How do the different types of cannabis seeds differ from each other? Differences in indoor and outdoor cultivation

• How are cannabis seeds split?
• Sativa, indica, hybrid: what are the differences?
• Why is it important to distinguish between male and female plants?
• What are photoperiodic cannabis seeds?
• What is a regular cannabis seed?
• What is feminized cannabis seed?
• What is fast flowering?
• What is autoflowering?
• What is CBD rich seeds?
• Differences in indoor and outdoor growing
• Table summary: Advantages and disadvantages of each type of seed

How are cannabis seeds split?

The basic classification of cannabis seeds is based on a number of key aspects, including genetic characteristics and growth patterns.

The seeds are divided into:

•  Photoperiodic seeds
•  feminized cannabis seeds (feminized)
•  regular cannabis seeds (regular)
•  fast flowering
• Autoflowering
• CBD-rich hemp seeds

These categories are further subdivided into genetic types:

• sativa
• indica
• hybrid

Sativa, indica, hybrid: what are the differences?

Sativa is characterised by its height and extended flowering time, while indica varieties are known for their shorter growing cycles and more compact plants. The hybrid crosses sativa and indica genetics and offers a wide range of traits from both parent types.

	Sativa	Indica	Hybrid
Description	Less productive, suitable for outdoor cultivation	More productive, shorter development cycle, suitable for indoor growing	Combination of sativa and indica genetics, aiming to improve the characteristics of both types
Height of the plant	Tall (around 2 metres)	Low	Miscellaneous
Growth shape	Buds are more spongy and/or airy, naturally grow vertically	Smaller, sturdier plant, spruce shape, resembles a Christmas tree	Depends on the prevailing genetics
Appearance of sticks and leaves	Lighter leaf colour, narrow and distant leaves, elongated stamens	Dark green, broad and short leaves, rounded stamens	Diverse
Maintenance	Requires trimming to adjust growth	Suitable for apical pruning, LST (Low Stress Training)	The aim of hybridization is usually to shorten the flowering time of sativas and promote higher yields
Famous varieties	Sour Diesel Jack Herer	Northern Lights Purple Queen	OG Kush White Widow

LST (Low Stress Training) is a technique used to optimize light access to all parts of the plant, usually in indicas.

Apical pruning is a technique that promotes lateral growth and branching, thereby increasing the overall yield of the plant.

 

Why is it important to distinguish between male and female plants?

The cannabis plant, also known as Cannabis Sativa L., reproduces sexually, with the male plants pollinating the females.

The male plants produce pollen, which is necessary to pollinate the female flowers and then produce seeds. Pollen is released from the small inflorescences on the male plants.

The flowers of the female plants, known as buds, are rich in cannabinoids such as CBD, CBN, CBG and THC. These flowers develop at the nodes, the places where the stems branch.

If the male plants do not pollinate the female ones, they produce so-called sensimilla - seedless flowers with a higher content of cannabinoids and terpenes. And because growers need to maintain the high quality and purity of female flowers, they often remove male plants from fields or grow houses to prevent unwanted pollination.

 

What are photoperiodic cannabis seeds?

Photoperiodic cannabis seeds are seeds that require changes in daylight hours to initiate the flowering phase. These plants respond to natural seasonal changes in the light regime.

The vegetative phase begins when photoperiodic plants are exposed to long daylight and short nights. With the onset of longer nights, the plants recognise that the end of the growing season is approaching and start to flower. Flowering usually occurs when darkness lasts continuously for at least 12 hours.

Photoperiodic cannabis plants can be feminised or regular, with feminised varieties being more common as they guarantee 100% female plants and a simplified growing process.

What is a regular cannabis seed?

Regular hemp seed is a natural, non-genetically modified form of seed. Historically, it was the first type of seed used for cannabis cultivation. It is produced by the natural pollination of female flowers by pollen from male plants. Regular seeds can be produced by both male and female plants, opening up opportunities for growers to develop new genetic lines and varieties.

The lifecycle of these cannabis seeds can vary depending on the specific varieties and growing conditions, but generally lasts between 12 and 32 weeks from sowing to harvest.

Growers who do not plan to breed must remove (separate) the male plants from the growing space in time to prevent pollination of the females. Such pollination would lead to seed formation and reduce the production of cannabinoids in the flowers, which would damage their quality and overall yield.

Statistically, approximately 50% of male and 50% of female plants will grow from regular seeds, but this ratio can vary depending on external factors such as climatic conditions, temperature differences and light availability.

Since regular seeds allow for natural genetic variation, they are the choice of growers interested in breeding and preserving the genetic diversity of cannabis plants. They are also often used by research institutions for the study of cannabis genetics and the development of sustainable cultivation practices.

 

What is feminized cannabis seed?

Feminised cannabis seeds are specially treated to grow exclusively female plants, which is the main difference from regular seeds, which are both male and female.

The life cycle of feminised cannabis seeds can vary depending on the variety and growing conditions, but generally lasts between 10 and 14 weeks from sowing to harvest.

Assuming that feminised plants are grown in optimal conditions, they usually need about 30 days to reach full maturity. They require a certain amount of light and careful management of light cycles to grow and flower, especially in outdoor conditions.

In an indoor environment, growers can precisely control the light conditions so that the plant can flower at any time.

What is fast flowering?

Fast flowering cannabis seeds are bred to reach the flowering stage and mature in a much shorter time than others. From these seeds, plants complete their life cycle within 6 to 8 weeks of planting, making them a good choice for growers who want to move from sowing to harvesting as quickly as possible.

The fast flowering seeds are suitable for both indoor and outdoor growing. These plants also have the advantage of being more compact.

What is autoflowering?

Autoflowering, also known as autoflowering cannabis seeds, are a unique type of seed that automatically goes into the flowering phase after a certain period of vegetative growth, regardless of light conditions.

The development of autoflowering seeds can take place in several ways, namely by crossing:

• autoflowering strains with photoperiodic strains
• autoflowering plants with other autoflowering plants
• photoperiodic strains with Ruderalis plants (this type of plant blooms during growth regardless of the amount of light received)

The life cycle of these cannabis seeds can last from 8 to 10 weeks from sowing to harvest. After germination, it usually takes about 25 days for the plants to reach the growth phase, after which they automatically go into flowering, regardless of the change in daylight.

Autoflowering seeds are used for both indoor and outdoor cultivation. They are a popular choice for growers, especially if they have limited space or want to grow cannabis in an area with an unstable climate.

Most of these plants are also feminised, so growers do not have to eliminate the male plants, saving them work and maximising the production of cannabinoid-rich flowers.

 

What is CBD rich seeds?

Cannabidiol-rich (CBD) hemp seeds are bred to produce plants with a high CBD content and a minimum amount of THC. They usually come from varieties of sown hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), which belong to the group of technical or industrial hemp.

Industrial hemp is a variety of hemp seed that is grown primarily for its hemp fibre, seeds and hemp products, including CBD. Unlike marijuana, which is illegal in many countries because of its high content of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), industrial hemp is characterised by its high CBD content and very low THC content, usually less than 0.2-0.3%, which is the legal limit in many countries in Europe and the USA. In the Czech Republic, this limit is set at 1 % THC in the dry matter.

CBD hemp seeds are available in the following varieties: feminised, regular, fast flowering and autoflowering.

This allows growers to choose the genetics that best suit their specific growing conditions and requirements.

Differences in indoor and outdoor growing

Growers also have to decide in which environment they will grow their plants. They can choose to grow in an open outdoor environment, in a greenhouse or indoors. Each of these environments has advantages and challenges that affect the efficiency of cultivation and the success of the harvest.

	Outdoor	Indoor
Air Conditioning	Subject to local weather and seasonal changes	Controlled climate (temperature, humidity)
Light	Dependent on natural sunlight	Artificial lighting
Growth cycle	Only at certain times of the year	Plants can grow all year round
Suitable seed types	Feminized Fast flowering Autoflowering Sativa Hybrid CBD-rich hemp seeds	Feminized Fast flowering Indica Hybrid CBD-rich hemp seeds
Cost	Lower initial costs, dependent on natural conditions.	Higher initial equipment and energy costs.
Maintenance	Higher risk of pests, diseases and natural disasters.	Less risk of pests and diseases, regular maintenance of systems required.

 

Table summary: Advantages and disadvantages of each type of seed

In the following table we look at the advantages and disadvantages of each type of seed.

Seed type	Benefits	Disadvantages
Feminized	Female plants only, no need to remove males Increased cultivation efficiency and easier harvest planning	Cannot be used for breeding new varieties Higher purchase price
Regular	Possibility of breeding new strains Low purchase price	Need to eliminate males to avoid unwanted pollination Variability of returns
Fast flowering	More compact plants and faster harvesting Less demanding to light conditions, suitable for shorter growing seasons	Generally lower yields due to shorter growing season A more limited choice of varieties
Autoflowering	Automatic flowering regardless of the change of light mode Possibility of continuous harvesting in multiple cycles during the year	Smaller plants Usually lower total flower yield
Seeds rich in CBD	High CBD content Due to its low THC content, it is legal in many states.	Higher purchase price

 

Author:  Patricie Mikolášová 

  

    

Photo: Shutterstock

The content of this article is intended for informational purposes only. The information provided should not be construed as legal or medical advice. Readers are advised that the cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis may be subject to legal restrictions and regulations in various jurisdictions. Specifically, the cultivation of cannabis plants that contain 0.2% or more of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or other psychoactive substances may be considered illegal and subject to criminal penalties, depending on the country and its specific laws.

This article is intended for those interested in the ethnobotanical and collecting aspects of cannabis seeds. Any mention of cultivation or usage is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as encouragement or endorsement to engage in illegal activities.

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