Regular seeds are the natural offspring of pollinated female cannabis plants. They grow into either male or female plants, depending on environmental conditions.
They’re popular with growers who enjoy breeding their own strains of marijuana. The process involves crossing different specimens to produce offspring with desirable traits like terpene content, flavour profile and colour.
Breeding
If you’re interested in creating your own strains, regular seeds are the way to go. They work how nature intended and have a 50% chance of germinating as male or female plants, providing the breeder with the perfect plants to create their desired cultivar.
Regular seeds also have a higher potential for potency compared to feminized seeds, which can be less stable due to the genetic modification process.
The ability to create strains from regular seeds also allows the grower to produce a predominately female crop, which makes it easier for them to manage and produces better quality buds. With a predominately female crop, there are no male plants to pollinate and ruin the harvest which also improves yield. For these reasons, many growers prefer using regular seeds. They also tend to be cheaper than feminized seeds. However, be sure to keep your seeds dry and secure – moisture is the enemy. Use silica gel packets in your seed storage bags to help absorb excess moisture.
Cloning
Cloning is an easy way for growers to replicate a particular strain. A healthy mother plant is key for a successful clone. Look for limp leaves, a weak root system and signs of disease like powdery mildew.
Cleanliness is also important, as clones are susceptible to diseases and hitchhikers that travel with them from dispensaries and markets into clean grow rooms. Make sure the clone you’re taking comes from a plant that has been well-maintained, and disinfect your scissors or razor before cutting.
The lower, fresher branch is the most desirable one for a clone because it has the newest stem cells. It’s best to cut at a 45-degree angle from the stem to increase surface area and promote quicker rooting. Once your clones are ready to transplant, put them in a quarantine room for a few days or a week. This prevents them from spreading germs to the rest of your garden. In addition, it gives them a chance to get accustomed to the light in their new home before they are introduced to your main crop.
Preserving Old-School Genetics
Before feminized seeds came on the market growers used to cultivate regular marijuana plants that produce male and female buds. On average half of the seeds you plant will yield bud-producing plants.
If you’re a grower who appreciates the integrity of organic cannabis or prefers to avoid feminization and other genetic tampering, you will want to select regular seeds. These are also the best option if you are looking to grow specific strains that are not available as clones.
The good news is that growing regular seeds is very similar to the way you would grow feminized seeds, with one exception: you’ll need to remove male plants early on in the process to ensure your females have an uninterrupted opportunity to develop into robust adults. You could always cross your females to create new cultivars with different attributes like flavor, potency, flowering time or other traits. Breeding has been a part of the cultivation of cannabis since the beginning, after all, and crossing different varieties of marijuana is an essential process for cultivating superior weed.
Creating Your Own Strains
To many breeders, regular seeds are the only true way to create strains of cannabis. They offer more flexibility and a wider gene pool for creating new, unique phenotypes than feminized plants.
This is especially important to some growers, who prefer working with natural strains that produce a higher percentage of male plants when flowering. Feminized seeds aren’t suitable for this purpose, as they are designed to produce only female specimens and can cause a mix of male and female plants when breeding.
With regular seeds, growers have the ability to create hybrids using their own male and female plants, which they can then use to cultivate the next generation of buds. This allows them to get closer to creating their dream strain, with a high level of control over the genetics and a more tailored growing experience. With a bit of experimentation, you can eventually find a strain that produces the exact terpenes, high, and flowers you’re after.
