Grow Herbs With Feminized Seeds
Regular seeds or feminized seeds: which are better? When choosing the ideal marijuana seeds for a new grow, choosing between whether to grow regular or feminized (non-feminized) seeds is quite an important first step. Both types of seeds can produce robust and flavorful indoor crops, with the regular seeds being preferred due to their ability to resist bugs, disease and stress. Non- Feminized cannabis seeds, on the other hand, are popular in areas where contaminants and frost can easily take a toll on indoor plants; however, they’re also less resilient and more susceptible to moisture deprivations.
Autoflowering vs. flowering time: does feminization affect the flowering time of your plants? In general, when growing cannabis under the influence of feminization, your plants should start to bloom roughly two weeks after the last set of rain for that specific region. If you’re growing outdoors, autoflowering strains tend to flower much sooner due to the nature of the light cycle. However, if you’re growing indoors, flowering time will depend on the type of marijuana plant used, and there are many variables to consider.
One of the most common questions we get from our readers concerns the pros and cons of regular seeds. This particular type of marijuana plant is referred to as “regular” because it grows, behaves and performs like the female counterpart. Unlike female plants making seeds in a process called “soil to seed,” males follow a single sexual division. As such regular seeds are able to withstand the rigors of indoor growing conditions and are less susceptible to diseases and pests.
There are several advantages to using feminized seeds over regular seeds. Although some of the disadvantages can be negated by careful growing techniques, many are simply not negotiable. The biggest advantage of feminized seeds over regular seeds is the new generation that they bring. Unlike with regular seeds, the new generation is produced by the female only. Here are the top four advantages of trying feminized cannabis:
– Extra Growth Potential. When you pair feminization with hydroponic gardening, the plant starts out with substantially more potential to grow. Because the female plants are capable of producing a new generation every time they flower, you end up with a significantly larger plant than you started out with. In fact, some of the more potent and long-lasting varieties may actually exceed one hundred and twenty pounds in weight. This makes growing these plants easier than growing regular seeds, which is a major benefit in any growing environment.
– Control of Your Plants’ Environment. Another advantage of using feminized cannabis seeds is that it allows you greater control over the environment your plants are exposed to, both above and below the seedling stage. Regular seeds are open and allow moisture, light and air to travel in and out of the plant. This makes it difficult to control the environment your marijuana seeds are in, making for a less than ideal growing experience.
– Higher Yield. When you grow cannabis with feminised seeds, you are able to get more yield than with regular seeds because the plant is at a much younger age when it is producing new life. In fact, some hybrid varieties have been known to have yields as high as one hundred and fifty pounds per crop. This is considerably higher than you would get with regular seeds, especially since some male plants stop producing buds once they are about twelve weeks old, but it still means a substantial yield increase over your competitors.
– Control of Potency. Many people who grow feminized seeds, particularly hermaphrodites, do so specifically to control potency. By using feminized marijuana, they are able to keep the potency level in check, resulting in a better, higher quality crop. Regular seeds can still be potent, and they often times end up being too much for many users.