What are feminized seeds, and what benefits come with this seed option?
What are Feminized Seeds?
Female cannabis plants produce the flowers and crystal-covered trichomes that growers covet, as these are the parts of the plant that provide the aromas, flavors, and psychoactive effects the growers are after. Male plants, in contrast, have little value. When the male plants pollinate the female plants, the female plants produce buds with seeds, which must then be discarded by
Feminized seeds only produce female plants. The grower no longer needs to worry about male plants and pollination. They can focus on other aspects of the growing produce to produce bigger yields, create new strains, or whatever they desire. For this reason, buyers need to find feminized seeds whenever possible.
How are Feminized Seeds Produced?
To produce feminized seeds, breeders use one of several techniques. One way to achieve this goal is to interrupt a healthy female plant's light cycle during the flowering phase. If the breeder doesn't want to use this option, they may turn to a silver thiosulfate solution.
Spraying this solution on the plants allows the grower to control the sex of the plant. There is no need to modify or tinker with genetics to achieve this goal. The spray is sufficient to achieve the desired result.
Other methods may be used to create feminized seeds. In fact, a person can create these seeds at home, although the time required to do so is extensive. What benefits come with these seeds, and why should a person consider buying them?
The Benefits of Using Feminized Seeds
Feminized seeds come with a higher price tag than regular seeds. This leads many growers to wonder why they should spend more when the end result will be the same. Feminized seeds include numerous benefits.
Cannabinoid Levels
Female plants produce cannabinoids at high levels. Many growers today want strains that are packed with potency and aroma. The use of feminized seeds results in a product that is extremely potent.
The higher THC levels and rich terpene profile enhance the user's pleasure. They feel more relaxed when using products made from feminized seeds.
Time and Money Savings
While the seeds cost more at the time of purchase, these funds are recouped during the cultivation process. The grower won't need to spend as much time monitoring the crop to ensure male plants don't pollinate the female plants and ruin the crop.
In addition, the grower won't throw away half of their crop. When regular seeds are used, the grower can expect to get a roughly equal split between male and female plants. When they remove the male plants to prevent pollination, these plants are normally thrown away.
Feminized seeds mean every plant that grows can be used. Consider how much is spent on regular seeds and how many plants are discarded. Next, consider how much is spent on feminized seeds that will produce an entire crop of usable plants. It's easy to see why feminized seeds are increasing in popularity when a person takes this into account.
Furthermore, growers often fertilize plants early in the growing process. These nutrients are wasted on male plants that are later discarded. Save money and ensure only female plants get the nutrients by choosing feminized seeds.
Better Use of the Growing Area
One thing many growers fail to consider is the amount of space male plants take up. If half of the crop is male plants, half of the growing space is not being utilized fully. Eliminate the male plants and harvest more buds.
Easier Training
Growers find they need to wait until the plants have been sexed before implementing many training programs. This ensures they aren't training male plants that will need to be discarded. When using feminized seeds, the grower can begin training the plants whenever they desire.
More Reliable Than Clones
Clones may become infested with a variety of pests or diseases, which means reliable clones can be hard to come by. For this reason, many growers are turning to feminized seeds and making their own clones. They can eliminate these concerns and know exactly what they are getting when they produce their own clones.
A Variety to Choose From
Most strains today come in regular, auto-flowering, and feminized versions. This includes CBD-dominant breeds as well as those high in THC. A person will find they are not limited when it comes to feminized seeds now.
Medicinal Marijuana
When a person is ill, they don't want to spend a lot of time or money trying to obtain relief from their symptoms. Many people today choose to grow their own medicinal marijuana and find it easy to do so with feminized seeds. These seeds require less work while still providing plants that will ease the user's symptoms.
Choose a Reputable Breeder
However, a grower must work with a reputable breeder to ensure they see the benefits of feminized seeds. Doing so increases the likelihood of the grower getting seeds that will easily germinate and grow as expected.
In addition, reputable breeders will provide seeds that reflect the anticipated strain genetics. In the event something is wrong with the seeds, which rarely happens, the breeder will refund the buyer's money or replace the seeds at no charge. They provide outstanding customer service to ensure buyers are satisfied.
Reputable breeders typically have staff members on hand to help buyers if they run into a problem with their cannabis crop. They recognize a successful harvest will encourage future purchases. Therefore, they are available to help if problems arise once the seeds are planted and when it is time to harvest.
Every grower should try at least one strain of feminized seeds. When they do so, they quickly see the benefits of this option. In fact, they may choose to only use feminized seeds in the future, as they see greater yields with less work on their part. They appreciate this.
