Choosing the right type of cannabis seeds to grow can be overwhelming, especially for a beginner. These days, there are many mind-blowing cannabis strains available and many pitfalls that you are likely to fall into as a beginner. Before you start growing cannabis, you need to consider your growing needs and preferences. Do you want cannabis for recreational or medicinal use? The first attempt may not be perfect, so do not panic when things do not go as planned. Check out the key considerations to make.
Cannabis strain: Indica vs. Sativa
Choosing a suitable cannabis strain can be a little bit trickier. Let’s take a look a Indica vs. Sativa. The ideal advice is that Indicas are well suited for new cannabis growers due to their short flowering period. When you are new in the game, it may seem like it is taking forever for your cannabis seeds to germinate, grow, flower, harvest, dry, and cure to the point they are ready for consumption. So, it may be difficult for you to endure the more extended duration Sativas take, and the longer the cultivation period, the more you are likely to make mistakes.
However, your choice depends on your growing needs. Some prefer Cannabis Sativa for medical purposes. Unless you want cannabis for medical use, it is safe to start with Cannabis Indicas as you expand your growing experience.
Regular vs. feminized cannabis seeds
After deciding on the cannabis strain you would like to cultivate, it’s time to choose between regular and feminized seeds. You may be tempted to select regular seeds because of how cheap they are, but there are a few things you need to reflect on. Regular seeds will give rise to a mixture of both male and female plants. There is a high chance of getting more male plants in your cannabis plantation, which are not desirable unless you want to practice cross-breeding or pollen banking. Many growers do not want to waste their time and resources growing unwanted male cannabis plants; therefore, regular seeds have become less popular over the years.
On the other hand, feminized seeds give rise to female cannabis plants that produce the desired cannabis bud. Feminized seeds provide you with peace of mind knowing that all your plants will turn out to be female, and you don’t have to worry about male plants pollinating the female flowers. As a cannabis grower, the last thing you want is a male plant to ruin all your female plants, which is why feminized seeds are preferable.
Feminized auto-flower vs. feminized photo-period seeds
Your decision-making process doesn’t stop at choosing feminized seeds. You still need to select between auto-flower and photo-period feminized seeds. Auto-flower feminized seeds grow from seeds to harvest in around 75days with a 20hours light schedule, while other varieties can be grown with a 24hour light schedule. Auto-flower cannabis plants will flower upon maturity regardless of the light they are exposed to.
On the other hand, when growing photo-period feminized seeds, you have to reduce the light exposure to 12/12 to induce the blooming or flowering phase. That means you expose them to 12hours of light and 12hours of darkness in the blooming stage, which takes 8-10weeks. Nowadays, most auto flower cannabis seeds are feminized instead of regular seeds.
Autoflower feminized seeds are easy to grow for beginners, and you can expect adequate potency levels from good quality seeds. But if you want very high yields, go for feminized photo-period seeds, but you need to have an in-depth understanding of the cultivation process to avoid making mistakes.
Indoor vs. outdoor growing
Another thing to consider when choosing cannabis seeds is whether you are growing them indoors or outdoors. If you want to make things easier, indoors is the way to go since you control the growing environment. But you need resources such as growing space, and energy use may be high due to artificial grow lights. Suppose your location experiences a very cold climate. In that case, indoor growing is suitable, but if you are in an area with a warm climate, growing cannabis outdoors allows you to take advantage of natural sunlight.
Some cannabis varieties are well-suited for outdoor growing, such as the traditional strains from the Middle East, Africa, and the Himalayas. In contrast, others from the cold northern regions are suited for indoor growing. But this doesn’t guarantee success. It all depends on your growing experience as you can adjust the growing conditions to suit the cannabis strain.
THC or CBD rich cannabis seeds
Many cannabis varieties are rich in THC, which gives recreational users the high effect, but it also delivers valuable medicinal benefits to medical cannabis growers. CBD-rich cannabis is valued by growers who want to produce medicinal cannabis that aids with medical conditions such as chronic pain, Crowns disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc. It offers a light and more enjoyable high with a less intense psychoactive effect. THC-rich cannabis offers a high psychoactive effect that recreational cannabis lovers like. But, the broader the cannabinoid spectrum, the better the smoking effect.
Choose a reputable cannabis seed selling company.
Now you are in a good position to choose the ideal cannabis seeds for your cultivation needs. Next is to select a cannabis seed selling company. Buying cannabis seeds from online companies such as i49 provides you with a wide range of quality cannabis seeds to choose from. Again, you also benefit from reviews of other customers who have grown the same seeds previously, so you learn of their experiences, making a more informed choice. Ensure you check the company’s reputation so that you can work with a trustworthy cannabis company that will guide you through your cannabis growing process.
Consider the price
Price is another factor that comes into consideration when choosing cannabis seeds. Remember that cheap is expensive, and also, the most costly cannabis seeds may not be the best ones. Here, the best thing is to focus on your research on the best cannabis seeds to suit your growing needs. With your specific needs in mind, the price won’t matter as much. You only have to find the company that offers what you need at a fair price.
The last thoughts
Armed with the tips mentioned above, you will be in a better position to determine the right cannabis seeds for your cultivation needs.
