Unlike feminized seed, regular seeds produce plants with a 50% chance of being either male or female. Growers use them for crossing different cultivars to create new strains.
Regular seeds are popular among breeders because they offer the best genetics. Feminized seeds tend to go hermaphrodite if you stress the plants with techniques such as topping, fimming or lollypopping.
Breeding
Regular seeds allow growers to identify the sex of their plants as they flower. Depending on the strain and environmental conditions, males usually show their pollen sacs at around 4 to 5 weeks post-germination while females can be identified by a light green colour.
As a result, breeding with regular seeds is a more natural process than it is for feminized varieties. It is the preferred method for cultivators that want to produce their own strains or to make hybrids.
To breed a new strain, select the best females from your crop and cultivate them alongside males. Over time, this process will yield a new strain that possesses the best of both parents. Cloning with feminized seeds, on the other hand, is less successful because it involves tampering with the plant’s genetics and this often results in unstable descendants. This is why many growers prefer to use regular seed when working with clones. It is not only more cost-effective but also provides them with a greater proportion of females.
Cloning
Cloning is a process that allows a grower to produce plants genetically identical to the original mother plant. The technique uses tissue culture and requires a sterile environment and specialist equipment. Cloning can produce large numbers of plants at once. This can be beneficial to commercial growers or to individual consumers who want a specific strain of cannabis.
Clones are a good option for new growers because they are easier to work with than seeds. Seeds need to germinate and undergo the vegetative and flowering stage, which can take weeks. Clones are ready to harvest much sooner.
Clones also have the advantage of being healthier than seeds. Seeds can be subjected to a variety of stresses while growing, which can damage their cells and make them less healthy. Clones, on the other hand, are more likely to be sourced from a healthy mother plant that is free from pests, bacteria and disease. This can ensure a consistent crop of high-quality buds.
Buying
When buying weed seeds it is important to understand the differences between regular, feminized (photoperiod) and autoflowering varieties. Each type has a unique set of characteristics that influence cultivation and yield size.
While feminized cannabis seeds are the most popular choice among recreational growers, many professional breeders still prefer working with regular seeds that produce both male and female plants. This allows them to work through a bunch of seeds and cull out any male plants that might ruin their perfect breeding line.
For recreational users, feminized seeds offer the advantage of a shorter flowering time and a higher percentage of female plants. However, it is not uncommon for experienced home growers to also work with regular seed and make their own heirloom strains. Be sure to buy from reputable seed companies that use secure and discreet shipping procedures and allow you to pay with cash or Bitcoin for maximum anonymity. This makes it even harder for anyone to track your purchase and trace it back to you.
Growing
If you’re looking to grow your own marijuana, it’s best to work with regular seeds. This is because they’re more forgiving than feminized ones and are less likely to become hermaphrodites under stress. They also tend to be tougher and more resistant to environmental conditions.
However, growing regular seed does have its drawbacks. For instance, you need to know how to distinguish male plants from females so you can remove the males before they pollinate your crop. This can be difficult for novice growers, but over time becomes easier with experience.
Furthermore, you’ll need to be more mindful of the lighting cycle when working with regular sexed cannabis seeds. This is because they’re photoperiod plants and require a change in light to enter the flowering phase. This could lead to a waste of nutrients and growing medium. This is one reason why feminized seeds are preferred by many growers. They’re more efficient and produce a higher yield.
