It goes without saying that cannabis has been one of the world’s best kept secrets. While the general population is steadily turning to this potent plant for a multitude of medical and recreational uses, many in the scientific and medical communities are still quite skeptical about the health benefits of cannabis. Despite this ongoing skepticism, however, more people are deciding to give the old herb a try in their own lives. And why not? Regular cannabis seeds are just as rewarding – if not more so – than the chemically laced, highly unnatural products that are routinely found in today’s cannabis products.
One of the main advantages of breeding for cannabis is that it allows for true genetic variety. It used to go pretty far only to see many seed banks refuse to sell even regular seeds anymore because they’re so popular and easy to cultivate. However, the European seed market today holds 95% of growers who breed with feminized regular seeds. With such a robust (commercial) emphasis on regular cannabis seeds, it is easy to overlook the importance of cultivation of feminized clones for the creation and propagation of a robust, truly diverse gene pool. But why stop there?
With a highly successful breeding program, a dedicated breeder can create a huge amount of cannabis with very little effort on the part of the grower. By crossbreeding old and new species, feminized plants can be created and then used to produce high-quality, strong, high-potency buds. Many people prefer using feminized plants as starters for their own personal collection and to introduce into their own gardens as well.
Of course, the advantages of cultivation of the cannabis plant with feminization come with a few disadvantages. For starters, most hybrid plants are significantly more expensive than non-hybrid plants simply because they contain a greater amount of foreign material. Also, male plants do not always finish their flowering phase (the time between the onset of the female plants’ growth spurt and the time when they begin to flower and produce seeds) in the same way that females do. As a result, the plant will have fewer blooms and produce less potent buds.
This isn’t to say that breeding with regular seeds isn’t an effective way to create the best plants. It is, but there are inherent disadvantages that make cultivating feminized strains and hybrid plants even more desirable. The greater time span between flower changes also means that the plant has more potential to produce large quantities of buds, even as a beginner. Lastly, strains that finish their flowering phase sooner have a higher rate of survival when compared to late-flowering plants. All these factors make feminized strains highly desirable.
When it comes to regular seeds vs. feminized or hybrid cannabis plants, the answer would seem to be “no.” Regular seeds are easier to start off with, and they also provide a very high yield. They’re also easier to maintain. With no female plant present to stop the female plants from growing too fast, regular seeds allow you to control things quite well.
But what if you really want the best results without having to go through the trouble of getting feminized marijuana seeds? There are other options. Some people choose to go with a cross of one of the good male plants and a regular seeds.
Crosses are much easier to manage. If all goes well, you should end up with buds that have lots of life (this happens most often when crossbreeding old-school potent strains). On the downside, most crossbred plants take longer to mature, meaning that you’ll likely have to wait a few months before seeing any real results. Finally, there’s just no comparison between regular seeds and feminized plants-the sheer amount of hybrid potency is simply too much.
