Month: September 2023

Regular seeds preserve genetic stability and are important for breeders to create new strains. They also offer a greater variety of phenotypes, each with unique characteristics such as growth pattern, leaf and stem development, scent, yield, insect resistance, terpene profile, and THC/CBD ratio.

However, many growers have forgotten about regular seed since the advent of feminized seeds. So, why should you choose them?

They are cheaper

Many growers choose regular seeds because they are cheaper. They are also easier for new growers to manage. They require the gardener to separate male plants from females and to collect the pollen, but this is not an insurmountable task for a novice. Moreover, regular seed still allows for the production of new genetics by crossing different varieties.

Regular seeds preserve genetic stability, which is important for breeders. This feature is beneficial for preserving desirable traits in future generations of cannabis strains. They also offer the potential for phenotype variation, which can add variety and excitement to cultivating marijuana.

Moreover, regular seeds do not undergo chemical treatments such as benzothiadiazole, gibberellic acid, silver thiosulphate, or colloidal silver. Therefore, they are much cheaper than feminized seeds. They are also more suitable for outdoor growing, especially when there is limited space. However, they are not as ideal for beginners as feminized seeds. The reason is that they have a higher risk of producing male plants, which will need to be removed.

They are easier to grow

Regular seeds are easier to grow than feminized seeds, but require more time and attention. This is because they need to be sexed and male plants removed at an early stage. This is often a challenge for first-time cultivators, but it’s essential for preserving the integrity of the plants and producing a high-quality crop.

It is also possible to create phenotypes with regular seed, which is important for developing new strains and maintaining genetic stability. This is particularly important for breeders, as it allows them to explore the full potential of a strain’s genetics.

In addition, a predominately female crop makes it easier to manage a harvest, as there’s no need to deal with male plants. This is particularly useful if you want to produce a crop at a specific time of year. It’s also a great way to practice your growing skills and develop your understanding of the cannabis plant. This way, you can improve your yields and bud quality in the long-term.

They are more stable

Regular seeds are prized by some growers for their ability to produce a variety of phenotypes. This is a big advantage, especially for breeders as it allows them to experiment with different strains and create new varieties of cannabis. However, there are some things to keep in mind when cultivating regular seeds. It is important to make sure that the growing environment is stable and that there are no male plants present. Otherwise, the resulting plants may be intersex or hermaphrodite.

Aside from their phenotype variation, regular seed also preserves the genetic stability of the plant. This is beneficial for breeding purposes and to ensure that the desired traits are carried on into future generations of the plant. Regular seeds also require sexing to remove the male plants, but this is a small sacrifice when you consider how much faster feminized seeds can grow. This reduces the cultivation time and increases the overall yield of your harvest.

They are easier to breed

For gardeners who are interested in creating new strains, regular seeds are a good choice. These seeds produce a natural proportion of male and female plants, which can be pollinated by each other to make more seeds. They also allow growers to discover and preserve unique phenotypes that can be used for future breeding projects.

Using regular seeds also allows for a predominately female crop, which makes it easier to manage. This means less wasted space and fertilizer, as well as the potential for a larger yield.

Additionally, growers can use their regular seed to cross different varieties to create new strains. This process is called back crossing, and it requires a certain level of skill to achieve the best results. Using regular seeds can also save time by eliminating the need to sex each plant, which often leads to a waste of growing medium and fertilizers. This can be very beneficial for experienced growers who want to preserve and propagate their own strains.

Regular seeds offer a wide range of potential cultivars for breeders and growers. They also have a greater genetic stability than feminized seeds.

However, growers should be aware of the risks involved with growing these seeds. These include the possibility of hermaphroditic plants and the necessity to weed out male plants during the flowering phase.

Stable Genetics

Unlike feminized seeds, which are produced by spraying female plants with an unpleasant-sounding chemical called colloidal silver to induce them to grow male pollen sacs, regular seeds are created the way Mother Nature intended, via crossbreeding between two different strains of cannabis. The process can take several generations to stabilise a strain and create a stable line of genetics, with desirable traits becoming dominant over time.

Stable genetics are important to many growers and breeders, as they provide a greater degree of consistency and predictability when growing the strains they’ve developed. This can make it easier to understand and manage a strain’s growth and flowering cycles, and produce consistent harvests.

To create stable genetics, the breeder starts with a mother plant that possesses desired characteristics and then crossbreeds her with other seeds to produce F1 plants. This is the first step towards genetic stability, but the process can take up to 12 generations before reliable results are seen.

Breeding

Regular seeds give growers the ability to experiment with different cannabis strains, allowing them to create new cultivars and combinations of genetic traits. Breeding in regular seeds can be complicated and requires substantial facilities, but it’s an option that gives growers the opportunity to discover unique phenotypes of their favorite strains.

The downside to breeding with regular seeds is that it does have a higher chance of producing hermaphrodite plants, meaning that they produce both male and female flowers. However, this is not a huge issue when working with regular seeds, especially if the plant’s environment is carefully managed throughout its growth cycle to prevent hermaphrodite plants from developing.

Feminized seeds eliminate this issue entirely, which is helpful for growers who want to manage their crop with a predominately female harvest. This can save time and resources, and ensure that the buds produced are of high quality. It also reduces the risk of losing a crop to hermaphrodite plants, which can decrease overall yield and flower quality.

Phenotype Variation

Genetic variation results from the interaction of different alleles in a genotype with environmental factors. This variation is a major source of the diversity in plant and animal species. It can occur at the single-variant level (monogenic phenotypes) or at the aggregate variant-frequency level for polygenic phenotypes. In most cases, there is not a one-to-one correlation between genotype and phenotype.

For example, the flower color of a pea plant depends on whether its alleles favor purple or white flowers. The plant with the dominant purple alleles will produce purple flowers, while the one with the recessive white alleles produces white flowers.

Geographical separation between populations can also result in differences in phenotypes. For example, species of warm-blooded animals may have larger bodies in cooler climates to conserve heat and smaller bodies in warmer ones to allow them to more easily metabolize food. These changes are known as latitudinal and altitudinal clines. Similarly, species of plants may grow differently in different habitats.

Price

Many growers choose to purchase regular seeds rather than feminized ones for the simple fact that they are cheaper. The price of seeds depends on the strain and its popularity as well as your location and the supplier.

Feminized seeds require the use of a halting method to manipulate the production of ethylene in plants in order to create a high percentage of female plants. This is much more complex than achieving the same result with regular seeds, and the process naturally elevates their price.

However, there is another factor at play that could help you save some money when purchasing regular cannabis seeds. Many of the same genetics available in feminized form can also be found in regular seed varieties. For example, you can buy regular seeds of the sativa Amnesia Lemon from Herbies Seeds, which produces uplifting buds that tickle the taste buds with citrus flavours. Or, you can purchase Moby Dick regular from Quebec Cannabis Seeds, which delivers a potent mix of euphoria and pain relief.

If you’re looking to create your own strains, regular seeds are essential. Without them, you cannot make clones (taking a cut from a mother plant to grow an identical specimen) which are necessary for breeding and crossing.

Feminized and autoflowering seeds are also available, but many growers prefer working with regular seed for breeding, experimentation and rigorous growth. The choice of what kind to buy comes down to your growing experience and expectations.

Stable Genetics

Regular seed comes from cannabis strains that have been stabilised through a number of generations. Stabilising a strain is a long and complex process. Breeders begin by selecting stable mothers and fathers. They are then crossed in order to produce hybrid offspring that possess certain desired characteristics. These hybrid offspring, known as the filial-1 or F1, generation will exhibit a range of phenotypes that will display different traits closer to the mother or father, according to Mendelian inheritance.

These hybrid offspring will then be crossed again in order to create the F2 or S1 generation. After many generations, the genetics of the strain will have stabilised and there should be a high degree of predictability in terms of offspring phenotype expression, with a ratio corresponding to Mendelian inheritance of 50% closer to the mother and 25% to the father.

A stable strain will be able to produce consistently favourable growth, organoleptic and psychoactive results. This can be advantageous for growers who are looking to create clones of a specific variety.

Breeding Potential

Having the ability to create and cultivate new strains of cannabis is important for many growers. While some growers only want to keep the same strains for their personal harvests, others enjoy creating their own masterpieces using regular seed.

Compared to feminized seeds, which will produce only female plants 99% of the time, the chances of male plants in regular seed are much higher. This means that growers will need to weed out the male plants early on in the growing process or breed them with other females to create the desired outcome.

As a result, some of the most desirable old-school strains never made it to the feminized market and are only available as regular seed. These types of strains are prized for their genetic diversity and can produce a wide range of phenotypes, including variations in appearance, aroma, yield, resistance to pests, and effects. This variation is known as ‘breeding potential’ and allows breeders to develop unique cannabis varieties.

High-Quality Flower Buds

Regular cannabis seeds offer stable genetics, breeding potential and the possibility of phenotype variation. Like all plants, they require a certain amount of care to flourish and produce high-quality flower buds. Because regular seed produces both male and female plants, growers need to carefully monitor their gardens for hermaphroditic plant growth to avoid unwanted pollination and a decrease in overall harvest quality. With careful observation and consistent monitoring, identifying and removing hermaphroditic plants becomes easier over time.

Regular marijuana seeds are considerably cheaper than feminized cannabis seeds and will generally produce an ideal yield if grown correctly. However, they can be prone to hermaphroditism which can reduce overall yields, especially in crowded indoor grows. This can be overcome by regularly weeding out the male plants. This can be a pain, but the results are well worth it in the end. Regular seeds are the preferred choice for experienced growers and breeders looking to create their own strains with specific traits in mind.

Easy to Grow

Regular seeds give growers access to a wide range of genetics, resulting in phenotypes with diverse vegetative traits, yield, flavour and aroma. They are especially favored by specialized cultivators who enjoy the opportunity to create their own strains using specific, precise characteristics.

Unlike feminized seeds, regular seeds produce both male and female plants. This means that growers must identify and remove the males to prevent them from pollinating the females. This can be a time-consuming process, but it’s worth the effort in terms of the superior phenotypes that are produced.

For commercial growers who require a high number of females and are unable to use cloning techniques, feminized seeds are the best option. However, for experienced breeders who are able to use cloning and are interested in breeding, regular seeds offer more genetic potential than any other cannabis seed type. They also produce robust, stress-resistant plants that can withstand many environmental conditions. This makes them a better choice for outdoor cultivation, in regions with warmer climates or for growers who are legally limited to a small number of plants.