Regular seed is a favorite for old-school growers and newbies alike. It offers the chance to cultivate both male and female plants for your own breeding experiments.
Moreover, these seeds are much less prone to hermaphroditism and pest problems than feminized varieties. This is especially true for those who are interested in hybridizing.
Breeding
When you are a grower and you want to try your hand at breeding your own strains, regular seed is an essential component of the process. Breeding involves picking your favourite male and female plants, crossing them to create offspring that exhibit the best traits from each.
During the process, the plant will begin to produce pollen sacs that are packed with cannabinoids, such as THC and aromatic terpenes. These are what give cannabis its sought-after effects.
Feminized seeds are a great way to make a new strain, but they also have a few disadvantages. First, they are usually more expensive than regular seeds.
However, if you are trying to breed your own strains, they are worth the extra money. Feminized seeds are also a great option if you are new to the hobby of growing and do not have the patience or time to get to know the plant.
Cloning
Cloning is the process of creating a genetically identical copy of an animal or plant. It can be a controversial issue, however. Some detractors argue that cloning violates Kant’s formula of humanity and is unnatural.
While some clones may appear healthy at birth, it is important to be cautious of potential health problems that might arise later in life. The clone can also be more susceptible to pests and diseases.
When choosing clones, it is essential to look for strong roots and healthy coloring. Brown roots indicate a weak clone that may die in your garden, while yellowing of the plant’s coloring could mean it is sick and infested with pests such as powdery mildew (PM).
Whether you choose to grow from seeds or clones depends on your growing style and the type of plants you are planning on cultivating. However, both options are beneficial in their own way. The key is to try both out and see which one works best in your particular situation.
Pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from one flower’s stamen to its stigma, which starts the process of producing seeds. This is the only way for plants to produce new seed.
Most flowers require pollination to produce seeds and fruit. Plants attract pollinators by using a variety of characteristics, including the shape, size and color of their flowers.
Often, plants that produce seeds are monoecious: they have both male and female flowers on the same plant. Others are dioecious, meaning they have both male and female flowers on separate plants.
Some plants don’t have flowers at all: they reproduce by spores or by wind-borne pollen. This happens with plants like mosses and ferns.
Many plants have specialized flowers that attract pollinators, such as scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma) with tubular or spurred petals and columbines with narrow petals and long proboscis. These plants are suited to bees, hummingbirds and butterflies that have longer tongues or can reach the nectar in the base of the corolla tube or spur.
Germination
Whether you’re growing vegetables, herbs or flowers, seed germination is essential for the growth of the plant. During this process, seeds absorb water from the soil through their outer shell and grow tiny roots.
Most seeds germinate in 24-72 hours, but some take longer. They need the right conditions to germinate, including humidity, warm temperature, oxygen and darkness.
There are two main ways to germinate seeds: on paper and in water. The first method involves placing seeds on a damp piece of paper, and checking for signs of germination in 3-5 days.
The second method is to place seeds in a glass of water. This is slightly faster than the soil method, but it requires careful adjustment of environmental factors.
Older seeds can be hard to germinate due to poor absorption of water through their outer shell. To overcome this problem, gardeners scarify the seed’s outer coating.
