Month: February 2023

Seeds are an important part of many plants. They store food, travel away from their parent plant and grow into a new plant.

In angiosperms, the seeds consist of an embryo and endosperm tissue. Embryos are formed during fertilization, and endosperm is produced later.

They store food

During the germination process, seeds store food for the embryo within their seed. The form of this stored food varies depending on the type of plant, but is typically in the endosperm and/or cotyledons.

The embryo, which is surrounded by a seed coat, will use this stored food to start a new plant. Generally, this stored food is in the form of fats and proteins.

In angiosperms, this stored food is found within the endosperm. In gymnosperms, such as conifers, this stored food is in the perisperm.

One of the biggest enemies of seeds is sunlight, so it’s a good idea to keep them in dark, opaque containers when possible. Another enemy is moisture, so try to find a storage container that doesn’t allow the seeds to absorb water from the air.

They travel away from the parent plant

For a seed to germinate and grow into a new plant, it needs water, space and sunlight. If it drops straight to the ground beneath an adult plant, it might face strong competition for these resources.

To help their seeds survive, many plants have developed ways to disperse them away from the parent plant. The most common methods are wind, water, animals and fire.

The wind can carry seeds a long distance, depending on their size or weight. For example, the tufts of hairs on the seeds of dandelions and milkweed called pappi catch the wind and propel them far from the mother plant.

Some seeds are light enough to float in water, like coconut or mangrove seeds.

Animals can eat the seeds, breaking down the protective covering and excreting them far from the parent plant. This is called allochory, and is a type of dispersal that relies on external forces, unlike autochory, which happens when the seeds are moved by their own means.

They grow into a new plant

A seed is the mature ovule of a flowering plant (angiosperms), or the reproductive organ of spermatophytes (gymnosperms). It contains a miniature undeveloped plant (the embryo) and food reserves (endosperm) that are enclosed in a protective coat called a testa.

When the embryo inside a seed germinates, it begins to soak up water from the environment. This helps it start to use the stored energy within its cells.

The embryo also needs oxygen and the right temperature for germination to take place. If the seed does not have these three conditions, it will stay dormant and unable to germinate.

Embryonic leaves, known as cotyledons, begin to form when seeds germinate. They look different for each plant family. For example, tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings have a pair of long, narrow leaves; radishes and broccoli have stubby, heart-shaped cotyledons. The cotyledons provide a support system for the developing true leaves that grow above them.

They are a source of food

Seeds are the food sources of many plants. They are a major source of calories, protein, and minerals. They are the main components of plant foods such as grains, legumes, nuts and spices.

Most seeds have a protective shell, or seed coat, that helps them keep their embryo, a tiny plant, and the endosperm, small leaves that provide the embryo with food, from drying out. These coats vary in thickness, from soft as in beans to hard as in locust and coconut seeds.

Within a seed, there is usually a store of nutrients that the embryo needs to grow into a new plant. Depending on the type of plant, this is in the form of a tissue called the endosperm or in some cases, aleurone grains.

Seeds are a great source of fiber that can help with digestion and stabilize blood sugar levels to prevent sudden spikes and crashes. They are also a good source of omega-3 fats, which can help lower inflammation and reduce the risk of certain diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

Regular seed is an original type of cannabis seed, consisting of pure seedlings not genetically modified or chemically altered. These seeds are a favourite for both old-school growers and newbies.

They are the result of a cross between a male and female Cannabis plant. These types are a great option for those looking to breed their own strains and try out breeding experiments.

Breeding

Regular seed is the most common type of cannabis seeds used for breeding purposes. These seeds are bred from both male and female plants, producing about 50% male and 50% female offspring.

They are a firm favourite of old-school growers, and a great option for beginners. They are also a perfect starting point for creating your own hybrids and landrace strains.

To breed regular seed, pick your favourite male and female plants, then cross them to create offspring with traits you want to see in new varieties. It’s important to keep good records of the parents and offspring, and how they turned out in order to keep track of which plants have which traits.

Regular seed gives growers the ability to easily clone their chosen specimens for future generations, making it possible to recreate the exact morphology and colour of an individual plant. However, it’s important to note that regular seed doesn’t have the same stability as feminized seed.

Cloning

Cloning is a method of taking cuttings from vegetative mother plants. This allows growers to reproduce high yielding strains over and over again.

A clone is an exact genetic copy of the mother plant’s traits, including size, taste, morphology, and productivity. These duplicates can be useful for a variety of reasons.

Among them, some growers will use clones to produce a specific strain or phenotype for a particular purpose. For example, a breeder might want to replicate the best strain in a line.

Others might have a hunch that clones would give them more options when it comes to strains that are hard to find locally. They can also help keep a strain’s genetics from crossing with other strains.

Clones are also cheaper and less complicated to work with than seeds. In addition, they can simplify a grow by keeping the strains with similar phenotypes in the same grow space.

Germination

Germination is the process by which a seed wakes up from its dormant state and starts to grow into a new plant. It involves three key triggers – air, water and warmth – which all work together to bring the seeds out of their sleep.

Soaking your seeds in water helps them to swell and split open, softening their protective seed coat and speeding up the time it takes for them to germinate. The water also provides a source of dissolved oxygen and improves their permeability.

However, soaking your seeds overnight isn’t always recommended as it can dry out the cells and deplete them of water. If you are unsure about the best way to soak your seeds, read your seed packets for a rough estimate on how long it will take them to germinate.

For old seeds that are drying up and losing germination power, we recommend soaking them in lightly carbonated water or a mix of fulvic acid at around 10ml per litre. This is especially important for hard, scarified seeds as it can help them to absorb the water they need.

Planting

Regular seeds can be an interesting option for some growers. They can be used to backcross strains, resulting in new genetics or stable IBLs (Interspecific Breeding Line).

They are also popular with growers who want to preserve old-school heritage cultivars from the pre-90s. Many of these heritage plants were never modified into feminized varieties, and are now available only in regular seed form.

These plants are ideal for breeding and hybridizing as they will produce both male and female flowers in a balanced percentage of the batch. This enables the breeder to create new and unique cannabis strains from the genetics in their garden.

Another benefit of regular seed is that they are more resilient to stress than feminized varieties. They are less likely to turn into hermaphrodites when stressed, and they can be cultivated all year round without the hassle of adjusting their light exposure. They are therefore a great choice for beginners and experienced growers alike!

Cannabis seeds are the building blocks of marijuana plants. They contain the essential nutrients and genetics needed to grow your own plants from seed.

There are three main types of cannabis seeds: regular, auto-flowering, and feminized. Each category has its own unique characteristics and benefits.

Male and Female Plants

When you’re growing cannabis seed, it is important to be able to tell the difference between male and female plants. Getting rid of male plants early on will spare you a lot of wasted time, effort, and energy.

The first sign of a plant’s gender is usually around 6 weeks into growth. During this stage, your plant may show signs of “pre-flowers”.

Pre-flowers are little buds that form between the nodes (where leaves and branches grow out of the stalk). Male plants produce pollen sacs, while female plants produce a stigma which catches pollen.

A female flower consists of a cluster of buds, known as a cola. The buds are green tear-shaped and contain a high concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes.

Clones

Clones are a type of cannabis seed that are exact genetic copies of their mother plant. This is an excellent option for growers looking for specific strains that they want to cultivate.

But, clones also come with their own drawbacks, as well. First, they can be less pest resistant than seeds and grow slower.

Second, clones can also develop molds or mildew. This is especially true if they are grown in an enclosed environment such as a propagation tray or humidity dome.

If you want to avoid these problems, it’s a good idea to sterilize the tray and dome before rooting your clones. This will prevent the mold spores from forming and spreading. In addition, misting your clones regularly will help them to stay hydrated and keep them healthy.

Feminized Seeds

Feminized seeds are a good choice for growers who want to avoid having to weed out male plants before they pollinate female plants. This ensures that you’ll always have a harvest full of female cannabis plants and no unwanted seeds that could reduce your final crop’s potency.

Unlike regular seeds, feminized seed strains are bred to produce only female plants. This is because only females produce consumable flowers, and having male cannabis plants around them can ruin an entire harvest.

However, feminized seeds can still hermaphrodite (grow into male plants) in some cases, so you should watch out for this potential problem. Fortunately, modern breeders are using creative techniques to ensure female genetics in feminized cannabis seeds.

To find the best feminized seeds for your growing needs, you should start by researching germination rates and expected yields. Some feminized seeds are faster to flower than others, so you may need to keep an eye on your plant’s growth and light-needs to maximize your yield.

Dispensaries

Cannabis seed is the raw material that allows a grower to obtain clones from a particular strain. This allows consistent genetics for commercial production.

A cannabis seed is a single cell that contains genetic information from both the mother and father plants. This information can be used to express a variety of traits in the plant.

Germination occurs when a cannabis seed sprouts from the ground and grows its taproot down into the soil. To ensure germination, many seed banks offer a moisture-proof bag or container that can be inserted directly into the soil to germinate seeds.

The best seed banks guarantee a high percentage of germination. These companies typically stock a large inventory of popular strains that are well-reviewed.

These strains usually come with a 100% germination guarantee, so you can count on your seed order to germinate within a few days of arrival. This is a big benefit when compared to seed banks that offer only a few sativa and indica strains.