Year: 2023

The decision to grow feminized or regular seed often comes down to cultivation experience and primary harvest goals. Cultivators who prioritize efficiency and small indoor spaces may choose feminized seeds while those with plenty of space and a passion for breeding will prefer regular photoperiod strains.

Those who are just starting out on their cannabis journey should consider regular seed. They offer many advantages that feminized seed cannot.

Untampered Genetics

A favourite with old-school growers, regular seed offers unadulterated, pure genetics. These seeds are formed through crossing male and female plants and produce approx. 50/50 male and female offspring, allowing growers to cultivate both sexes for their breeding experiments.

We used a QTL mapping approach to identify genes responsible for variation in seed size and number in natural accessions of A. thaliana. Although a seed size–seed number trade-off was observed, the low correlation between these traits (r2 = 0.06) suggests that variation in both traits is controlled by separate genetic factors. Furthermore, the fact that QTL for seed size and number do not overlap and that distinct allelic effects are found at each of these QTL indicates that they are likely to be pleiotropic.

Feminized seed, on the other hand, is much more expensive as it takes time and money to develop and test feminized technology. It also runs the risk of hermaphrodite plants – which can be a real hassle for growers who use techniques like topping, fimming, and lollypopping.

Strong Yields

Unlike feminized seeds, regulars operate how nature intended. They have a 50% chance of emerging as either male or female plants. Whether you’re eliminating males or breeding them with your favourite pheno, you’ll get strong yields of smokable buds and new seeds.

Regular seeds are also the best choice for growers who enjoy producing their own marijuana seeds. They’ll get a natural balance of male and female plants, so you can use them to produce more seeds for next year’s crop.

Whether you’re trying your hand at growing or looking to improve your cultivation techniques, regular seeds offer a great starting point for all growers. Our catalogue features a wide selection of high-quality regular strains that are sure to suit any taste. Choose the ones you like best and start your adventure today! Only available to adults over 18 years old. Check local laws for details. Germination times and plant to harvest time vary by genetics.

Unparalleled Genetic Stability

While feminized seeds have gained in popularity in recent years, many growers still prefer regular seed. This is primarily due to the natural ratio of male and female plants that regular seed produces. The ratio is a result of the fact that cannabis is a dioecious plant (like willow and yew). This means it has both male and female plants. During cultivation, the females will naturally pollinate the males. This results in seeds that are ready to be planted.

This process of natural reproduction is incredibly stable and allows for a wide variety of phenotypes. Feminized seed, on the other hand, has to undergo a lot of genetic tampering. Breeders typically spray the females with unpleasant-sounding chemicals in order to make them produce male pollen sacs. This makes the resulting seeds much more unstable, and as such, less capable of producing robust descendants. This can make feminized seeds more of a gamble for growers. Especially for those that plan on breeding their cannabis.

Breeding Experiments

For growers who wish to replicate clones in seed form regular seeds are essential. They can be backcrossed with the cloned parent as many times as required to produce offspring that closely mirrors the original genetics. This technique is known as ‘selective backcrossing’ and produces what is known as S1 seeds.

As they are free from human tampering, regular seeds have a 50% chance of germinating as either a male or a female cannabis plant. This makes them ideal for breeders who want to create their own cultivars.

Alternatively, they can be used to pollinate feminized seeds to produce the ultimate hybrids such as our award winning AK-47. This powerful indica is the result of crossing Afghanica and Skunk and is a popular choice for experienced cannabis smokers who enjoy deep relaxation. It is also an excellent choice for first-time growers who may not have perfected the art of sexing plants and risk ending up with a large number of male plants which will waste their precious growing space, time and nutrients.

Many growers choose to work with regular seeds, and it often comes down to cultivation experience and primary goals for the harvest. For example, a grower aiming for a specific ratio of male to female plants may select regular seeds.

As their name suggests, regular seeds have a 50% chance of producing either male or female cannabis plants. This can be advantageous for various reasons.

Breeding

Breeding involves combining parental plants to obtain offspring with desirable traits. The goal is to create new varieties that perform better than existing commercial cultivars for a specific crop or plant use, such as food, fuel, fiber, landscaping and eco-system services.

Breeders develop seeds using traditional methods and techniques that include observing seedlings for desired characteristics, making crosses, and evaluating the performance of offspring in field trials. They may also use cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), a genetic trait that causes the plant to produce sterile pollen.

Unexpected off-types are observed and eliminated during the breeding process, well before preparations for commercial release. A case in point is the observation that hybrids of solanaceous plants such as potato and tomato, naturally produce a high level of steroidal glycoalkaloids that are toxic to insects and pathogenic fungi.

A solution was to cross the hybrids with their recurrent parents, a process called backcrossing. Ideally the result is seeds that carry all of the desired trait with improved genetic stability.

Cloning

Clones provide growers with exact copies of the mother plant. This can be a blessing or a curse. For a beginner, a clone skips the germination and seedling stage of growing, making it much easier to get started. However, clones may also be more susceptible to environmental factors such as temperature and humidity that can affect phenotype expression and cause an inconsistent harvest.

Clones are usually female plants and produce consistent, heavy yields. They can be a good option for growers that don’t want to risk hermies or male plants and just want stable high-yielding plants. However, if the clones come from an unreliable source, they can carry pests and diseases that can ruin your entire crop. Clones can also be expensive, especially if you’re starting from cuttings rather than seeds. Seeds, on the other hand, offer a wider variety of genetics and generally grow sturdier tap roots. This allows for a larger harvest in the long run.

Seed Saving

Seed saving is a practice that allows gardeners to save the seeds from their vegetables and flowers and plant them the following year. This helps gardeners keep their favorite varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers available while also creating a strain of plants that thrive in their unique growing conditions.

Seed savers know that the success of their efforts depends on planning ahead. They take steps to avoid unwanted cross-pollination, such as separating annuals from biennials and perennials. They plot their gardens so that each planting of the same species doesn’t flower at the same time and cross-pollinate, or they hand pollinate with techniques like a blossom bag or row cover.

Seed savers also choose easy-to-save plants. Many heirloom vegetable varieties are self-pollinating and don’t require any additional work on the gardener’s part to fertilize themselves. They are a great place for beginner seed savers to begin.

Genetic Stability

Genetic stability is important to breeders because it means that the seed produced by a particular plant will have consistent traits from one planting to the next. However, how a seed is made and the conditions it’s kept in can have an effect on the genetic stability of a variety.

A recent study discussed the genetic stability of seven promising rice entries under different environmental conditions. The results of the analysis showed that the top three lines (line numbers 1, 3, and 5) had a high degree of genetic stability. Line number 2 came in second place, while the rest of the lines had a low degree of genetic stability.

This is a good indication that these seed lines can be grown under various conditions without the need for additional selection and hybridization. This is important for plant breeders, as it can help them save time and resources. Moreover, it can allow them to find the best breeding combinations faster.

Cannabis seeds sprout when exposed to water and light. The seed will break down its internal structure and pull two small embryonic leaves (cotyledons) from the seed shell. Then, it will start growing roots and leaves.

When buying seeds, look for a reputable seed bank that offers reliable genetics and great germination rates. It should also offer easy payment options, like Bitcoin.

Feminized seeds

Cannabis plants need a certain environment for proper growth. Some thrive in cooler climates while others need warm, tropical heat. They also have different needs depending on their genetics and the terpenes they contain. Some growers want high THC levels while others are concerned about yield. Choosing the best seeds for your growing environment will help you produce the highest quality buds possible.

Feminized seeds are a great choice for aspiring growers. These seeds are bred to produce only female plants, eliminating the need for growers to check the sex of their plants and discard any male plants that have no bud. The female plants will produce more buds, making them a better choice for smokers.

Another benefit of feminized seeds is that they can be used to create clones. This makes it easier for growers to grow more strains of cannabis and experiment with new ones. Autoflowering feminized seeds are particularly beneficial for beginners who want to avoid the need to manage their plant’s light-needs.

Regular seeds

Before Dutch Passion gave the world feminized seeds, cannabis growers used regular seeds that produce 50% male and 50% female offspring. Regular seeds are still available today but have slowly become less popular since many private cultivators prefer to grow feminized plants for consistency in their harvests.

Feminized seeds are the preferred choice for beginner growers, as they eliminate the risk of producing male plants and can result in higher yields. However, it’s important to follow the instructions for feminizing your seeds carefully and understand how it works to ensure you get the best results.

It’s also important to choose the right growing medium for your plant. There are many different options, including coco coir, perlite, and soil. Using the wrong growing medium can cause your plant to develop mold or other infections. This can lead to low-quality buds and poor performance. To avoid these problems, use a high-quality growing medium that is rich in nutrients.

Hybrid seeds

Creating hybrid seeds requires years of preparation and constant maintenance. In order to ensure that pure lines don’t self pollinate, they must be kept separate from standard varieties. Because of this, hybrid seed is often more expensive than standard seed. It also tends to have less consistent phenotype and performance from year to year.

To produce hybrid seed, male plants are sterile and female plants have their anthers removed to ensure that they only receive pollen from the desired parent plant. This process is labor intensive, but it allows for the creation of a first generation hybrid (F1) that carries desirable characteristics from its parents.

F1 offspring are usually uniform, disease resistant and require less coddling than standard and heirloom varieties. Unfortunately, true-to-type F2 and later generations are not as uniform or disease-resistant, so it is a trade off. Ultimately, it is up to the gardener to decide if hybrids are worth the cost. For professional growers, however, the germination vigor, uniformity and disease resistance of hybrids mean more salable plants at market.

Tips for buying seeds

If you are buying seeds online, look for a seed bank with high germination rates and a customer service team that offers 24/7 support. They should also offer a money-back guarantee in case your seeds don’t germinate.

Seed viability is best when they are stored in a dark, cool location. Place them in a small jar or canning jar with a lid and label them. The jars should be kept away from sunlight, moisture, and heat, as these elements can damage the seeds.

If you live in a state that legalizes marijuana, you can buy cannabis seeds at a local dispensary or farmers market. However, it is important to know your state laws before purchasing cannabis seeds. Some states prohibit the possession of seeds, and it is important to know whether you will face prosecution. In most cases, the purchase of cannabis seeds is legal, as long as you do not discuss their germination or use them in a way that would break the law.