as mother plants.
They are more stable
Regular seeds operate the way nature intended and produce male and female plants at an equal rate. They are photoperiod and will need to experience transitions in their light schedule to grow, while feminized seeds do not. These differences can be a big deal for growers who value stability and the vigour that comes with growing regular cannabis.
Feminized seeds undergo a lot of genetic tampering, which makes them more unstable than their natural counterparts. This instability makes feminized seeds less able to produce robust descendants.
In addition, feminized plants have a greater chance of becoming hermaphrodites, producing both male and female flowers at the same time. This happens because of stressors like topping, fimming, lollypopping and defoliation. This can be a big problem for breeders, because hermaphrodite plants will not produce sexy buds. This is why growers should always plant a few more seeds than they want to use for their breeding program, just in case they need to cull some males.
They are easier to breed
Regular seed produces male and female plants, which means you’ll have a greater variety of phenotypes to choose from. This makes it easier to breed new strains and maintain a stable crop. It’s also great for beginners because it’s less expensive than feminized seeds.
Feminized seeds are ideal for commercial growers who want a consistent crop of female plants. However, sexing plants can be time-consuming and difficult. This is especially true when using feminized seeds that don’t produce any male plants by themselves.
Growing a predominately female crop also makes it easier to manage, since there’s no need to worry about male plants pollinating your buds. Moreover, you can enjoy higher yields and better quality buds with a feminized crop. Nevertheless, brewers who are looking to create novel strains must use regular seeds. This is because they provide the flexibility to breed a wide range of phenotypes that exhibit unique and desirable traits. Whether you’re after extreme potency or a specific flavor profile, breeding regular seeds can be an incredibly rewarding experience.
