Month: February 2023

In botany, a seed is an undeveloped plant embryo and food reserve enclosed in a protective outer covering. More generally, the term “seed” refers to anything that can be sown.

Most seeds contain an embryo that grows into a seedling under optimum conditions. They also have endosperm, which is a storage reservoir for starch and oil.

What is a seed?

In botany, a seed is an undeveloped plant embryo and food reserve enclosed in a protective outer covering. They are the product of a fertilized ovule (the fruit of a flower) and, given appropriate growth conditions, become the new plant, which is called a seedling.

In angiosperms, or flowering plants, seeds develop from ovules contained in the ovary. These ovules are fertilized with sperm from pollen. The zygote forms a seed coat around the ovule and grows within the mother plant to a certain size before its development is halted.

The seed coat protects the seed from physical, mechanical, temperature-related and water damage. It contains the embryo, which germinates under ideal conditions and is nourished by endosperm. The cotyledon is the first leaf to develop within the seed.

Germination

During seed germination, the embryo inside the seed starts to develop and grow. It absorbs water and oxygen, and then begins to swell as the seed coat breaks open. Eventually a root or radicle emerges, followed by a shoot that contains the leaves and stem.

Seed germination requirements vary for different plant species, but generally include water, air, temperature and ultimately access to light. Some seeds require full sun for germination, while others germinate best in darkness.

Most seeds remain dormant or inactive until conditions are right for germination. This can occur when the seed is physically dormant (hard or thick seed coat), chemically dormant (abscisic acid or gibberellin levels), or a combination of both.

Endosperm

Endosperm forms the second stage in seed development and is the most important part of a seed. It is responsible for embryogenesis and stores food in the form of starch or other nutrients.

It is produced in both angiosperms and gymnosperms. It is formed during apomixis, which is the process whereby an asexual embryo develops without prior meiosis.

The development of the endosperm is dependent on the genomes of both parents. It also requires communication between the genes of the embryo and the surrounding seed coat.

There are two types of endosperm formation, the nuclear (or liquid) type where cell wall formation is delayed for a number of cell divisions and the cellular type where the walls are initiated instantly. Liquid endosperms are common in sweet corn and coconut water, while cellular types are found in seeds of wheat, barley and oat.

Cotyledons

A cotyledon is the first leaf formed in the seed of a plant. It contains stored food that provides energy to the growing plant until it can produce its first true leaves and stem.

The number of cotyledons within a seed can vary from 8 to 20 or more, depending on the type of plant. Some cotyledons are only ephemeral, lasting days after germination; others persist for a year or more.

Many seeds germinate with a single cotyledon, which may remain below the ground (hypogeal) or emerge above it (epigeal). In plants like daylily, a cotyledon is usually hypogeal and remains below the soil until the true leaves are formed.

In a seed, there is also a structure called endosperm that helps to store nutrients for use by the developing embryo. It is a thick, fleshy structure with two ends, a plumule and a radicle. The plumule develops into a shoot and the radicle develops into a root.

Cannabis is a dioecious plant, which means male and female reproductive organs appear on different plants. These organs are pollinated by specialized insects and bats, and the seeds are born.

Seeds can be male or female, but most growers prefer to only grow feminized seeds. These seeds are guaranteed to be bud-producing females, cutting out the step of sexing out plants and discarding males.

Feminised Marihuana Seeds

Feminised marijuana seeds are an absolute essential for all growers who want to achieve impressive yields without having to worry about unwanted male plants affecting their crop. They also offer an enormous saving on space and fertilizer – a huge benefit for beginners who need to stick to a limited growing area or growers with strict restrictions on number of plants.

A popular strain amongst growers, Sensi Seeds’ Skunk #1 Feminized has a strong Indica influence and a slightly higher height than its regular counterpart. It grows quite stoutly and is capable of achieving yields of up to 800 g/m2 indoors or a full kilo outdoors, thanks to its sativa influence.

Feminised seeds are created through selective breeding, removing all the male genes from the resulting plants and thereby creating female offspring that will produce flower-bearing buds. The resulting seeds are almost always of identical quality, in terms of aroma, flavour, resin production, THC level and so on, to their’regular’ counterparts.

Autoflowering Marihuana Seeds

Autoflowering seeds are a great option for beginners who are new to grow cannabis. These seeds do not need a specific light cycle to trigger flowering, which makes them easier to grow indoors than photoperiod varieties.

These seeds are also ideal for outdoor cultivation, as they can be harvested much earlier than photoperiod plants. They can also be grown in colder climates because they are resilient to harsh conditions.

To get the best results, you should keep a close eye on the temperature and humidity levels during different stages of your plant’s growth. These factors are crucial for maximizing your harvest.

You can easily find high-quality autoflowering cannabis strains on the market. These seeds are often recommended for commercial growers, as they produce a large yield of resin-heavy buds.

Regular Marihuana Seeds

With the recent development of feminized and autoflowering cannabis seeds, you may be wondering whether regular seed strains are still relevant. The answer is yes, in some cases.

One reason that regular seeds remain popular is that they allow breeders to create new phenotypes by crossing their favourite male and female strains. This can be done for extreme potency, specific colours and flavours or any combination of traits that they desire.

The second reason why regular seeds are so popular is because they provide strong and healthy clones for the breeder to use. These clones are tiny replicas of the original plant, with all the robust characteristics that go with it.

While some growers choose to germinate regular seeds, it doesn’t have any impact on the germination rate. It is just a matter of keeping your seeds moist and making sure they are in the right environment to germinate. Lastly, remember to transplant the seeds into the soil as soon as they have a strong taproot.

Medical Marihuana Seeds

Medical marijuana seeds are a great way to get your hands on some high-quality cannabis without paying exorbitant prices from dispensaries. They allow you to have total control over your supply, and produce buds that are ideally suited for your condition.

These seeds are specifically bred to have higher levels of cannabidiol (CBD) and lower THC levels, reducing the psychoactive effects and providing greater therapeutic benefits. Buds from these seeds are known to offer relief from a variety of ailments, including depression and anxiety, muscle spasms, nausea, insomnia and even pain.

They are also available in both feminized and autoflowering versions. Feminized medical marijuana seeds are 99% guaranteed to produce only female plants, while autoflowering cannabis seeds take a shorter time to flower.

When it comes to cannabis, there are four primary types of seed available: regular, feminized, autoflowering, and CBD-rich. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages and appeals to different cultivators depending on their goals.

If you want to breed your own strains or make genetically sturdy clones, regular seeds are the way to go. Because they produce both male and female plants, you can use them to create a variety of strains with unique phenotypes and characteristics.

Breeding

Breeding regular seed is a fun and rewarding process, especially for those who enjoy experimenting with new phenotypes. However, it requires a lot of dedication and patience from growers.

As a result, it is often best to start with feminized seeds for your first crops. This way, you can hone your growing skills and become familiar with the cannabis plant before trying your hand at breeding.

Feminized seeds are made by crossing a female plant with a male, then pollinating the female to get a seed. This is done through the use of chemical agents, including benzothiadiazole, gibberellic acid, silver thiosulphate, or colloidal silver.

Using these chemicals can produce genetically altered plants, which can have a number of health risks and varying vigour. In addition, some breeders believe feminized seeds may be less resilient than their regular counterparts.

Fortunately, many strains are available as regular seeds. The reason is that these varieties can be more stable than their feminized counterparts, and they are often harder to turn into hermaphrodites (plants with both male and female flowers). Therefore, these types of seeds are valuable to cannabis breeders.

Hybridization

Hybridization is a means by which plant breeders create new crop varieties. They typically do this by carefully pollinating two different varieties of the same plant to bring together traits that are desirable in a variety.

This breeding can be very expensive because the pollen must be removed from anthers and hand-pollinated to get the desired results. However, hybrids are usually very useful in the garden because they exhibit many desirable traits that non-hybrids don’t.

One important benefit of hybridization is that it has increased the amount of food available to people around the world. For example, the development of hybrid corn (maize) was a major breakthrough in increasing the number of plants that are grown in the United States.

Another important aspect of hybridization is that it may lead to the development of new and stable species. Originally, this was thought to occur through allopolyploidy, or the duplication of chromosome numbers within a hybrid individual. However, later studies by Muntzing ([1930]) suggested that hybridization can also be a mechanism that leads to the formation of new combinations of alleles by chromosome rearrangements.

Seeds for sale

Regular seed is an essential part of the cannabis breeding process for many gardeners and traditional growers. These seeds carry male and female DNA so that a plant can be crossed to produce offspring.

Unlike feminized seeds, which come from plants that have been genetically altered to only produce female offspring, regular seed is an unaltered natural variety. It produces an approximately 50-50 ratio of male and female plants.

A good seed bank will have a wide selection of regular seeds and offer them at a reasonable price. In addition, they may give you free seeds with your order or by joining their mailing list.

Some seed banks will discreetly deliver the seeds to you, helping to keep you out of legal trouble in your home country. Those sites will also offer to replace your seeds if your package is intercepted by customs.

Growing

Growing regular seed is a rewarding and versatile way to breed and create your own marijuana strains. Unlike feminized seeds, which are modified to produce 100% female plants, regular seed has an even chance of producing male and female plants.

Most cannabis growers prefer working with regular sexed seeds because they allow you to breed your own unique strains and obtain superior clones. Additionally, these seeds are easier to work with than feminized ones.

When germinating a marijuana seed, it is important to make sure it grows into a healthy taproot. This can be done by placing it on a paper towel, between two plates, or in a plastic container.

Once the seed has sprouted, it is time to place it in a dark and warm area of your home. Check it periodically to see if it has grown a healthy taproot.