It goes without saying that most seedbanks do not sell regular cannabis seeds at all any longer. The European seed market currently holds 95% of growers who grow using feminized seed. With such a forceful (commercial) emphasis on feminized seed, it is easy to overlook that regular cannabis seeds are crucial for the generation and maintenance of a rich, natural cannabis gene pool. Without regular cannabis seeds, breeders are left with an impossible task: breeding hybrid cannabis strains that will produce desirable, consistent high quality marijuana.
In fact, breeding with females rather than males has been the norm for a number of years now. For decades, farmers sowed cannabis seeds in female plants and crossed them with male plants. This process created what is known as “cross-fertilization”. Cross-fertilization allowed the development of strong and fragrant cannabis crops, but it also resulted in cross-breeding and feminization of the plant.
When breeding cannabis with females, the plant relies on two things to generate its hormones. One is a natural production called estrogen. The second is a high concentration of progesterone, which is needed to create and maintain the first. In the process of cross-breeding, female buds produced just enough estrogen to sustain themselves. However, when breeding with males, the plant relied on testosterone to stimulate its own growth and produce the second hormone.
If you intend to engage in breeding cannabis with females, there are some considerations to keep in mind. In general, it is more difficult to get high-quality females than it is to get high-quality males. Cross-breeding with males will ensure that you get female plants with the desired traits, but it can be more challenging to accomplish. Cross-breeding with regular cannabis seeds can still yield good results; just make sure that you know what you’re doing.
Cross-breeding with regular cannabis seeds often occurs when the female plants are stressed due to pest or disease infestations, for example. When the mother plant has few nutrients, she relies on her daughter’s for survival. In this instance, she will produce more seeds to provide the necessary nutrition. These seeds, called feminized seeds or feminized plants, can contain the characteristics of both parents and therefore result in a plant with characteristics that can make it very powerful.
In addition to cross-breeding, you may choose to start your breeding off from seeds that contain a special trait that you are looking for in your crop. You could for example choose a strain that has higher or lower levels of THC compared to other strains. In this way, you would be able to control the potency of your crop. If you do not have a greenhouse to work with, then you could try growing out your own cannabis plants. However, you should know that growing outdoors can be challenging because of the weather, so take into account the time of year and the climate when planning your indoor greenhouse.
In general most people choose to use feminized marijuana seeds for personal consumption. This means that you are growing a hybrid plant, which is technically a new species. Different hybrid plants have different characteristics and can produce unique results when breeding. For instance, some buds will grow tall and skinny, while others will grow bushy and bush out. If you want to customize your experience, go with a strain that can show the desired characteristics for you personally.
Before you start breeding your plants, you should know about how much water and care for each plant requires. Some feminized cannabis seeds don’t need as much water as others, while some plants grown in regular cannabis seeds need a lot more moisture. Keep in mind how much room you have for your plants and how much soil you have available. If you do not have a greenhouse, then plan on taking your plants outside every few days.