If you are planning to grow your own cannabis plants from seed, it might look like a daunting prospect, especially if you are not a natural horticulturist. There are a number of things you have to get right, including the medium, growing conditions, plant care, and so on. But by far the most important thing that will make or break your growing project is choosing the right seeds. Here are some essential tips to help you do so.
Only use feminized seeds
Most people don’t realize that you get male and female plants. When it comes to cannabis, it’s a vital thing to understand, as only the female seeds produce the buds that we are looking for. Ordinarily, you would have a 50/50 chance of male or female seeds, but if you got to a specialist online seller, they will be able to sell you seeds that are guaranteed feminized.
Consider auto-flowering seeds
As the name suggests, autoflowering seeds are ones that automatically switch from the vegetative growth phase to flowering. The big advantage of going down this road is speed – it means your crop can be ready in as few as 10 weeks, so you can have several harvests per year. The Zamnesia website provides more details about auto-flowering cannabis seeds and the strains that are available.
Take the strain
As with any popular plant product, breeders have been lovingly cultivating and developing dozens of different types or strains over the years. It’s vital to do some homework here, as each strain is unique in terms of flavor, strength, and the ultimate experience. Some are also easier to grow than others, and you will also see a variation in terms of crop yield from one strain to the next.
Check the quality
If you are buying a banana or apple, you know what to look for to get one of good quality. But what exactly does a good cannabis seed look like? A healthy, good quality cannabis seed will be darker in color with a discernable black, tanned, or dark brown pattern. This pattern helps you to identify the strain you are buying – Indica seeds have a striped pattern and are larger, while Sativa seeds tend to have a more even color and less of a pattern, as well as being smaller. Whatever strain you go for, a good seed should have a hard shell. So in summary, steer clear of seeds that are light tan or green in color, or those with softer shells.
Storing your seeds
Once you’ve gone to all this effort to buy the best cannabis seeds, you need to make sure you keep them that way. It is not always possible to plant them immediately, but if done properly, you can store seeds for years.
The most important rule is to keep them in darkness. Exposure to sunlight will be disastrous if you want to preserve them. They also need to be kept dry and at even room temperature to remain in top condition ready for when you need them.