Year: 2023

A healthy cannabis seed is dark and striped, with a thin, hard shell that contains immature embryonic leaves (cotyledons). It will be round to one end and tapered at the other. Seeds that stray from this consistent shape are often duds.

A seed should stay damp, but not soaking wet. This will prevent it from being suffocated and killed by over-watering.

Size

Cannabis seeds vary in size, shape and colour. This can be confusing for new growers who think that a seed’s physical characteristics dictate its germination and growth potential.

Healthy, reputable seeds are typically light grey in colour with a teardrop body shape. Seeds that deviate from this consistency may experience issues with germination and produce subpar plants.

In the days before Dutch Passion invented feminized seeds, some home growers would attempt to predict which seeds would produce male and female plants by judging their weight and appearance. However, the sex and characteristics of the cannabis plant lie within its DNA, not its shell. A good seed company spends years and a lot of money breeding top-notch genetics that produce consistent, high-quality harvests. The result is a healthy and high-yielding plant with an outstanding cannabinoid and terpene profile.

Shape

A cannabis seed’s body is patterned or striped, usually with light brown specks, although some varieties have red or yellow markings. It houses all the cells that will eventually differentiate into leaves, roots, and stems.

Marijuana seeds, or hemp hearts as they’re sometimes referred to, are a great source of plant-based protein. They are packed with vitamins (particularly Vitamin E) and minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and more. They’re also rich in Omega fatty acids, which help reduce blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular function.

They’re also great for weight loss and bodybuilding because they have a high satiety, which helps you feel fuller for longer. It’s why many world-class athletes, such as Ronda Rousey, start their day with a scoop of hemp heart protein powder before hitting the gym.

Health

Cannabis seed is a nutritious superfood packed with proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It also contains soluble and insoluble fiber that boosts digestion and prevents constipation. Additionally, the seeds contain a significant amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

These nutrients help to improve brain function and decrease symptoms of depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety. They also contain nitric oxide, which helps to relax the body’s muscles and enlarge blood vessels to promote proper circulation.

Adding hemp hearts to your diet can make it easier to lose or gain weight, as they are high in protein and fiber. They also provide the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6, which are known to help reduce inflammation and regulate blood pressure. This is important for people with cardiovascular diseases.

Potency

Cannabis seeds are rich in protein, which can help maintain weight loss and promote healthy digestion. They also provide a good source of fiber, which is essential for the body. Fiber is a major nutrient that helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of diabetes.

Most seed companies sell regular (also known as regulars) and feminized seeds, which are designed to grow female plants. Feminized seeds can eliminate the need for sexing plants, which can waste time and resources.

Another benefit of cannabis seeds is their ability to combat PMS symptoms. The fatty acids in these seeds are known to balance hormones and can reduce inflammation and discomfort associated with PMS. They are also rich in nutrients that can boost immune system.

Storage

If stored correctly, cannabis seeds can remain viable for a long time and may germinate even years after they have been purchased. To maximize germination rates, it is recommended to store seeds in tinted jars with desiccant packs in the fridge. This process is called cold stratification and helps simulate winter conditions, which breaks seed dormancy and increases germination rates.

Cannabis seeds contain high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and secondary plant compounds that stimulate the immune system and promote heart health. They also contain the amino acid arginine, which produces nitric oxide, a natural vasodilator that helps maintain blood pressure and promote blood flow.

The most important thing to remember when buying cannabis seeds is to buy from a reputable breeder or seed bank. This will ensure that you start with healthy, genetically superior plants that will produce strong buds and generous harvests.

Although often overlooked, regular seeds are a valuable tool for any grower. They allow you to work through a large number of plants and sift out the best ones. This can save you money on wasted hydro system space, nutrients and growing medium.

They also give you more opportunities to experiment with phenotypes and cross-breeds. In this way, they are a great choice for experienced growers.

Cost

Regular seeds are a popular choice for growers who want to cultivate multiple harvests. They can produce heavy yields and are easy to clone. Cloning allows you to make an exact genetic copy of a specific specimen, which is useful if you want to replicate a particular terpene profile, flavour, or colour.

However, the cultivation process for regular seed can be more complicated than feminized seeds. Growers must identify and remove male plants, which can be a time-consuming task. In addition, regular plants may not be as stable as feminized strains.

In the end, choosing between feminized and regular seeds is a matter of personal preference and growing goals. The best option for you depends on your resources, growing conditions, and experience level. With proper care, either type of cannabis seed can produce high-quality buds. Happy growing! The weed of your dreams is just a seed away.

Genetics

Regular seeds have the potential to produce male or female plants. This is the difference between them and feminized seeds which contain only female chromosomes. Feminized seeds are created by reversing the sex of a selected plant and then crossing it with itself, creating hermaphrodite offspring with the same genetics as the parent used. With feminized seed, it’s easier to get high yields as the plant can focus all its energy on producing buds and not making new seeds.

Regular seeds are also popular with growers who prefer to use landrace strains that have remained unaltered over millennia. These varieties offer consistent growth, potency and flowering times, but they may be less uniform than feminized varieties. SSSC’s collection of regular seeds contains original 1980’s classics that have never been feminised. They will produce roughly equal numbers of male and female plants. This makes them the ideal choice for growers who want to create their own hybrids or crosses.

Pollination

Despite the recent hype surrounding feminized seeds, regular seed is still an option for growers. The choice between feminized and regular seeds should be based on the grower’s resources, goals, and growing conditions.

Male cannabis plants produce pollen, which is blown by the wind or carried by the careful hand of a breeder until it reaches the stigmas on female flowers. This pollination results in hundreds, if not thousands, of seeds that can produce either male or female plants.

You can collect pollen from a male plant when its pollen sacks begin to open, which usually happens around day 30 of flowering. Then, you can store it in a freezer. The pollen can be kept for months as long as you triple-bag it and keep it dry. The pollen will lose fertility quickly if it gets wet. It is also possible to agitate the buds of your female plant to pollinate them. This method is more precise than the wind.

Growth

Regular seeds are a great choice for growers who want to learn and practice growing their own strains. They are ideal for breeding and allow growers to experiment with genotypes and phenotypes to produce new strains of marijuana. They also offer more genetic diversity than feminized seeds, which can be beneficial for breeders who are trying to improve a strain or create a new one.

Feminized seeds are more predictable in terms of female-to-male ratios, and they can be easier to manage. However, there are some situations in which a regular crop may be more suitable.

Growers who choose to cultivate a mixture of regular and feminized seeds will find that their plants are stronger, more resilient, and less prone to stress throughout the growing process. This is especially important if they are using techniques such as topping, fimming, lollypopping, and defoliation. This type of stress can cause feminized plants to turn hermaphrodite, so it’s important to be aware that there is always a chance of producing hermaphrodite plants.

There are pros and cons to both types of seed, and which one you choose depends on your growing purposes. But which is better: regular or feminized?

Unlike feminized seeds, regular seeds operate just how nature intended. This means they have a 50% chance of emerging as either male or female plants.

Stability

For growers looking for practicality and simplicity, feminized seeds are often the best choice. They have a much higher chance of producing female plants, so you don’t need to worry about male pollen disrupting your harvest or making it inedible. They also help you save on substrate, products such as fertilisers and insecticides, and cultivation space.

Regular seeds operate the way nature intended, with a 50% chance of emerging as either a flowering female or pollen-producing male. This gives breeders the ability to create new cultivars and produce superior clones.

However, it is important to note that the stability of regular seed is also affected by various factors. For example, weather and other environmental stress can cause some of the seeds to become hermaphrodites. If you want to produce a high-quality crop, you’ll need to ensure that your growing environment is stable. This can be difficult, especially for beginners. It’s also worth remembering that feminized seeds undergo human tampering, which can lead to stability issues.

Variety

Some breeders only offer their strains as regular seeds, and they may require some more attention to grow them than feminized or autoflower seeds. For example, growers of regular seeds must identify male plants and remove them from the garden as they emerge during flowering or they will pollinate your females and ruin your harvest.

However, this is no reason to avoid growing regular seeds as they are still a great option for many growers. Providing you are familiar with your strain and how it produces in the outdoor environment, growing regular seeds will give you a good mix of male and female plants that will produce smokable buds and a new generation of seeds.

Moreover, there are some great regular seed varieties that never made the cut in the feminized cannabis market. These old-school strains, such as Alien Technology regular seed, smell like traditional earthy indica and deliver effects that will leave you with a big smile and a bag of munchies.

Price

With feminized seeds becoming increasingly popular, growers may wonder why they still need regular marijuana seed. Regular cannabis seeds operate as nature intended. They have an equal chance of producing male or female plants. This gives breeders the opportunity to create new cultivars and produce high-quality clones.

Regular seeds are also less expensive than feminized marijuana seed. Feminized seeds have a higher price point because of the work that goes into creating them. They are almost guaranteed to produce smokable buds, so they cost more to produce than regular marijuana seeds.

In addition, most feminized marijuana seeds are autoflowering, which means they don’t require a reduction in photoperiod hours to switch from vegetative to flowering. This makes them easier to grow than their regular counterparts. Nonetheless, many growers prefer to plant regular seeds because of their versatility. They can create the strains of their dreams by crossing different specimens to find terpenes that appeal to them and flowers they love.

Ease of breeding

When choosing seeds for your cannabis crop, there are many things to consider. The type of seed you choose depends on your goals and cultivation environment. Whether you’re a breeder or simply looking to get the most out of your plants, you can select from regular, feminized, or autoflowering seeds.

In its natural state, the marijuana plant is dioecious, meaning it produces male and female plants. This can limit your harvest because you’ll need to spend time identifying and getting rid of the males, which can reduce your yield by half.

Feminized seeds are a popular option because they guarantee that all the plants you grow will be female. This is achieved through a process of inducing hermaphroditism in female plants. It is an advanced form of plant breeding and requires careful selection of parent plants with desirable characteristics. It is also more expensive than regular seeds. Another option is mutation breeding, which involves exposing seeds to chemicals or radiation to change their genetic structure.