The marijuana season is here, and as a new or experienced cannabis grower, one is looking forward to making it a huge success. The first and most crucial step is deciding the type of weed seeds to plant.
As with other decisions, one has to make; there is no better or worse option. It all depends on one’s needs, knowledge, and circumstances. However, one must understand the pros and cons of each weed seed type.
Before we jump into the details of each type of weed seed, we must discuss how to differentiate between a male and a female cannabis plant. The male cannabis produces oval-shaped pollen sacks during the flowering stage.
On the other hand, the female species develop pistils and calyxes, essential for catching the pollen to produce seeds. During periods of extreme stress, cannabis plants turn into hermaphroditic plants with the ability to reproduce within themselves.
IMAGE: PEXELS
Regular Weed Seeds
Just as the title suggests, regular seeds were produced conventionally. You know, the male released pollen, which fertilized the female to produce seeds. As a result, whenever a cannabis grower plants regular weed seeds, there is an equal chance that the seed will develop into a male or female. Unfortunately, the grower has no control over their sex.
Although the proportion of growers choosing this weed has considerably reduced over the years, some old school cannabis users wish to continue respecting the laws of nature. Besides, those who wish to breed their cannabis strain prefer regular weed seeds.
Some experts believe regular weed seeds are of higher quality than their feminized counterparts. However, this theory is yet to be proven. The downside of using regular weed seeds is that one can nurture the crops for about six weeks, only to find out half are male. Consequently, one’s yield reduces by half, if not more.
Pros
- Affordable
- Readily accessible
- Ideal for beginners
- Available in a variety of strain combinations
- Easy to breed the plants, if both male and females sprout
Cons
- One has no control over the sex of the plants
- High chance the seed produces a male plant
- Hard to differentiate male and female seedlings until they are about 3 to 4 weeks old
Feminized Weed Seeds
Feminized weed seeds are as a result of reproduction between two female plants. One will be forgiven for wondering how that is possible. Well, during the growing stage, the growers inject a few of the female plants with colloidal silver. This substance puts the plant under so much stress that it produces pollen.
The pollen then fertilizes other female plants, producing feminized seeds, which result in female cannabis plants 100% of the time. However, due to the colloidal silver used, there is a minimal chance of producing hermaphroditic seeds.
With feminized seeds, you do not have to worry about male plants, or having to go through your farm weeding them out. The flowers or buds are the most desirable parts of a cannabis plant. Feminized seeds have a high bud yield, thus preferred by most growers with limited space.
Pros
- Cost-effective
- More than 98% chance of producing female plants
- Grower assured of higher yields
Cons
- Pricier than regular seeds
- Not ideal for anyone hoping to collect pollen or breed new strains
Auto-Flowering Weed Seeds
The unique feature in these weed seeds lies in the name. Simply put, they flower automatically. There are two primary phases in the cannabis growing cycle, the vegetative stage, and the flowering phase. Naturally, cannabis requires a shift in the light cycle to trigger the flowering period.
However, the auto-flowering do not require external cues to start producing buds. Instead, they flower after a particular amount of time has passed. The auto-flowering species did not emerge by chance, but as an adaptation to changing environmental conditions.
Auto-flowering weed seeds can be feminized, but cannot be cloned. They grow very fast and flower throughout the year. The plants require a simple light schedule of 18 hours on and 6 hours off. This lighting schedule provides adequate light for high yields while saving on energy.
On the other end, growers may choose a lightning schedule of 12 hours on and 12 hours off. Though that saves on energy, the yields are not as impressive. The speedy traits of auto-flowering seeds make them convenient. However, this trait leaves very little time for recovery in case of any damages.
Pros
- Speedy life cycle
- Produce small, discreet plants with a typical 60 to 100cm height
- The plants quickly flower within 7 to 10 weeks
- Harvest within 21/2 months with any auto-flowering variety
- Do not require an elaborate cultivation plan or lighting system
- Resilient plants
- Require lesser nutrients
- Plants are high in CBD hence perfect for medicinal cannabis users
Cons
- Thanks to their size and short life cycle, they have a smaller yield per plant. Thus not ideal for large scale production
- Minimal THC content
- Poor quality clones
- If you must, train with care as they have little to no time for repair and recovery
- Higher costs of lighting
Conclusion
The most critical factor in weed seeds quality is genetics. One requires great genes to produce top-notch cannabis. Some inexperienced and scrupulous breeders will cross a well-selected female, with a random male, resulting in poor quality seeds.
A good breeder like Home Grown Cannabis Company will take time to cross and backcross a cannabis strain, taking advantage of its desirable traits to produce a wide range of top tier phenotypes. The maturity of the seeds is another undermined factor when selecting weed seeds. One has to ensure the seeds are fully mature before harvest.
Afterward, ensure the seeds are stored in a cool, dry place to avoid mold and other pathogens that could destroy their quality. Besides, the seeds should be used within 16 months after harvest or frozen for future use.
We hope that with the little knowledge we have shared on types of weed seeds that one can now conveniently identify the right type to suit their needs. If you are still unsure, consult any experts in the field such as Homegrown Cannabis Company.
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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