Regular cannabis seeds always have a female and male counterpart in an optimal percentage of 50/50. Therefore, in order to determine which is which, each seed must be cultivated and germinated before they “age” or start to show visible signs of becoming females (labels) or males (horns). The majority of buds and stems turn yellow and shrivel up as the flower starts to open (labelling). The bud that has been subjected to the most intense heat of light grows closer to the light source and becomes more compact. This bud is the female.
All other buds and stems become males. They have a tendency to grow in towards the light. As the plant matures, all this growing behaviour can be seen at the tip of the plant or the branch where the flowers open. At this point, you can already see some evidence of female plants growing. If you have a chance to observe this when growing feminized seeds, you will see a cluster of small flowers growing towards the light and then a mass of male plants growing towards the lighter.
If you want to feminize marijuana seeds before growing them, it is best to choose only one type of autoflower and then purchase that type from a reputable seed dealer. Autoflowers come in various types including but not limited to French pleats, tall fescues, dwarf junipers. However, because of their size, these varieties are not able to reproduce quickly, making it difficult for amateur growers to achieve feminization.
It would be best if marijuana breeders could use only the finest and most fertile strains. However, in reality, many growers do end up using strains that have been used before for feminization. Some growers may also try cross-breeding some feminized marijuana seeds with regular cannabis seeds to produce a super variant which may be rare and also very expensive. Since cross-breeding occurs randomly, it is highly unlikely to see two different kinds of strains being able to produce a new variety which is more feminized.
Many growers consider that if they buy feminized seeds from seed banks, these will provide them with a large selection. However, since seed banks are specialized in producing only specific types of cannabis, it is not impossible for them to provide only a limited amount of strains. In addition, not all growers who can afford to buy seed banks also have the time and knowledge to harvest and then maintain the plants properly, allowing them to achieve full production.
So how can growers use feminized cannabis seeds to produce bigger and stronger plants? Most feminized cannabis seeds are crossed with regular cannabis seeds to increase the proportion of feminized seeds to regular seeds. Some growers and breeders even cross their plants to increase the quantity of feminized sperm, which makes it much easier for them to create larger, stronger plants. Even if it takes more effort and time to cross plants, the results are usually worth the effort for some growers. The increased yield is often worth the effort.
Another advantage to crossbreeding is that it provides the chance for the two parents to produce different characteristics, allowing one characteristic to stand out, especially if the two parents don’t have the same characteristics. Some common traits you can find are differences in height, pot size, leaf shape and even color. Some examples of common traits are more compact plants, shorter flowering stems, and greater root density. Crossbreeding eliminates the need for selecting a specific kind of plant and then breeding it to get the desired characteristics. When you buy cannabis seeds from seed banks, the chances are that you’ll end up with the hybrid you’re looking for and not a regular cannabis plant.
In summary, crossbreeding can produce regular weed seeds that become less compact, have different shapes, are harder to grow and have other desirable characteristics that you want to have in your garden. They also make it easier to add specific traits to your hybrid plants. If you’ve been trying to develop your own marijuana and haven’t succeeded, try crossbreeding. It’s not hard, it’s just another method. With regular weed seeds, you either know how to develop them or you follow a system.