Regular seeds are a type of cannabis seed that produces 50% male and 50% female offspring. This is how cannabis plants grow naturally, and before feminized seed technology was invented, this was the only option.
While these seeds may be less popular than feminized ones, they still remain an important part of the cannabis seed market. They are also used for breeding purposes, and they can be a good choice for beginner growers.
They can be used for breeding
The ability to breed cannabis plants is one of the most rewarding parts of growing cannabis. With the right selection of male and female plants, you can create offspring that produce a certain terpene profile or flower in a particular color.
The first step in breeding is selecting two stable parent strains to cross with each other. This process is referred to as outbreeding and creates a hybrid strain.
After cross-breeding, a male of one strain will pollinate a female of the other, and these seeds will then produce offspring that express the genes of both parents. These offspring will be called F1 seeds.
These seeds will be the most stable of the generations that follow, and they will also grow faster. However, they do require a special breeding chamber to contain the pollen from both plants so that it can be collected and used in the next round of cross-breeding. This can take several rounds before the desired results are achieved, but the reward is worth it.
They are cheaper
Regular seeds are a cheaper option than other types of seeds. This is because they are usually not processed and don’t require any chemical agents.
These seeds are great for beginner growers who want to gain experience in the cultivation process. They also allow for a more consistent harvest.
However, there is one downside to regular seeds: Approximately half of the plants that emerge from them will be males. This means that you have to cull them in order to keep the sex balance in your crop.
Feminized seeds, on the other hand, are guaranteed to produce female plants 99.9% of the time. This makes them a better option for breeding purposes and helps to protect your crop from male pollinators.
They are easier to grow
Regular seeds are a great option for growers who want to keep the female plants they’ve grown, either as mother plants or clones. These are hardy, vigorous plants that usually produce larger yields and more trichomes than autoflowering or feminized seeds.
They also have the advantage of not requiring genetic modification to make them less stable, so they’re perfect for breeding and experimenting with different strains. However, they may require more time and effort from the grower to select the best mother plant for their growing environment.
Despite these disadvantages, some growers still prefer regular seeds because of their ability to breed new cannabis strains. They can do this by back crossing and producing a new generation of the desired cultivar, which requires a different phenotype than what is produced using feminized seeds.
They are more stable
Regular seeds are better for breeding because they haven’t undergone any genetic tampering that would make them less stable. They also offer more genetic diversity, allowing you to find a strain that is suitable for your growing needs.
Unlike feminized seeds, regular seeds will produce both male and female plants. This makes them a better choice for breeding, as you can weed out the males and focus on growing the best females.
Another reason to choose regular seeds is that they will be cheaper than feminized ones. Feminized cannabis seeds are more expensive because they are harder to breed and only give you a female plant every 1 in 1000 seeds.
However, this is a small price to pay for a better overall harvest. It also means that you can grow a larger crop, which is important for maximizing your investment. This is a big advantage compared to autoflowering seeds, which are less expensive but don’t yield as much cannabis per plant.