Growing marijuana is not a complex process. On the contrary, if you follow the basic guidelines and follow them really well, it is quite a simple task! However, when it comes to growing weed, you start at the very basics – and the most basic unit of growing practically any plant is at the seed level. You need to have the right seed to get the right weed! Over the course of this article, we shall be taking a detailed look at everything that you need to know about the marijuana seeds and how to choose the best seeds for growing marijuana.
Here, we shall be discussing how to choose the best seeds, as well as other details such as the plant’s life cycle, why seeds are important, what the different strains of a marijuana plant are, and basically much more about the seed and its relation with the plant. We shall also be answering some frequently asked questions about the marijuana seed.
What are Marijuana Seeds?
The answer to this is very simple – seeds of the cannabis plants. Also known as marijuana seeds and weed seeds, these are the seeds which will grow other cannabis plants from where the bud that you smoke comes from! Seeds are the most basic unit of growth Marijuana is a dioecious plant. Simply speaking, it has the capacity to have different male and female plants.
Marijuana plants ‘reproduce’ when flowers of a female plant get pollinated by a male plant. After this is done, the female plant will begin producing seeds and when the seeds are fully mature the plant will then begin to die and the seeds will then fall off to the ground eventually giving birth to new plants. However, the bud that you smoke does not come from these plants which reproduce. To smoke a bud (for recreational or medicinal purposes), you need a feminized seed only!
What to know Before you Buy Seeds?
Buying seeds is where you start the process of growing a marijuana plant. Hence, you need to know some things before you choose the seeds. These are the factors that need to be kept in mind before you buy your cannabis seeds:
Are your marijuana seeds feminized?
This is the first and the most basic question that you need to ask yourself. To understand this in the most basic terms, feminized cannabis seeds are those seeds which carry only the female genetics inside them and when you grow them, they will grow only female plants. The reason as to why only female plants are grown is because these are the only plants which can produce cannabinoid rich flowers which is what you are going to smoke at the end of the day. The sex of the plant is known to the grower halfway into the life cycle, which is where they would have to remove the male plants upon identifying them. All of this effort could be saved if you grow just the feminized seeds. People involved in plant genetics have figured out a way to result in plants giving birth to 100% feminized seeds, which is done by treating them with silver thiosulphate solution. There are many seed banks which will make sure that you can directly buy feminized seeds from them and start off your growing process instantly.
Which strain are your seeds?
Another thing that you need to know here is that the strain of the seeds matters a lot. The kind of effect that it will have on the consumer will be different based on different strains. The taste that smoking the bud leaves in your mouth, the amount of ‘high’ it will give you and even the type of ‘high’ you get out of consuming it. A number of medicinal properties of the plant are also determined by which strain they are. Sometimes plants of two different genetics are crossed together to create new types of seeds which will have certain characteristic elements from both the plants. Genetics of the plants matter a lot so better keep a track of where your seed has come from.
What are Seed Banks?
When it comes to getting the best seeds for growing marijuana, one of the biggest questions that many growers face is: where do I get these seeds from? The simple answer to this is seed banks! There are many seed banks all over the world (with a large number of marijuana specific seed banks located in Canada but shipping globally). Seed banks are like blood banks but instead of blood they store seeds of various strains and various genetics. Most of these seed banks tend to grow their own seeds by crossing different strains to create new types of marijuana plants which provide them with different tastes, smells, and properties. Crossing two high CBD high THC plants would result in an offspring seed that would give birth to a very high potency plant.
Ordering from seed banks is also pretty safe as almost all of them send it in plain packaging which does not mention what the contents of the package are. Furthermore, if they are delivering to places where growing or smoking weed is illegal, they tend to send the seeds concealed inside different items like a pen or a t-shirt. Seed banks are some of the best ways to get hold of the best seeds for growing marijuana and something that every grower must give a try. These banks also ensure that you are getting only feminized seeds and most of the seeds that come from them have a high probability of germination. Some seed banks also offer returns and refunds if their seeds don’t germinate. Many of them even accept cryptocurrency payments to keep everything discreet!
How to Make Sure You’re Choosing the Best Seeds for Growing Marijuana?
Knowing the seed’s strain just isn’t enough. You also need to take a look at the actual physical seed and know certain aspects. Here’s how to make sure that you are choosing the best seeds for growing marijuana plants:
- Color – When you look at the actual seeds that you are going to buy, the one thing that you MUST always observe is the colour of the seeds. Seeds that are darker in color are generally preferred over seeds that are not. Seeds which are dark brown, black or tanned from the outside are considered to be better. Seeds which are light in color or are yellow/green in shade aren’t really preferred by growers.
- Hardness – Growers must always make sure that they are choosing a seed which has a shell which is a little sturdy and hard. Try pressing the seed between the thumb and the index finger and notice how it feels. If it feels pulpy or soft, then avoid using that seed. Interestingly, carrying forward from the previous point about color, most of these seeds which will be soft are bound to have a greener/yellower color to them.
- Pattern – Seeds also have patterns and you should closely observe them. Generally, when you look at the seeds of the Indica strain, they have a striped pattern and seem to be a little larger in size when you put them in comparison with the sativa strain. Seeds of the sativa strain do not tend to carry a pattern as well. This gives you a hint about the seeds of the strain though it might not be the most accurate way of determining that.
- Feminized – When you are buying your seeds from a seed bank, just make sure that you buy the seeds which are labelled feminized. Feminized seeds are the ones which will make sure that the plants which successfully grow up are all female plants and all of them have flowers along with significant amount of CBD and THC in them which give the consumers the effect of a ‘high’.
- Auto-Flowering – Normally, when you are growing plants, they need to be pushed into the flowering stage from the pre-flowering stage. This is usually achieved by changing the lighting conditions and tweaking it so that plants get about 12 hours of light instead of the usual 16 hours. However, in case of autoflowering plants, none of this is needed and the plants don’t need to be pushed into the flowering stage because the strain is such that it will automatically enter the stage without any need to do it manually.
Understanding the Plant’s Life Cycle: From Seed to Harvest
Seed is the first stage towards the process of growing a marijuana plant. The process starts off at the seed level and then proceeds to reach the germinating stage. At the germinating stage you need to take care of a number of environmental conditions such as darkness, humidity and temperature which make sure that it enters germination and transforms into a seedling. Many seeds might die in the germination stage but those which pass this have a good chance of developing into full-grown plants eventually.
Following the germination stage, the plant moves to the seedling stage where the shoot begins to grow and small leaves begin emerging. This is the stage where critical care and attention from the grower is needed because this is the time the plant is at its most vulnerable phase. Then comes the vegetative phase of growth where the shoot begins to grow taller and stronger and many more leaves start appearing. Here, the plant needs blue lighting and the cooler spectrum of the light more. After spending a few weeks here (this is likely to be the longest phase of your growth) the plant will then enter the phase of pre-flowering.
Pre-flowering is the phase where the gender of the plants can be determined. However if you are using feminized seeds (which most growers usually do) you will not have to worry about this but if you don’t do that, this is just the right time to seperate the male plants from the female plants. To move from this phase to the actual flowering phase growers will need to reduce the lighting hours (unless they’re growing autoflowering strains). When you reduce the lighting hours from 16 to 12, this is when the plants begin entering flowering. Once in the flowering stage, you will see flowers emerge and bloom (here’s where the plants need the red spectrum).
Once you enter the flowering stage, light hours are reduced, red lights are increased, the distance of the lights and the plants is increased, and humidity levels are decreased. Plants need more nutrients at this phase of growth. Following the flowering stage, when you think that the time is right, you can then begin to slowly begin the harvest. Here’s where you can seperate the sweet, sweet bud that you are going to smoke up soon!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Marijuana Seeds:
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about marijuana seeds that growers tend to have. Do take a look at them as you might have the same question too!
1. Can you grow a marijuana plant without a seed?
Yes and no. While there is a seed involved but not directly. Cloning is the process of growing marijuana plants without using seeds. Here, you cut off a branch from the ‘mother plant’ which you want to clone, and then plant it in a non-soil medium such as a rockwool cube and grow it as you would grow a regular plant. Some people also choose to clone their plants aeroponically. This is a method preferred by some experienced growers who don’t want to go through the process of germination, removing the males from the females, etc. Cloning would give you the same result every time and is hence seen as something advanced growers tend to do. However, this is a tedious process and involves transplanting and we strongly recommend beginners to intermediate growers to not try it out.
2. Can seeds be consumed?
There are many myths associated with the dangers of eating cannabis seeds. However, they are perfectly edible and carry a number of health benefits too.
- Cannabis seeds have over 20 amino acids which are great for your body and help you stay in good health
- Cannabis seeds also carry a ratio of 3:6 when it comes to omega fats which is also good
- These seeds are a rich source of Vitamin E as well as a number of other minerals
- Cannabis seeds are rich in protein as well
There are a number of ways in which these seeds can be consumed – some people like to roast them before they eat them. Many people like to make a powder and consume them, and then there are others who like to make cannabis tea by boiling some leaves in hot water. They can also throw in some seeds in that for added nutritional value. In addition to all this, cannabis seeds can also be squeezed and oil can be extracted out of them.
3. Are marijuana seeds illegal?
The legality of marijuana seeds depends on the state or the country that you are living in. In states where consuming marijuana is allowed for medicinal or recreational purposes, you should be ok to buy or carry these seeds around. However, you still need to check with your local law enforcement agencies once because states have different laws for different objects containing cannabinoids and every state deals with it in a different manner. Marijuana seeds might be illegal if weed is illegal in your jurisdiction. Stay safe!
4. Where can cannabis seeds be purchased from?
Cannabis seeds can be purchased from seed banks – which deliver you the seeds online (and in a discreet manner too). These seed banks have large varieties of seeds and tend to describe each of them in a detailed way – along with their CBD and THC percentages, their taste, where they have been sourced from and which plants have been crossed to create them. Seed banks have specially crafted seed types which ensure that the growers are getting the best quality seeds which have a high success rate for germination. Seed banks are just the perfect place to check out for growers who want to buy the best seeds for growing marijuana plants of their own.
Conclusion
We hope that this article on how to choose the best seeds for growing marijuana has helped you do exactly that! We have attempted to provide accurate information on what marijuana seeds are, where you can get them from, what are their benefits, their legal status, etc. Marijuana seeds need to be carefully selected by the growers and they need to know everything that they should expect from this seed. This is where the process of growing a marijuana plant starts and getting a good seed means getting good weed at the end of the process. If you feel we’ve missed out on something or if there’s something more that you would like to know, do drop us an email or let us know in the comments and we’ll get back to you!
Happy Growing! 🙂