If you have very little experience growing marijuana trying to understand what cannabis seeds you should use might be a little bit confusing. With all the different strains and different types of seeds, it’s no wonder novices are left baffled.
Most novice growers want their first attempt at growing cannabis to be as straightforward as possible. When taking on the task of growing cannabis, you will have to learn a lot, so the less complicated the seeds are the better.
There are plenty of ways of obtaining seeds nowadays. Even in areas that the sale and consumption is illegal, you might still find a cannabis grow store. Selling seeds, grow lights, grow tents, etc. is not illegal. Once you plant the seed is when authorities might raise their eyebrows. There are also plenty of online stores, many of which have lengthy seed menus giving the customer a wide range of choices. Websites such as amsterdammarijuanaseeds.com deliver top-quality seeds all around the world.
In this article, we will discuss the most popular seed option available. Although you might have heard of each type before, we will explain the basics of each one.
What are the Benefits of Using Autoflowering Seeds?
The first type of seeds we will be discussing is autoflowering cannabis seeds. They normally produce strains that are a mixture of both Sativa and Indica with marijuana ruderalis, which is a species that originated from Russia. Many growers avoid growing marijuana ruderalis on its own due to its low THC content, however, plenty of people use these seeds to interbreed because the plant grows automatically after 7 weeks. They tend to be robust plants so they can handle cold weather conditions.
Many people who are starting the growing process like to use autoflowering seeds. These seeds tend to be less demanding on novice growers than regular seeds. The problem most people face when growing with regular seeds is that they need to make sure that they monitor and alter the light cycle so that their crops have 12 hours with no light during the flowering stage. If light manages to gain access during this phase of the cycle, it could halt the flowering of the plant and it might have a terrible effect on the amount of buds you get. Not only that, but it could affect the potency of the marijuana’s buds.
Autoflowering plants switch into the flowering phase because they are genetically programmed to do so instead of relying on environmental factors, the grower doesn’t have to change the light cycle to induce flowering.
Autoflowering seeds make growing a lot easier and they require very little maintenance.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Growing with Feminized Seeds?
If you enjoy smoking cannabis, eating marijuana edibles, or vaping dried herb, you owe a lot of gratitude to the female marijuana plant. Growers, especially if you are new to the game will want to produce a female plant. Although male plants have their uses, if it is your first grow and you see evidence your plant is a male, unfortunately, it’s probably time you throw it in the bin. To reduce the risk of producing a male plant, most people opt to use feminized seeds. Here are a few of the advantages when growing cannabis with feminized seeds:
- High success rate: Although seed stores can’t guarantee that the seeds will produce female plants, even if they are feminized seeds, they can advertise the seeds at a 98% success rate.
- Each plant will produce buds
- The likelihood of these plants pollinating other plants is extremely low
Unfortunately, not all seeds are perfect, so here are a few of the disadvantages you might come across when using feminized seeds.
- If you want to produce seeds, growing with feminized seeds is the wrong choice.
- Male seeds are important to create new and exciting strains
- Feminized seeds tend to be more expensive than regular seeds
- There is no guarantee that the seeds will germinate
Over the past few years, feminized seeds have been the most popular option with growers.
Growing with Regular Cannabis Seeds
Unlike the rest of the marijuana seeds discussed in this article, these regular weed seeds have not been tampered with. It is a gamble when it comes to regular cannabis seeds as they might not germinate and they have a 50% chance they will produce a male plant.
If there is a 50% chance they will grow up to become a pollen-producing male plant, why do people bother taking the risk? Although most growers get really down when they determine the gender of their plant, only to find out they have been tending to a male plant for weeks, males are still an extremely important part of growing. Breeding is impossible without the male plant.
Another reason why many growers like to grow with regular cannabis seeds is that they often produce high-quality clones. Cloning is a very popular option because it allows the grower to get the exact copy of the plant they are growing. This helps the grower skip the germinating phase, which cuts the time of the cycle. Normally growers take cuttings from a strong, mother marijuana plant. Having duplicate plants means you will understand the traits of the plant.
Clones taken from a plant that has grown from regular seeds tend to be more robust. They are also less likely to be hermaphrodites. Sometimes, feminized seeds don’t provide multiple harvests. Their genetics tend to be less stable when cloned.
Summary
Choosing a type of seed is vital, but understanding what strain you are going to use is just as important. Whether it’s Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid strain you decide to grow, research well before you start the process. Some strains grow better in different conditions and different environments. Knowing what grow equipment is required and what nutrients you should use is critical. Although almost anybody can grow marijuana, trying to grow quality cannabis is the challenge.