When choosing to grow cannabis, it all starts with the right seed. The seed you choose will ultimately decipher how big the plant will be, how long the plant’s life cycle is, the yields you’ll harvest and the effects you’ll be treated to. Hence, the importance of choosing the right seeds. So, just how should you choose the right cannabis seeds for you? Here’s our full in-depth guide to all the factors to consider when choosing which cannabis seeds to grow.
Choose the Type of seed
First thing’s first - the variety or type of seed you’re growing is the most important decision you’ll make. Regular, feminized, or autoflowering varieties will determine how your growing process begins and where it’ll go from there. Each differ in specific traits that are pivotal to know, and consider when purchasing cannabis seeds. Here’s a quick breakdown of each, to decide which is best for you.
Regular - Regular cannabis types are the wildest version of seeds and most importantly, can be male or female. Without guaranteed gender, some regular seeds that sprout if male - will have to be tossed. Female cannabis plants are necessary for optimal growth, so know you’re taking a chance with buying regular seeds. Some growers swear by regular seed types saying they output the best plants, but as genetics advance other varieties are proving otherwise.
Feminized - Feminized varieties are regular or autoflowering seeds, that are guaranteed to be female plants. If you don’t want the worry of checking the sex of your cannabis plant, then choosing a feminized seed is ideal.
Autoflower - Autoflower seeds are unique for their cross-breeding with ruderalis genetics. Which means, they’ll grow all on their own without the need for photoperiods of light. Autoflowering varieties not only grow faster and with ‘automatic’ ease, but are usually more compact, too. This makes this type preferable for indoor growers and for beginner’s who want a quality end-product, with less work overall.
Indica vs. Sativa vs. Hybrid
Another factor that will affect overall growth, size and shape is the difference of indica, sativa or hybrid strains. This differentiation will also determine your crop’s effects once consumable, too. Here are the main traits of each species type, to consider when deciding what one to grow.
Indica - Indica strains are the most notable for night-time use, and tend to be relaxing and calming in effects. They provide ‘couch-locking’ types of benefits that are ideal for physical sedation. As for growth, indica seeds typically output plants that are more short and stocky
Sativa - Quite the opposite of indica strains, sativas are preferable for daytime use due to their energetic and uplifting effects. Pure or dominant sativa strains are more cerebral and can increase mental alertness and focus, too. Growing wise, sativa plants grow to greater heights than indica and are normally more slender in shape.
Hybrids - Hybrids are unique and can vary from genetic to genetic, since they’re a cross-breed of other strains. So, figuring out their growing style or effects is less definitive than indicas and sativas. To figure out the type of effects, and growth that hybrids will produce, it’s best to research the strains used to make the hybrid or the dominance of indica to sativa (i.e. 70% indica to 30% sativa, etc).
Recreational or Medical Use
To help you decide which cannabis species type to grow, you’ll want to consider the reasons you’re consuming in the first place. For recreational users, you may be seeking certain effects while medical users should consider the ailments they’re trying to treat. As each strain will produce a wide range of effects from mental highs, to physical highs depending on their exact cannabinoids, and terpenes.
Potency
Speaking of consumption, potency or strength of individual cannabis strains will also make a difference. If you have a low tolerance, it’s likely you’ll want to grow a gene that has low or moderate levels of THC. If you’re a veteran or high tolerance consumer, the higher the strength the better. Check the cannabis seeds expected potency of THC, and other cannabinoids to help figure out which level or genetic is best for you.
Taste and Smell Preferences
Beyond potency, most consumers have a preference on how they like their weed to smell or taste. Every strain will produce varied scents and aromas depending on the terpenes they contain, and can even alter slightly after curing. Whether you prefer classic diesel scents, lemon, skunky, fruity, or sweet, ensuring you choose a strain with your preference is ideal.
You should also keep in mind that certain strains will be more pungent during growth than others. So, if you’re trying to keep your growing operation discrete or stealth, it’s best to stay away from the strains that are unusually strong in scent.
Indoor or Outdoor
As you can see by now...each cannabis seed, type and strain are quite unique in characteristics. This includes whether they thrive in indoors, outdoors, or greenhouse environments. Varied species of cannabis plants will do better with specific levels of humidity, temperatures, or prefer natural vs. artificial lighting systems for optimal growth. Do your research and fully read descriptions of the seeds you plan to purchase, to ensure they’ll fit the set-up you plan to cultivate them in.
This is especially important for outdoor grows, climates of the region you’re growing in, and the timing of when your plants will be flowering. In colder regions, you’ll have a limited amount of time before frost occurs so you’ll want to double-check that the strain’s full duration to maturity fits within this timeline appropriately.
Plant Height
The final heights of your plant can also be important when choosing seeds. If you’re growing indoors it’s likely you have a ceiling space limit that your plant can reach. To ensure maximized yields and optimal growth, you’ll want to choose a seed that’s under these restrictions. While you may think the ‘sky’s the limit’ outdoors, it can be for some, but with pesky neighbours you may want to be more conscious about the final plant’s height too. Some cannabis seeds and species can reach over heights of 6 ft which is well-over the size of a fence that may be concealing its view.
Expected Yields
If you’re seeking ‘quantity’ over anything, then checking the seed’s expected yield will be a factor you should consider. No matter the care or maintenance you put towards a plant, specific strains will only output so much flower and material. This will depend on bud sizing, node spacing, and overall shape and size of the plant. To ensure you’re getting the most out of your cultivation, double-check the estimated yields to compare which strain outputs the most material at harvest time.
Grow difficulty
Like comparing rose bushes to hosta’s...some plants grow with ease, while others require more TLC to produce its best product. Cannabis is no different. Certain seeds or strains will require less maintenance, and are more hardy in nature, while others can be finicky and require special nutrients or training techniques to thrive. Depending on your growing skill or capabilities, make sure that you check the difficulty of growth when choosing a seed type from your breeder.
Price
Price is one of the main driving factors for any purchase, cannabis seeds included. Luckily, with cannabis seeds, depending on the breeder, strain, or type, you’ll be able to find a seed that’s in your price range or budget. But, always make sure you’re purchasing from a reputable breeder, so you’re not left with poor quality seeds to cut costs. The quality of your seed will determine the quality of your plant, so it’s key to stick with trusted vendors no matter the price you can spend.
Sow What’s Best to Grow
Now that you know more about the factors to consider when choosing cannabis seeds, you’re better prepared to grow your own. The cultivation process all begins with the seed you choose so it’s a decision, not to take lightly. Think about these traits of varied strains when making your seed purchase, and always go with a reputable source. Like 420-seeds.com and our extensive collection of varied types of seeds, for any type of grower.
