If you are an intermediate grower and want to try breeding your own cultivar, regular seeds provide an excellent opportunity for this. They will germinate as expected, and can be sexed to produce the desired ratio of male to female plants.
However, they will produce males, requiring you to spend time and resources weeding out these unwanted plants. This limits your yield.
They Are Unaltered
A stalwart favourite of growers, regular seed represents the natural, unaltered cannabis plants that we were all used to till feminized and autoflowering seeds came along. These seeds produce male and female plants at an equal rate and are photoperiod, relying on the light cycle to grow into mature marijuana plants.
Growers like to work with regulars because they give them the opportunity to pheno hunt. When a male plant is spotted, it can be separated from the female and its pollen sacs can then be used to fertilize a clone. This is how new cultivars are developed.
Regular seeds also allow growers to develop strains that don’t exist as clones, which is why many classic, old school strains are still only available as regulars. They are often a more robust breed than their feminized counterparts and therefore offer a rich genetic pool for breeders to explore and exploit. This can result in the creation of unique, rare phenotypes with exciting and potent flavours.
They Are Cheaper
A lot of growers use regular seeds as a part of their seed stock making process. The process is a delicate one. Male plants must be separated from females and pollen transferred to the desired female plant. This is done to ensure that the females are pollinated and that a crop of seeds will be produced.
This can be a time consuming task and the cost of the male plants can add up. Taking this into account, some growers prefer to use feminized seeds.
Nevertheless, growing regular seeds can be rewarding, especially for experienced growers. Choosing the right strain can result in spectacular harvests that are packed full of rich, potent smoke. From euphoric highs to body relaxing effects, the possibilities are endless when it comes to selecting the perfect strain of your choice. So if you are looking for something different, why not try a sampler pack of regular seeds from Amsterdam Genetics? These mixed packs can offer a wide selection of strains that are sure to meet all your cultivation needs.
They Are Stable
Regular seeds contain both male and female DNA so they will produce an equal proportion of male and female plants at maturity. This means that you will be able to enjoy a heavy yield for the first harvest and the seedlings produced can also be used for your next crop.
However, it is important to separate the male plants from the females early on in flowering. This will prevent the male plants from pollinating the colas and ruining your crop.
This will also save you a lot of money on products such as nutrients and light that you would otherwise be wasting because you wouldn’t have to remove the male plants from the garden. This way you will be able to use the entire growing space and also ensure that your female plants are producing buds. This will improve the overall quality of your crop. This is why many growers prefer to use regular seeds rather than feminized ones.
They Are Organic
In many cases, if you like the morphology or colour of a particular strain you can replicate it through cloning. This process is essential for those who wish to grow multiple harvests or create their own strains as it allows you to preserve the genetic stability of a parent plant, whilst exploring new and exciting phenotypes. Regular seeds do not contain hermaphrodite chromosomes like feminized seeds so they are more likely to produce male plants than their feminized counterparts.
This can prove tricky for beginners, as identifying and removing male plants is necessary to avoid pollination and maintain the quality of your yield. However, with proper observation and experience this becomes easier over time. Regular seeds are great for those who want to start breeding as they can produce a ratio of male and female plants that can then be used to cultivate the next generation of strains. For this reason, it is recommended that you only purchase these seeds from reputable breeders and seed banks.