In terms of germination, regular seeds are very similar to feminized seeds. The difference is that a regular seed can produce both male and female specimens.
This is what makes them ideal for growers looking to create new strains or phenotypes. However, it requires more work and resources to weed out the male plants.
Breeding
Using regular seeds allows you to breed your own weed strains. However, you will need to remove any male plants that appear during the flowering cycle as they may pollinate your females and spoil your harvest. This can be done by identifying the male plants by examining their flowers for minuscule sprouts that look like hairs.
Once the male plants have been identified, you can dispose of them or isolate them. You can also prevent the male plants from pollinating your crop by placing them in a separate breeding area that is isolated from your indoor and outdoor growing areas.
Using regular seeds allows you to maintain genetic diversity, but it can be more expensive than feminized seeds. This is due to the fact that the process of creating feminized seeds requires more effort and time than regular seeds. Despite this, many growers choose regular seeds as they offer better yields than feminized seeds. They also require less maintenance, which saves on energy costs.
Cloning
Clones can be easier to work with than seeds, but it’s a good idea to only purchase clones from reputable growers who offer a consistent track-record of germinating their plants on demand. They should also be able to tell you how long the clone has been in the vegetative phase and what it’s been fed. This information is crucial to avoid bringing in disease, pests or fungus from an outside source. A clone’s stem length is an indicator of its health and vigor, so be sure to avoid clones with narrow, thin stems.
Clones are fragile and require a highly tailored, customised environment to thrive. If they aren’t properly cared for, they can die before they even root. They also inherit any unwanted traits from the mother plant, which might not become apparent until you have a greenhouse full of them. This is why many growers prefer to plant from seed. Seeds take longer to reach harvest, but they are generally free from disease and pests.
Genetics
Regular seeds produce a mixture of male and female plants, meaning they are great for breeders who want to highlight specific traits in their crop. They can be crossed with another plant to create a new phenotype or strain, such as Thin Mints or Chemdawg. This type of breeding requires a lot of cultivation experience and time.
Unlike feminized seeds, which offer a 99% chance of producing only female plants, growing regular seeds gives growers a chance to find male plants and remove them before they pollinate the entire crop. This will result in a larger yield and higher-quality buds.
For growers who prefer a natural and organic experience, regular seeds are the best choice. They have a 50% chance of producing either male or female plants, and they are ideal for creating clones that can be grown into an exact replica of their parents. This process is especially popular with old-school growers who enjoy using the finest original 1980’s genetics.
Yield
Unlike feminized seeds which produce only female plants, regular seeds offer the possibility of creating hybrid generations. This enables breeders to create never-seen-before strains.
Cloning is a crucial aspect of cannabis cultivation. It enables growers to duplicate a specific plant’s genetics and morphology. Whether you’re looking for extreme potency, specific colour or flavour profiles, the cloning process is an excellent way to preserve and enhance desirable traits in future harvests.
Another reason to opt for regular seeds is their higher yield per pack of seeds. Feminized seeds require sexing to guarantee female plants, which results in lower total yields per pack. As a general rule, a pack of regular seeds will contain twice as many female plants as a feminized seed pack. This means you can expect to harvest twice as much weed from the same amount of seeds. This is especially beneficial for growers who want to save and cultivate their own seeds.
