When you decide to cultivate your own cannabis, whether for personal use or commercial purposes, determining the type of cannabis seeds to grow is the first decision you need to make. There are limitless choices of cannabis strain varieties, and the one you choose depends on your growing needs. Most importantly, you need to consider your growing experience and the type of marijuana buds you are after, whether with high THC or CBD.
Ideally, you need to choose a cannabis seed strain that will produce high THC if you want to grow cannabis for recreational use. On the other hand, strains with high CBD are suitable for medical cannabis. These are the factors to consider when exploring the various types of cannabis seeds, from feminized seeds, regular seeds, and auto-flower seeds.
Your style of cultivation
Before you purchase cannabis seeds, factor in your cultivation style. Keep in mind that some cannabis plants may grow better in some conditions than others. For instance, outdoor growing of cannabis requires strains that are more resistant to external growing conditions such as pests and mold. Auto-flowering seeds work better if you are growing in a location with limited access to light since they flower automatically regardless of the lighting conditions.
For a beginner, it is best to use a low-stress training method so that you don’t stress the plant too much when pruning it into a bush and also to save more space. Additionally, bending the plant over facilitates an even budding scenario whereby even the lower parts of the crop also produce more buds. It also evens out the distribution of light.
Your grow space
Whenever you are growing cannabis indoors, you have to consider your growing space before purchasing the seeds. In such a setting, plants that grow too big in size may cause you a problem if your grow room is too small. Fortunately, auto-flowering cannabis seeds grow into small plants that are manageable in size. Again, this also depends on your grow style because a single bushed plant can produce the same amount of bud as several small plants. You can prune your plants accurately into bushes so that they can make more buds per plant. This kind of expertise is precious, especially if you are in a state where there are regulations on the number of cannabis plants you can grow at one time for personal or commercial purposes. Keep in mind that some grow styles suit a small space than others and take note of the local cannabis cultivation laws.
The time it takes to produce flowers.
Ensure you educate yourself about the time it takes for specific cannabis plants to grow into mature flowers before you grow them. You do not want to leave a flower for too long or pick it too soon, which may interfere with the bud’s THC content. As such, you may not get the full product from the plant. You can research the flowering cycles of different cannabis seeds usually listed on the websites of cannabis seed companies such as i49. Suppose the matured buds are left for too long on the plant. In that case, they start to decay, and the cannabinoids deteriorate from THC to non-psychoactive byproducts and cannabinoids with less medicinal value. So, harvesting the bud at the right time is very important.
The aroma of the plant
Even though growing cannabis in your state may be legal, that doesn’t mean that everyone around your neighborhood should know you are cultivating cannabis. Pungent strains may attract thieves and the attraction of nosy neighbors. Some strains with fruity smells which accent a garden well are a little discreet and suitable, especially if you are growing your weed indoors. However, you don’t have to worry much about the pungent odors of cannabis plants, thanks to an ozone machine that you can use to eliminate the odor. Besides, you can ensure your plants are well ventilated in the grow room to eliminate the smells.
Expected THC, CBD, and CBN levels
While some consumers like buds with high THC content and relatively high CBD (cannabinol), others prefer buds with high CBN and CBD and low THC levels. When it comes to recreational cannabis, every user has a personal preference of the high they like. Cannabinoid regulates the psychoactive effect by reducing the THC, which can lower stress and the anxious feeling people get when smoking weed. The expected benefits of the bud you produce are significant to the consumer as it helps them select the products depending on the high they want. So before you choose the seeds, research the expected benefits of the buds they produce.
Terpenes of the strain
Observing the terpenes of a specific marijuana strain can help you know the smoking effect and smell of the marijuana. For instance, cannabis plants with more myrcene give faster highs. Cineol or eucalyptol is one of the chemicals that cause the uplifting effect of some cannabis strains. It makes one of the significant differences between cannabis Sativa and cannabis indica strains. Borneol is good for easing stress and is present in some strains.
To preserve the terpenes in cannabis buds, they need to be dried and cured effectively. The terpenes evaporate at lower temperatures than CBD. The heat above 85degrees affects the aromatic components that give cannabis fruity smells and other chemicals that make the strains so diverse. With diverse breeding, you can grow different combinations of marijuana aromas.
Are the seeds feminized?
Selecting feminized cannabis seeds is the best idea ever as it saves you more time and energy needed to grow the plants. Feminized cannabis seeds are specially bred in that they turn out to be all female plants that produce the desired cannabis flower. There is no worry about staying alert during the transition period to eliminate the male plants, which can ruin the female flowers.
Are the seeds an auto-flowering variety?
Cannabis Ruderalis is an auto-flowering cannabis strain that flowers based on age rather than a specific light cycle. That makes it easier to manage the crops, especially for a beginner grower.
The Takeaway
Before you grow cannabis, familiarize yourself with your state laws surrounding cannabis cultivation to avoid any problems with the authorities.