If you are a grower or breeder, regular seeds may be the right choice for your next grow. They allow you to work with different phenotypes and understand the full growth cycle of your plants.
With this knowledge, you can select the best specimens for breeding. This is how new strains with desirable traits are created!
Stable Genetics
A big reason that many cannabis cultivators prefer regular seeds is because they are more consistent and reliable than feminized ones. The process of creating stable seeds is a long and time-consuming one, requiring patience, investment capital and the ability to grow for several generations.
To stabilise a strain, breeders select a stable mother plant that displays the traits they want in their new creation and then cross her with a stable father that also possesses these desirable properties. The resulting hybrid offspring (called the filial-1, or f1, generation) will still have a fair amount of variation, but over several generations of selecting and backcrossing plants on the basis of desired characteristics, these variations should reduce until they become virtually eliminated.
Seed companies that specialize in developing and patenting these stable genetic lines could be an attractive business model for agtech companies interested in investing in the cannabis industry. This may open up a profitable avenue for these companies to produce and sell stable seeds to cultivators, much like they do with other crops such as corn and soybeans.
Less Expensive
A common way to save money on seeds is by buying a seed blend. While this can save on some cost, it also limits the genetic variety you have available. This type of seed usually comes with a treatment which protects it from diseases and pests. However, these chemicals can have side effects on humans.
Many growers and breeders enjoy working with regular seed to produce a strain of their own choosing. While it can be a bit of a gamble when it comes to male plants and female ones, most agree that the reward is worth it.
Some growers also like to toss regular seeds into the wild in the hopes of re-establishing cannabis in its natural habitat. Planting these seeds allows for cross pollination and the emergence of new seeds, establishing a wild cannabis ecosystem once again. This practice is known as “reefing”. Those who take on this task often have to go on a pheno hunt, separating male and female plants well before flowering.
Easy to Grow
Regular seeds are best for beginner growers because they give you a more realistic view of how the plant will behave. As they don’t become hermaphrodites, growers will have to spend some time removing male plants from their crop (although there are ways to reduce this effort, such as by using certain fertilizers).
With the majority of your crop being female, you can be confident that all of your water and nutrients will be going to the desired buds. This is a great way to increase your yields and quality.
It’s important to buy a few more seeds than the number of plants you want, so that you can account for any male plants that will need to be culled. Similarly, it’s recommended to purchase some seeds that have been treated with pesticides and fungicides, as these will be better protected from diseases and improve the germination process. These treatments can also be used to help protect against harsh weather conditions, such as drought.
Easy to Breed
When cultivating regular seed, it’s vital that you identify male plants and eliminate them before they pollinate. This ensures that your female plants have the energy they need to grow large buds and achieve high yields. Otherwise, they’ll spend that energy producing seeds instead of focusing on growing larger colas.
With a little effort, identifying sexed Cannabis plants is surprisingly easy. This can be especially helpful if you’re breeding your own strains. Crossing two different strains can create new cultivars with improved traits, such as higher yields, more complex terpene profiles, and faster trichome development.
Ultimately, it’s up to the individual grower and breeder to decide whether feminized or regular seed is the best choice for their needs. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but many seasoned growers still choose to cultivate regular seed for its genetic stability and reliability. They also find that working with regular seed gives them a better understanding of the plant’s full life cycle.
