Before feminized seeds came along, growers used to experiment with regular cannabis strains. They could often find phenotypes that they enjoyed and wanted to cultivate again in the future.
Regular seed grows into female plants 99.9% of the time, but it can also produce male plants if you use stress techniques like topping, fimming and lollypopping. This can be annoying, but it is not a deal-breaker.
Stable Genetics
In cannabis, stable genetics refer to a strain that produces consistent offspring with predictable phenotypes. Stabilising strains involves a long process of crossing and back-crossing, which can take several generations to complete.
The first step in stabilising a strain involves selecting two parents that are healthy and display desirable traits. Next, breeders cross the siblings of these stable parents. The result is a hybrid offspring with varying degrees of predictability, depending on the stability of each parent.
Different versions of a gene are known as alleles and determine what traits a plant develops, or its phenotype. This is why two children born of the same parents may have different eye colour – they each inherit different alleles from their parents.
By crossing and back-crossing for several generations, breeders can gradually eliminate unwanted genes and introduce desired ones. The goal is to stabilise the strain and make it reproducible under a wide range of conditions. This makes stable seeds more valuable, and it opens up opportunities for agtech companies that can patent these genetics and license them to cultivators.
Organic
Growing organically means that a farmer has to be vigilant about tracking all seed and planting stock used. It also means that he or she must be careful about the source of their seeds, as not all conventional farmers follow the rules when it comes to organic farming.
Regular cannabis seeds operate exactly as nature intended — they have an equal chance of germinating as male or female plants. Using regular seeds is ideal for breeders who want to create new cultivars and make better-quality clones.
However, unlike feminized seeds that guarantee only female plants, a grower using regular seeds must carefully identify and remove hermaphroditic plants to prevent unwanted pollination. This can be time consuming and requires expertise and careful observation. Most growers prefer to use a combination of feminized and regular seeds, allowing for more experimentation and the potential for phenotype variation. This variation can lead to cannabis varieties that produce unique flavors, aromas and effects.
Breeding
Whether you grow for the first harvest or to cultivate the next, regular seeds are an excellent choice. They produce a large yield and retain their potency, meaning they can be used for multiple harvests.
If you’re an experienced grower, breeding in regular seed can be a rewarding experience. The process involves selecting a male and female plant and crossing them to produce more desirable strains. While this requires expertise, it’s possible for hobbyists with a little research and effort.
Unlike feminized plants, which guarantee a certain percentage of female plants, growing regular cannabis seeds requires careful monitoring and sexing to ensure the majority of your crop is female. This can be a challenge, but it’s important to prevent unwanted pollination and ensure your crops achieve the desired quality and yield. This is especially crucial if you’re hoping to produce flowers at a specific time of year. It’s also a lot easier to manage your crop when you don’t have to worry about male plants ruining it.
Cloning
Clones offer a great benefit, offering growers an exact replica of their mother plants in terms of genetics and phenotype. But there are a few catches with clones, including hidden flaws that may not show up until months into flowering, as well as the fact that they’re more susceptible to diseases and pests carried over from their mothers.
It’s important to inspect clones for signs of disease or pests before picking them up. Look for spots, webbing, and trace bite marks on the leaves, as well as a lack of vigor. Clones also require a nutrient-rich growing medium and rooting hormone to help them develop faster. They must be sexed to remove male plants promptly, and they must be given the same careful care as regular seeds in order to prevent hermaphrodites. These limitations can make working with clones a little tricky for novice growers. However, experienced growers know that clones can be worth the extra effort.
