Feminized Cannabis Seeds

What Are Feminized Seeds?

Feminized seeds were invented by breeders who wanted to grow solely female plants that have buds. They mature into female plants in 95-99% of cases and have been discovered a while ago. By this time, they turned out to be the most popular type of weed seeds in the world. A big advantage is that they can be both photoperiod and autoflowering, which means that every grower should be able to find an option to suit their needs.

How To Grow Feminized Cannabis Seeds

Now that you are aware of the feminized seeds meaning, let’s go over the core details related to growing them.

Germination

Although there are several seed germination methods, expert growers choose the paper towel method for this type of seed.

To use this method, you need to take a clean paper towel, place your seeds on it, and fold it in half so that the towel covers them from both sides. Then you need to spray some clean water on the towel until it’s moist and place your towel between two plates. The towel then should be placed into a dark, airtight space for one or two days (or 7+ days for older seeds). The main rule is to keep the towel moist.

Indoors vs. Outdoors

Feminized seeds can be grown both indoors and outdoors. They can be even grown in a greenhouse, so the choice eventually gets down to your own preferences. Here are just a few factors to consider to make the right choice:

• Growing your plants outdoors will let you supply them with the most natural and powerful source of light, and also reduce your electricity bill.
• Growing them indoors will let you get more control over the factors that affect the yield and the quality of cannabis, such as lighting, humidity, etc.

When making the choice, also consider the climate in your area, as well as the local cannabis laws.

Temperature and Humidity

Grown outdoors, feminized plants thrive best in a warm Mediterranean climate and shouldn’t be exposed to intense colds most of the time. Nevertheless, it’s a common practice to give these plants a so-called “freeze shock” at the end of their lifecycle. In some cases, doing this can boost the plant’s potency. Otherwise, for indoor cultivation, this type of cannabis requires moderate climate conditions. The best temperature range for these plants is between 68°F and 78°F (or 20-25°C).

As for the humidity level, it should be moderate and needs to be adjusted for each specific stage of the plant’s lifecycle. During the vegetative stage, the humidity should be set to around 60%. However, during the flowering stage, it should be reduced to 40-50% to avoid mold.

Soil

Feminized seeds are quite demanding in terms of nutrients. Therefore, the best soil for growing them is nutrient-rich, light, and well-ventilated. To satisfy all these requirements, growers tend to choose soil mixes.

Typically, ready-made mixes that you can find in a store will work fine for growing feminized seeds. But, if you want to ensure the best results, you might want to make a homemade mix of your choice.

Lifecycle

Feminized weed has a six-stage lifecycle that consists of:

• Germination – When seeds pop, turn into sprouts, and become ready for planting.
• Seedling – After being planted in the soil, feminized seeds turn into seedlings, ready to shed the husk and start growing.
• Vegetation – This is the stage of the most potency and growth. During it, the plant is maturing and getting bigger day by day.
• Flowering – During this stage, the plant starts procreating and forming buds.
• Harvest – At this stage, the plant’s buds change color from milky-white to amber. That’s when it’s time to harvest crops.
• Drying and curing – After harvesting, growers need to place buds in a dark and dry area to let them drive and amplify the flavor.

Light

For photoperiod plants, growers use two light cycles – 18/6 during the vegetation and 12/12 during the flowering stage. For autoflower plants, you can stick to an 18/6 or 20/4 light cycle to improve the results.

Nutrients

Feminized plants demand a lot of nutrients. The three key elements include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Apart from this, feminized cannabis is hungry for calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, etc.

Yields

Unlike regular seeds, feminized seeds don’t have a specific average yield volume. Everything depends on three factors – genetics, light, and nutrients.

Water

Feminized marijuana seeds need to be watered regularly, every 1-3 days. However, it’s crucial not to overwater the plant in order to avoid harming its roots. Check if the soil is dry before watering and keep an eye out for signs of overwatering.

Flowering Time

The time feminized seeds need to flower depends a lot on the selected strain. Autoflowering strains will flower quicker in around 8-9 weeks. Other strains can take 11-12 weeks until you can harvest the crop.

How to Recognize Female Seeds

There is no way to do this by simply looking at seeds. That’s why it’s recommended to buy feminized seeds from a trusted online or offline store.

Can You Clone Feminized Cannabis Seeds? Are Weed Seeds Better Than Clones?

Yes, when you grow a cannabis plant from feminized seeds, you can actually clone it. The process isn’t too complex. However, in order to get the best results, you need a healthy mother plant with strong genetics.

Nevertheless, weed seeds are typically better than clones. Seeds produce healthier and higher-quality plants, whereas clones often inherit all diseases and pests from the mother plant.

The Pros and Cons of Feminized Marijuana Seeds

Before you start looking for feminized seeds for sale in the USA, let’s quickly look at the main pros and cons.

Pros:

• These seeds will only grow into female plants with buds and noticeable THC.
• Without male plants, you won’t ruin your crop or grow useless cannabis.

Cons:

• If there are no male plants, you can’t grow seeds and grow them or breed new strains.
•  Poor quality seeds or excessive stress during the growth increase the risk of hermaphrodite weed plants.

Feminized Cannabis Seed – Taste, THC and CBD Levels, Effect

Female marijuana seeds differ by a number of factors. Below is a brief overview of the factors to keep in mind when shopping for the right seeds.

Taste

Whether autoflowering or photoperiod, feminized plants have lots of flavor profiles. They can be light and strong, sweet and cheesy, etc. The taste depends on the terpenes contained in the chosen strain.

THC and CBD Levels

While the CBD content is always high in feminized plants (as CBD flowers are obtained solely from female cannabis), the THC content can range anywhere from under 1% to around 30%. There are many factors that affect this content.

Effect

The effect of feminized plants also varies. It depends on the selected strain and its genetics, as well as on the THC and CBD levels. However, most often, feminized seeds are linked to relaxation and euphoria.

Are Feminized Marijuana Seeds Good for Beginners?

According to experienced growers, male marijuana plants can cause accidental pollination that often leads to ruined crops. Due to this reason, male plants are often discarded during the early stages of growth to avoid this.

Since feminised seeds only produce female plants, they are fantastic for beginners. Using them, a novice cultivator doesn’t have to worry about overlooking the male plants and, thus, ruining the crops.

Nevertheless, though feminized cannabis is generally good for beginners, it might not be perfect for everyone. According to experts, female-only plants will suit bud growers who are looking to grow THC-high weed that comes with strong relaxation, euphoria, and laughter effects. Also, such seeds will suit growers who specialize in creating medicinal cannabis, as female buds have the cannabinoids and terpenes content needed for a solid medical effect.

What Are the Different Types of Feminized Cannabis Strains?

There are plenty of strains to choose from if you are looking for feminized seeds. Here are some of the best strains in our opinion:

• Blue Dream Feminized – This Sativa-dominant strain provides 2% CBD and 19% THC. It’s known for its strong pain and stress-relieving features, and a delicious fruity flavor.
• Durban Poison Feminized – This strain has gained the love of growers for high THC levels (16-24%) and the unique effect it has on consumers’ moods and creativity. It also has a unique flavor mix of sweetness, citrus, and herbs.
• Strawberry Cough Feminized – This is a hybrid, Sativa-dominant strain. It contains 1.6% CBD and 20% THC. The strain is known for quick pain relief and the shade of strawberries in its taste.
• White Tahoe Cookies Feminized - This Indica-dominant strain contains 22-28% of THC, which makes it a popular choice for pro users. It also has an amazing flavor mix of Diesel, Herb, Wood, and Spice. 

Feminized Seeds or Female Seeds?

Many retailers tend to claim that they only provide “100% female weed seeds”, while actually talking about feminized ones. In reality, this statement is very misleading and inaccurate because these two aren’t the same thing.

As you already know, feminized seeds were bred to produce more female plants with buds than possible with regular ones, which produce equal shares of male and female plants. Nevertheless, feminized plants still have a full range of genetics. Both regular and feminized weed plants have both Y Chromosomes (male) and X Chromosomes (female). A truly female plant has YY Chromosomes. 

Female plants don’t have a full range of genetics and can be used as a source for a mother plant. Feminized plants, on the contrary, are rarely recommended to use for this purpose as they aren’t as resilient. Typically, mixing feminized and fully male plants will result in the same feminine-masculine ratio as when creating seeds the regular way.