Month: July 2023

When choosing seeds, many cultivators have to decide between feminized and regular seed. This decision often comes down to the grower’s cultivation experience and their main aims with their crop.

Regular seed produces male and female plants, with on average a ratio of around 50/50. This means that the grower has to spend time identifying and removing male plants during the growing process.

Advantages

Regular seeds are not feminized, so they grow into plants that can produce both male and female flowers. This may sound counterintuitive, but a few things happen as a result of this:

First and foremost, the plants grown from regular seed are typically more potent. Moreover, the plants are more tolerant of stressors like heat and drought than their feminized counterparts.

The second advantage of growing with regular seeds is that they’re less expensive. This is due to the fact that feminized seeds undergo a genetic process that results in a higher price tag than regular seeds.

In addition, growing with regular seeds is more streamlined, as there’s no need to weed out male plants. This allows growers to utilize their grow space more efficiently and ultimately yield a larger crop. Additionally, growing with regular seeds gives growers the option to clone their plants and cultivate them as cuttings, which can be very useful for those who wish to preserve the potency of a strain.

Cost

The cost of regular cannabis seeds varies depending on the strain and seed breeder. However, it is generally less expensive than feminized seeds, making them an excellent choice for new growers or those on a budget.

In addition, the cultivation of regular seeds is more natural and sustainable than feminized seeds. This makes them a popular choice amongst experienced growers and breeders who enjoy the challenge of creating their own hybrid strains.

Whether you’re looking for cheap marijuana seeds or are simply searching for the best cannabis varieties, Herbies Seeds has an extensive selection of strains to choose from. We’re always adding new varieties to our collection, and we offer a wide range of discounts and promotions on our products. Check out our selection today! We look forward to helping you find the perfect strain for your garden. Happy growing! This is one of our hottest collections. It has a great mix of indica and sativa strains.

Genetic Stability

Genetically stable varieties are highly desirable to breeders who aim to develop new strains. Stabilising a strain takes many generations of selective breeding to produce hybrid offspring that display consistent traits and performance in the field. The stability of a variety is also an important factor in the molecular characterization that is carried out prior to regulatory approvals allowing commercial cultivation.

As with regular seeds, feminized seed produces male and female plants. The process of growing feminized seed requires careful observation and identification to ensure that male plants are removed before pollination occurs. As a result, cultivating feminized seeds is more labour intensive than growing regular seed.

The genetic stability of a variety is also an important consideration for breeders who wish to use their seeds in cloning operations. Using feminized seeds for cloning can result in unpredictable phenotype variation that is unfavorable for commercial crop production. Genetically stable seed is a key factor in ensuring that the desired phenotypes are consistently expressed throughout a harvest.

Male Plants

In a garden with regular seeds the ratio of male to female plants can fluctuate. While this can be frustrating for some growers, it can also provide a more challenging and rewarding experience. Male plants produce pollen which can be used to fertilize female plants and create new strains of cannabis. For this reason, growers who work with regular seeds often prefer to harvest the male plants and use them for breeding.

This can be more time-consuming than simply removing the female plants before they flower. However, it can save growers the hassle and expense of unplanned hermaphroditis. Hermaphroditis can be caused by a variety of factors, from genetic predisposition to physical stress and environmental conditions. Managing hermaphroditis is an important part of growing quality marijuana and requires vigilance, knowledge and swift action. Male plants can be harvested and used for breeding purposes, enabling growers to maintain their desired sex ratio. They can also be useful for growing cuttings and preserving seeds.

While feminized seeds make cultivation easier by eliminating the need to identify and remove male plants, regular seed offers growers a number of advantages.

Firstly, the ratio of male to female plants in a batch of seeds is naturally balanced out. This is a major plus for breeders, who prefer to work with genuine phenotypes.

Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity is important for plant species, as it allows them to adapt to changing climatic conditions and environmental stresses. However, ensuring genetic diversity in plant materials can be difficult. A lack of genetic diversity can lead to poor performance or even death in the field, and it can make plants susceptible to pathogens and herbivores.

Genetic diversity is the ability of a plant to produce both male and female seeds, which are necessary for breeding and creating new strains. Many growers choose to use regular seed, which produces both male and female plants, rather than feminized seed, which only produces female plants. The ability to breed with regular seed also makes it more cost-effective than feminized seed. In addition, some growers believe that regular seed has a greater potential for potency than feminized seed. This is due to the larger genetic pool and the ability to cross-breed.

Breeding

In addition to allowing growers to select and keep their favorite strains, regular seeds can also be crossed with feminized seeds. This can increase yields and create hybrids with a wide range of desirable traits, including resistance to pests, disease, and environmental conditions.

Because regular seeds can produce male and female plants, they are a better choice for growers who want to use them for breeding purposes. Feminized seeds, on the other hand, are designed to produce only female plants. This makes them ideal for commercial growers who need a certain ratio of female to male plants in their crop.

Feminized seed is also easier to manage, as there are no male plants to remove from the crop. This can save time and effort, as well as improve the quality of the finished buds. With a predominately female crop, growers can focus on the characteristics they want to emphasize, such as growth structure, leaf pattern, flowering time, aroma, effect, and resistance to pests and diseases.

Cloning

Clones offer a chance for the grower to make use of the advantages of genetic selection while also providing consistency. They are often healthier than plants grown from seed and may exhibit a higher yield.

When choosing a clone, the grower should look for an plant that has good disease resistance and vibrant foliage. It should also be at least two months into its vegetative cycle.

During the rooting process, it’s essential to keep the cuttings well-hydrated. A light misting of water on the bottom of the clipping can help speed up the process. Using a rooting gel or hormone can also aid the cloning process, though some growers opt to skip this step.

Once the clones have roots, they can be transplanted into their permanent homes. The most important thing to remember is that clones are very fragile and need to be handled with care. Clones that are exposed to bacteria or other contaminants during this process can die before they develop roots.

Organic

Organic growing/farming means that the seed is grown using sustainable methods from start to finish, excluding pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Seed that has been treated with chemicals is considered non-organic because the chemicals are carried down into the soil and into groundwater, contaminating the environment for the next crop.

Home gardeners can also purchase untreated, regular seeds that are organically grown by companies such as Burpee or Stokes Seeds. They can also collect their own seed, either from their harvested plants or from seeds they buy from local growers.

Many growers use both feminized and regular seeds to produce different strains of cannabis. They are able to select the best male and female specimens and cross them to create offspring with specific traits, such as extreme potency, a particular flavour profile or beautiful colours. The genetic diversity and stability that regular seed offers makes it a popular choice for many cultivators. It is also cheaper than feminized seed.

Whether you grow cannabis for recreational or medicinal purposes, quality seed is the key to a healthy and successful harvest. It’s important to know how to recognize top-quality seeds, so you can start your grows with the best possible genetic potential.

Regular cannabis seeds require a male plant to fertilize them to produce female plants that will produce buds. They contain the entire genetic blueprint for the marijuana plant.

Size

The size of a cannabis seed can vary quite a bit, but it’s not an accurate indicator of the seed’s viability. Seeds can range from jet-black to light tan or grey and everything in between.

They are ovular in shape with one side that is rounded and the other that has a ridge running longitudinally. The ridge opens up during the germination process.

Seeds can either be male or female, but most growers prefer to cultivate only the female seeds. This is because the female plants will produce buds. Male seeds can be used to pollinate the female plants, but they will not produce buds themselves. The sex of the plant can also be determined by the color of the seed. Darker colored seeds are usually more mature.

Shape

Just like sunflower, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds, shelled hemp seeds (also called “hemp hearts”) are becoming increasingly popular as a snack, especially among athletes and fitness professionals. These crunchy, nutty, high-protein snacks are packed with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, as well as the rare gamma-linoleic acid.

Interestingly, the shape of a cannabis seed can also vary; one end may be rounded while the other pointy. However, the varying shapes of cannabis seeds do not indicate any differences in germination or plant quality.

Seed color can range from light to dark brown, with some seeds having black lines that look like tiger stripes. But again, this is a superficial physical attribute that does not say anything about the quality of the future plants that will grow from those seeds.

Embryos

Unlike most seeds, cannabis seed embryos are not protected by an outer shell. They are vulnerable to heat and cold, so it’s best to keep them in a fridge where the temperature is stable and they are sheltered from light.

The embryo contains the genetic code of your new plant and the four immature cotyledon leaves that sprout when the seed germinates. Healthy, viable seeds are dark in color and firm to the touch.

They are used for breeding, where pollen from a male and female plant produce offspring with the traits of both parents. This is the basis of the many strain varieties that we enjoy today. The other use for regular seeds is to grow clones, tiny replicas of the mother plants that can be replanted again and again to produce more crops of uniform cannabis.

Cotyledons

When a cannabis seed sprouts, it will grow rounded cotyledon leaves in pairs. These leaves allow the plant to begin photosynthesis, which provides the energy needed for growth. The cotyledons will eventually shed and fan leaves will appear.

Hemp seeds contain healthy fats, protein and minerals, which are essential for the body. They are also rich in magnesium, which helps relax the muscles and reduce stress levels. They are also a good source of Omega-3 and Omega-6, which help improve the functioning of the brain and prevent depression.

Hemp seeds are also known to relieve PMS symptoms. They contain anti-inflammatory properties, which can ease cramps and nausea. They can also be used to reduce the effects of insomnia and anxiety. They are also a good source of nutrients that can boost the immune system.

Radicle

Typically, healthy cannabis seeds have a tear-drop shape. Seeds that stray from this consistent shape may be defective, causing problems during germination or growing.

Unlike feminized seeds, regular seeds can be used for breeding. Selective crossings between two cultivars can produce new plants with a wide range of desirable characteristics. Breeding is best done with plants that have their full set of chromosomes, which regular seeds provide.

Aside from breeding, consuming regular cannabis seeds can have a number of health benefits. For example, arginine present in cannabis seeds can help alleviate depression and anxiety by relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow. These seeds also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart diseases. They can also be eaten raw, as a snack called “hemp hearts.” These are crunchy and flavorful.