Marijuana seeds: how to choose them?

Modified on: 20/09/2022

Helpful information for making a good choice

Growing marijuana can be very satisfying, but it is essential to know how to choose a healthy seed to obtain strong and healthy plants. With so many varieties available, it is not always easy to get your bearings and make the right choice for the desired results, especially if you are a beginner.

Which seeds to choose? How can you tell if they are quality? Here is a brief guide.

What is the desired effect?

To choose which variety to buy, we must first understand what effect we want to achieve. In this respect, knowing the differences between the main types of marijuana is crucial. Cannabis can be indica, sativa or hybrid. Let’s take a look at the main characteristics of each.

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Cannabis sativa

This variety has stimulating effects and generates a widespread sense of euphoria in the user. It is not particularly recommended to use it before going to sleep due to its psychotropic effects. However, it seems ideal to take it before creative projects, walks or hikes, parties, or gatherings with friends. The plant grows to a height of up to 3 metres.

Cannabis indica

This variety has mainly relaxing and sedative effects. For this reason, it is recommended to be consumed before going to sleep or in anticipation of situations of complete relaxation due to its ability to generate a state of semi-immobility. Indica plants are stumpy and do not reach one metre in height.

Hybrid cannabis

Most varieties available on the market belong to this category. In this case, it is necessary to evaluate the percentage of the two strains and the effects of combining the two genes. Usually, these are well-balanced between a relaxed feeling and a psychedelic experience, but each type is different. Hybrids can show various characteristics because of their genetic mix, although they usually do not grow more than 2 metres tall.

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Different types for different needs

When deciding to grow cannabis, it is not enough to determine what variety you want to try. The choice of seed is also important. There are many different types, and it is essential to inform yourself properly to make the best choice for your needs. There are three main categories: autoflowering seeds, photoperiodic feminised seeds and regular seeds.

Autoflowering seeds

As you can easily guess, the unique thing about these seeds is that they start flowering independently after about a month. This variety flowers according to the age of the plant and not the light-dark cycle to which it is exposed. Autoflowering seeds are modified not to produce male plants, which do not yield as much as females in terms of inflorescence. They don’t need to change their light cycle for them to flower; they only need to be exposed to light for 18 and 24 hours. The auto-flowering variety is undoubtedly the easiest to grow. It takes the shortest time to flower, making it the best choice for newcomers to cannabis cultivation or those who prefer to make the process easier. However, they have milder effects and less generous yields. So which type of seed is best suited to your needs? Growing indoors, under grow lights, it is best to choose feminised, photoperiodic or autoflowering cannabis seeds. If space is limited or you don’t have time to change the lighting cycles, autoflowering cannabis seeds are the best choice. Of course, growers who like to create new varieties should also look into regular seeds for their experiments.

Feminised photoperiodic seeds

This variety is also modified so that male production is wholly avoided. By the term “photoperiodic”, we express the characteristic of these plants to flower only when the light to which they are exposed is reduced, simulating nature’s seasonal cycle. For those who choose to plant this type of seed, it will be beneficial to have a timer to help manage the timing of the lighting system. In the vegetative stage’s first phase, the plants will need 18-24 hours of light and will not have the incentive to flower until the lighting cycle changes to 12 hours dark and 12 hours light.

Regular seeds

Finally, the regular seeds were very popular in the past but are now used almost exclusively for hybridisation experiments due to the impossibility of predicting the sex in advance not to risk pollinating the females. However, many growers claim that the best results are obtained from these seeds.

How to recognise good seeds?

To ensure a successful harvest, it is essential to recognise whether the seeds you are investing time and money in are healthy. The appearance of a good seed can be recognised primarily by its colour if it is black, grey or brown and has dark veins, good news! So the seed has all the credentials to bear good fruit, although unfortunately, there are no guarantees. Always be wary of green or white seeds. These seeds are not mature enough to be planted. The same applies to bruised or damaged seeds.

In conclusion

Finding your way around isn’t so impossible once you have clarified the main differences between marijuana varieties and the different types of seeds available. Following the right tips and learning to recognise good seeds from bad ones are the basics if you want to try your hand at marijuana cultivation, even as a beginner. Hoping you enjoyed this informative article and reminding you that it is illegal to grow cannabis in UK, we invite you to visit our Sensoryseeds store, specialising in selling cannabis seeds online. Choose from our wide range of quality weed seeds to complete your collection: feminized seeds, auto flower seeds, fast growing weed seeds, there is something for every taste! We look forward to seeing you on Sensoryseeds.com!