Choosing the right seed for your cannabis garden is crucial. It will affect the size of your harvest, the quality of your buds and whether you can breed a new strain.
Regular seeds give a 50/50 chance of producing male and female plants. They’re preferred by breeders because they offer a wider range of genetically varied plants (phenotypes) to select from for breeding.
Breeding
If you are a grower or breeder who likes to keep things as natural as possible and avoid feminization, then regular seeds may be the way for you. With regular seeds, you have to watch out for male plants that will pollinate your females, so make sure you separate males and females early into flowering or use a process known as progeny testing, which involves collecting male pollen and applying it to the desired plant (ideally a female) to trigger fertilization.
The benefit of this is that you will end up with a full crop of new seedlings, rather than just female plants. Using this method, you will also be able to create hybrids that combine traits of different strains. This is a popular way to create new strains and it can be very rewarding for growers. However, it does take more time and effort than feminized seeds. This is a big reason why some growers choose to stick with feminized seeds.
Cloning
Taking clones is a faster and more reliable way to grow cannabis. This is because clones are biologically mature and have a head start on root development. Clones also allow you to skip the germination and seedling stage, which shaves off about a month from your cultivation journey.
You will need a mother plant to take clones from. It is advisable to look for a branch that has two or more nodes and is at least four inches in length. You should use a razor to make a clean cut as scissors can crush the tissue and inhibit clone growth. The clone should be dipped in rooting gel as soon as it is removed from the mother plant and then immediately placed in your growing medium.
Clones will have a 50/50 chance of being female and male, but this can vary depending on the environment. This is different from feminized seeds, which only produce female plants and can be accidentally fertilized by male plants.
Genetic Stability
The genetic stability of regular seed allows breeders to develop new strains. This genetic consistency is especially important for industrial growers, as it helps them produce consistent yields and quality. It also means that they can use clones to reproduce their products more effectively.
Another advantage of using regular seeds is that they provide a greater range of phenotypes than feminized plants. This enables them to create unique and diverse cannabis varieties that can be used for many different purposes.
The results of this study show that the seven promising lines of M82 showed high genetic stability in all 12 experiments and environments. This was mainly due to the presence of canal-1e4058 and IL10-2-2 loci. Similarly, wild species are selected in nature to survive and reproduce in varied climatic conditions. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the genes and QTLs found in these lines will improve yield stability in commercial processing tomatoes. Nevertheless, more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Price
The price of regular cannabis seeds plays a significant role in their popularity. The breeding and testing process that creates the genetics of a strain takes a lot of time, effort, and money—and that’s reflected in the price tag on the final product.
While many new growers choose feminized seeds, regular seeds are an excellent option for experienced cultivators who prefer to breed and want to maximize flower production with a high percentage of keeper female plants. They also work well for those who want to try their hand at cloning.
If you’re interested in trying your hand at growing regular seeds, Herbies has a vast selection of premium strains from expert breeders such as Dutch Passion, Dinafem, and DNA Genetics. From earthy tones to tropical sweetness, there’s a cultivar that’s right for everyone.