We often get asked by some customers what the difference between regular cannabis seeds and feminised cannabis seeds are so we thought we would give any of you who don’t know the exact low down on them and we will also elaborate on how seedbanks breed their feminized seeds
This information is only given for historical and educational purposes. It is used for the purpose of differentiation only and it is not intended to induce anyone to act in conflict with their national laws. Please see our legal disclaimer.
You will find that feminized seeds are more expensive than regular seeds and this is because “regular” cannabis seeds can generate both male and female plants, in various proportions. It’s abit of a gamble as there is no way to pre-determine the sex of the plant by looking at a seed.
The male Marijuana plants produce pollen which pollinates the flowers of the female Marijuana plant, which once pollinated, produce seeds. If the female Marijuana plant isn’t pollinated (if there are no male Marijuana plants nearby producing pollen), the flower/buds continue to develop and produce THC. Female Marijuana plants which are not pollinated are referred to as sinsemilla (without seeds). Because THC production drops off once pollination occurs, the male plants (which produce little THC themselves) are eliminated before they shed pollen to prevent pollination.
Female marijuana seeds have been created to satisfy the need to have only female plants out of the seeds. Below we will give you technical explanation of how seedbanks do this.
The X and Y chromosomes naturally determine the sex of a plant. Male plants carry xy chromosomes while a seed with xx chromosomes will become a female plant. To produce seeds carrying only xx chromosomes a selected female plant is forced by hormone to produce male flowers. The pollen from these flowers contain only x chromosomes. When this pollen is introduced to another female plant, this plant will produce 100% female seeds.
So from this information we could believe that when you buy a female packet of seeds that in theory they should all be female however no one can guarantee nature and here we will explain why you can’t be guaranteed to get 100% feminized seeds.
From literature it appears that the growth of a male or female plant from seed, except for the predisposition in the gender chromosomes, also depends on various environmental factors. For growers who are well experienced, percentage of female plants is 60% – 90% female, but less experienced growers can end up with 100% male plants. The environmental factors that, according to literature, influence gender are:
- a higher nitrogen concentration will give more females (at the three-pairs-of-leaves stage and continue for two or three weeks).
- a higher potassium concentration will give more males (at the three-pairs-of-leaves stage and continue for two or three weeks).
- a higher humidity will give more females (at the three-pairs-of-leaves stage and continue for two or three weeks).
- a lower temperature will give more females (at the three-pairs-of-leaves stage and continue for two or three weeks).
- more blue light will give more females (at the three-pairs-of-leaves stage and continue for two or three weeks).
- Fewer hours of light will give more females (at the three-pairs-of-leaves stage and continue for two or three weeks).
- In later stage, as you increase the light, the plants grow faster and show more females/less males. Sixteen hours of light per day seems to be the best combination, beyond this makes little or no appreciable difference in the plant quality.
- Another idea is to interrupt the night cycle with about one hour of light. This gives you more females.
- Spray dilute Fish Emulsion ( 1 tablespoon per gallon ). When the plants have three sets of true leaves, plus the top sprout, give them a wetting spray of Fish Emulsion. Do it once a day for three of four days. Top and bottom of the leaves.
- To achieve 100% female plants is to expose young seedlings for several hours to an atmosphere of Carbon Monoxide. It doesn’t hurt the plants, but it could kill you.
- Treatment of hempseed with ethylene gas will increase the resulting number of female plants by about 50%. Ethylene is produced by certain plants (i.e., bananas, cucumbers and melons), and these can be used to treat hempseed in a simple manner. About two weeks before you plan to sprout the seeds, place them in a paper bag or envelope and put that in a plastic bag with the peels of a ripening banana or cucumber. Replace the peels after a couple of days, and change the bags to prevent mold.
- When hempseed is treated with the female hormone estrogen, percentage of females that are produced will increase by about 10%. Dissolve a birth control pill in water and soak the seeds overnight in the solution. After the initial soaking, continue to treat the seeds by sprouting them on a paper towel soaked in the solution.
Hopefully this information will help you to fully understand the difference between male and female seeds and to also help you to understand that seedbanks can’t guarantee 100% Feminized Marijuana Seeds.
Until Next Time