What Should You Know About Cannabis Seeds Before Growing?

When one has decided to cultivate cannabis, the planting of the seeds is the first step in the process. In most cases, you will be able to choose the specific seed variety you desire for a certain strain when ordering from a seed bank. 

There are three unique types of cannabis seeds available: normal, feminized, and auto-flowering. Regular cannabis seeds are the most common. Your level of familiarity with the cannabis cultivation process and the depth of your knowledge will, in the end, determine the strain of seed you go with. Each kind of seed has a set of advantages and disadvantages that are unique to itself.

Regular seeds

The sexual reproduction of a male (pollen generating) and female (ovule carrying) plant is responsible for the creation of regular seeds. When growing cannabis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)), these seeds are often the result of human intervention in the pollination process. Through the use of gathered pollen from male plants, a breeder artificially reproduces female plants. The seeds that are created as a result of these hand-pollinations are comparable to the seeds that are produced by cannabis populations that are found in the wild.

The benefits of using conventional seeds

They may be acquired with little effort and cost and are readily available. When beginning their gardening adventures, it is recommended by a large number of seasoned cultivators that novices begin with ordinary seeds. Beginners have a higher risk of making errors, but normal seeds are not costly and are not difficult to replace if anything goes wrong. 

Plant breeders, who require both female and male plants in order to conduct their experiments with selective breeding, are another group that often uses regular seeds. Regular seeds may be found in many different strain combinations, including those that are more indica or sativa dominant.

Disadvantages of conventional seeds

There is a probability that the seed may create a male plant, but it is not guaranteed. Before the seedlings have been grown for at least three to four weeks, it might be difficult to distinguish between male and female plants. A greenhouse consisting of female plants might have male plants. In most cases, you won’t want male plants unless you’re attempting to create new strains of cannabis or “bank” pollen for use at a later time.

The fertilized egg or seed

Under “stress,” female Cannabis plants may start to generate pollen. Inadequate water, extreme heat or ultraviolet radiation, significant herbivory, or a lack of access to male plants are all situations that might cause female cannabis plants to experience stress. Growers have learnt to capitalize on this natural occurrence in order to generate what are referred to as “feminized seeds.” 

Female Cannabis plants may generate male pollen if they are exposed to stressful settings (or substances that imitate stressful situations). The pollen from those flowers is collected and then utilized to fertilize the female flowers that are produced by the identical plant (self-pollination). After a female plant has been pollinated by itself, it will very certainly generate seeds that will exclusively result in the development of female offspring.

Feminized seeds provide a number of benefits

Some farmers claim that 98%+ of feminized seeds yield female plants, yet there is a lack of solid data to support this claim. This can be the ideal choice for you if you want to minimize the risk of producing male plants by mistake and your major objective is to harvest seedless female buds.

Feminized seeds have a number of drawbacks to consider

The cost of feminized seeds is often higher than that of ordinary seeds. They are not suited for anybody who is intending to breed new strains or gather pollen from the plants.

Autoflowering seeds

Cannabis subsp. sativa and Cannabis subsp. indica are the two types of the plant that are the most sought after. But there’s also C. ruderalis, a third species of Cannabis. The genus Ruderalis adapted to the harsh winters of Eurasia so that it could flourish there. Because of these locations’ very brief spring and summer seasons, the ruderalis plant adapted to need less light to initiate the germination of seeds and the blooming of flowers. The term “auto-flowering” refers to seeds because their ability to germinate and begin blooming does not depend on the presence of an altered light cycle, as is the case with ruderalis genetics.

The benefits of planting autoflowering seeds

If you are short on time or space, you may find these OG Seeds strains useful since they produce compact plants that bloom rapidly. These plants may be useful if you need to keep your plant height down to comply with local ordinances. 

There is also no need for a detailed growing plan or expensive lighting system. Because flowers produced by plants developed from auto-flowering seeds tend to be rich in CBD but low in THC, these plants are a suitable alternative for those who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

Consequences of planting autoflowering seedlings

Flowers generated by plants grown from autoflowering seeds often have a relatively low THC concentration compared to other types of cannabis flower. Because the plants that these seeds grow are somewhat small, selecting them may not be the best choice if you want to harvest a significant number of buds.

When selecting a seed variety, it is important to take into consideration factors such as the amount of space available for cultivation, the available funds, and the amount of time you are ready to devote to the grow.