Regular seeds are a great option for growers who want to create new strains. They also provide more stable plant genetics than feminized seeds as they haven’t undergone any genetic modification that makes future generations less stable.
Seeds are a nutritional powerhouse, containing a range of nutrients that are essential for health. These include ALA, the version of heart-healthy Omega-3 fats found in plants; fibre that aids digestion and stabilizes blood sugar; and protein to help you feel satiated for longer.
Breeding
Regular seeds contain both male and female genetics, allowing you to breed your own strains. This gives you the chance to tweak everything – the terpene profile, cannabinoid content, productivity, and size, among others!
Breeding is the process of selecting and crossing a few favourite specimens to produce new varieties with the best traits. It is a fun and rewarding way to create the strain of your dreams!
Heirloom seeds are open-pollinated varieties that have a history of being passed down through families and communities. They are generally more resilient to changes in weather and soil conditions, as well as providing unique shapes and colors.
In addition, heirloom seed can be harvested and saved year after year. This practice helps keep a diverse range of plant varieties in stock, which improves food security and resiliency to changing weather patterns. In addition, saving seed can connect you to the life cycle of your food, providing a feeling of self-reliance and empowerment.
Cloning
Cloning is the process of generating an identical genetic copy of an original plant. It’s an old, traditional way of bringing new life into the world, and is highly effective.
For most growers, cloning is a straightforward process that can be completed within a few days. For this reason, it is a very popular method of producing new plants.
In addition to allowing you to produce more plants, cloning is also an excellent way of saving seed. It allows you to save the best genetics of a strain, which can be used in breeding for a higher yield or to make a new variety.
To clone, cut a healthy branch (or fan leaf) from the main stem of the mother plant at its lowest node. Dip the cutting in cloning gel and insert it into a rockwool cube.
Pollination
Pollination is the movement of pollen (analogous to sperm) from a flower’s male anther to its female stigma. This process fertilizes flowers and results in the formation of seeds.
Seeds contain the genetic information needed for a new plant to grow and reproduce. Without pollination, plants would not be able to produce offspring.
Several methods of pollination exist, including hand-pollination. This method involves manually transferring pollen from one plant’s stamen to another plant’s pistil by using a brush, cotton swab or q-tip.
Self-pollination, however, is a different process. Self-pollinated species have evolved to have perfect flowers that remain closed throughout the pollination process, allowing easy transfer of pollen from anthers to the stigma of the flower.
When pollen grains pierce the stigma, a tube develops down to the ovary where male gametes are released from the grain. These sperm cells fertilize egg cells and polar nuclei in the ovary resulting in a single seed.
Genetics
Seeds play a key role in the survival and reproduction of a plant. They protect and nourish the embryo, disperse the seedling to a new location, and provide dormancy during unfavorable conditions.
In natural plant populations, seed production varies from year to year in response to weather and internal cycles within the plants themselves. This cyclical nature of seed production has led to the creation of a variety of seeds that can thrive in the local environment.
Heirloom seeds are saved from older varieties of flowers, vegetables, and fruits that have withstood the test of time. These seeds acclimate to a farmer’s growing conditions and develop resistance to pests and diseases that are specific to a growing region.
Hybrid seeds result from cross-pollination between two genetically distinct parents. This first generation of hybrids is labeled “F1” or “VF.” These seeds produce offspring with a combination of traits from the parents.
