The cannabis industry has recently been dominated by the rise of feminized and autoflowering seeds. While these are great developments for growers, regular seeds remain an essential part of the cultivation process.
They allow growers to breed their own strains and create new phenotypes that aren’t available in feminized or autoflowering seed packs. They also allow growers to practice their growing skills and improve.
Breeding
Regular seeds have a 50% chance of emerging as male or female plants, which is a great opportunity for growers to breed new strains or create better clones. While this is a risk, it can also be rewarding if you end up with specimens that produce the high, terpenes and flowers you want.
Feminized seed, on the other hand, lack male chromosomes and are a result of stressing a plant into growing hermaphrodite features, such as pollen sacs or resinous flowers. These traits are essential for producing the smokable buds that many cannabis enthusiasts crave.
Moreover, feminized seeds have an advantage over regular ones because they’re easier to work with. They’re less susceptible to hermaphroditism, which makes them ideal for weed farmers who wish to breed their own varieties and maintain genetic diversity in their crops.
If you’re a beginner grower, feminized seeds are the ideal way to go. They make breeding easier, which in turn allows you to practise your growing skills and hone your craft.
Cloning
Unlike seeds, clones produce an identical copy of the parent plant. They also have a lower yield than seeds. However, clones can still produce high-quality cannabis.
In addition to this, clones offer an excellent opportunity for breeders to keep their favourite strains alive. For some growers, this could be a major advantage and can save money in the long run.
A healthy clone will have a sturdy stem and node structure, as well as good vigor. A thin or narrow stem is generally a sign that the cutting came from a weak branch.
Using a razor, make a clean cut on the branch you plan to use for cloning. This will help you root your clone easier and faster.
Stability
Stability is a term used to describe the condition that slight fluctuations do not have a large effect on a system. This quality can be used in terms of a building or other structure, as well as a mental state or an economic situation.
Generally, the breeding process of a regular seed strain is based on crossing two stable parents with similar genetic information. This ensures that the offspring will be homozygous, which is important in ensuring they can express all the predictable traits.
However, when unstable parents are crossed together, the result is heterozygous offspring that can exhibit any number of unpredictable traits. These variations can be an inconvenience, or they may reveal the underlying genetics of the parent strain in a new way.
Cost
Regular seeds are an excellent choice for many growers who want to experiment with breeding their own strains. They offer a natural and untampered growing experience; consisting of pure seedlings that are not genetically modified or chemically altered in any way.
They usually produce around 50/50 male and female offspring, making them a popular option for beginners who are interested in learning the art of breeding. They also allow a more accurate and precise selection of plants for your breeding projects, ensuring the right balance of genetics in each plant.
The cost of regular seed depends on a variety of factors, including the type of cannabis seeds you are looking for and where you are ordering them from. The average price of a pack of seeds is between $4 and $9, but the price can vary depending on the quality and type of seed you are purchasing.