Regular seeds provide more genetic diversity for specialized growers who want to create their own strains. They also require more work for new growers since they will need to identify and remove male plants.
It is important to note that weed plants grown from regular seed will sometimes become hermaphrodite, especially when subjected to stress such as topping, fimming, lollypopping or defoliation.
Genetics
The seeds produced by regular marijuana plants have a 50-50 chance of growing into male or female plants. This makes them a popular choice for growers who want to use the best genetics for their garden or breed new strains. However, the process of sifting out male plants can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially in large grows.
In order to maintain the desired genetics in a seed crop, the fields are often rogued before flowering to remove any off-type plants that may pollinate the rest of the field. This is a key practice for ensuring the production of high-quality, well-filled viable seeds.
Regular seeds are also known as photoperiod plants, meaning they require a change in the light cycle to initiate flowering. Because of this, they have a small chance of becoming hermaphrodites, which can cause problems for the grower. Feminized seeds, on the other hand, offer a high guarantee of producing only female plants.
Yield
Whether you choose feminized or regular seeds, the yield from your plants will depend on many factors, including the quality of the strain and your growing environment. Regardless of which seed type you choose, you can expect decent harvests if you grow the plants correctly.
Moreover, if you want to create new hybrids and cultivate mother plants, regular seeds are the best choice. They are less prone to hermaphrodite production than feminized seeds, and they can produce heavy yields per plant.
Theoretically, regular seeds should produce a 50% female to male ratio, but this can vary depending on your luck and environmental conditions. However, if you are a beginner or don’t have the time to wait for your plants to show their sex, then feminized seeds may be a better option for you. In any case, you can expect 4-6 female plants per pack of 10 seeds when using regular seed.
Pollination
The transfer of pollen grains from a plant’s male anther to the female stigma of another flower of the same species, resulting in fertilization and production of seeds. This process is facilitated by wind, water, birds, insects, mammals, and more than 3,000 other types of living pollinators.
Most of the food we eat (including fruits, nuts, vegetables, seeds, and cotton) depends on the work of pollinators. Bees are probably the most famous of all pollinators, but there are many others that contribute to our world’s biodiversity and to one out of three bites of food we eat every day.
The use of exclusion bags or netting with pore sizes that block some pollinators allows researchers to control the number and type of pollinators that a plant is exposed to. This allows them to determine the minimum amount of pollination required for a certain cultivar, or even for a particular genotype within a crop. In this way, scientists can also test different methods of hand pollination to determine which may produce the best results in terms of seed yield and seed protein.
Breeding
For growers who enjoy the process of creating their own cultivars and strains, regular seeds are a necessity. They work as nature intended – with a 50/50 chance of producing male and female plants. Male cannabis plants can be separated from the females and pollen collected, fertilizing the female flowers to produce new seeds and create a whole new strain with the desired traits.
However, this requires plenty of patience and cultivation experience, since it’s not easy to know whether a plant is a male or female until they flower (release the pollen). Feminized seed production makes this process much easier for the grower as there’s no need to wait for the crop to complete its cycle and the male plants can be pulled up without ruining the entire harvest. A predominately female crop also means less stress for the plant. This can help with yield and quality of the buds. Regular seeds also offer a wider range of phenotypes to choose from when creating a new strain or cultivar.
