Cannabis seeds are a huge part of the legal marijuana industry, and for any collector starting out, there’s a lot of knowledge to pick up. On the market today, there are various different types of seeds that have their own backgrounds and distinctive qualities.
You may have heard of feminized seeds or seeds bred to have certain genetic qualities, but what does this mean in real terms of the product? Here’s a spotlight on feminized seeds, autoflowering seeds and regular seeds.
Feminized seeds
Feminized cannabis seeds have been bred by top brands over the last generation to have no male parts and when grown, create a 95%-plus female yield. In recent years, these have become a really stable option and have a range of benefits. Investing in feminized options means that you can germinate more plants in the same sized space as the male plants are no longer taking up room; male plants do not produce bud and are typically destroyed to make way for more female plants.
Created through genetic selection over many crops, feminized plants produce their own resinous buds and do not need pollinating. They also don’t require specific temperatures and lights, as you might expect. In essence, as man has intervened, they’ve been made easier to grow as they’re a hybrid — taking only the best elements available through nature.
If you have limited space or simply don’t want to waste time with male plants, these cannabis seeds are a good choice; all the results with none of the hassle. They are also known for growing faster and producing bud with higher levels of active cannabinoids.
Autoflowering seeds
Similar to feminized seeds, autoflowering strains are easier to grow than regular seeds because they don’t require such specific light and temperature environments and can even mature in as quickly as 10 weeks. Their unique appeal comes from their ability to automatically flower and shifting from a vegetative state over time and with age. Although they aren’t all female, they also don’t require any removal of male plants so can also be considered a low maintenance option (however, you may also want to remove male autos to be on the safe side). Another distinctive quality is that autoflowering plants are normally shorter in height.
Autoflowering examples are also a lot older than their feminine counterparts and have existed in some form for thousands of years. Typically quite low in strength, breeders have increased the active agents with genetic selection so they are now as strong and potent as regular seeds.
Regular Seeds
Regular seeds, standard seeds or perhaps even the seeds that started it all; before feminized and autoflowering were developed, you just had regular seeds which were roughly 50% male and 50% female. As a result, the yield was also 50/50 so double the work was needed to get the same amount of marijuana.
For experienced cannabis seed collectors, regular seeds are a more authentic approach but if you’ve never used them, it’s best to go straight in with feminized seeds as they’re more straightforward and rewarding. Regular seeds require more attention and care in terms of lighting and temperature, and of course time must be invested in removing the male plants and cultivating the female instead.
Perhaps a good exercise in learning about marijuana and trialing germination skills, they’re not for the faint-hearted but are a more natural option where you earn every bud with hard graft.
More information: http://ice-cannabis-seeds.co.uk/