Strains of Cannabis Plants

Cannabis has four strains which include the following;

a) Indica

During the flowering phase, cannabis plants with an indica inclination produce dense, fat, hefty buds. As a result, these strains are frequently thought to provide users with a “body high” rather than a more cerebral high.

b) Sativa

Compared to indica strains, sativa strains typically yield more airy and well-formed buds. Cannabis users have a reputation for experiencing more cerebral, energizing, and “buzzy” highs from sativa strains.

c) Hybrid

Hybrid strains, which include sativa and indica, are typically thought to provide a more even high.

d) Hemp

Although hemp plants are related to the cannabis family, they differ from typical weed plants because they produce very little THC, the chemical that gives marijuana its high.

How to Identify a Female Cannabis Plant

Cannabis cultivators seek female marijuana plants mostly. This is because they contain the bud that comprises most weed products.

Female plants also contain a good amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis; however, male plants contain only a small amount of THC.

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If you are a marijuana farmer and want more female plants, you can feminize them. You can learn how to feminize marijuana seeds and do it yourself if you are not willing to buy feminized ones.

Cannabis is an annual flowering plant. This means they complete their life cycle from germination to seed production in a year.

The early female cannabis pre-flowers are ovate, pear-like, and have a long and slender pointed tips. That is the calyx from whose tips a pair of pistils extend.

Female cannabis plants start to show sex with small pre-flowers from about 4-6 weeks. By week six, you can tell the difference between female and male cannabis plants.

Female marijuana plants can sprout from photoperiodic, automatic, or feminized seeds. Pre-flowers in females look like a pair of white hairs from the round calyx.

Parts of the Cannabis Plants

Mostly, people only know about two parts of the cannabis plant. These parts are the buds/flowers and the iconic leaves, which are the most important parts of the plant.

However, the plant has other botanical elements. Let’s look at them briefly;

a) Seeds

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Cannabis plants begin from seeds, and their life cycle ends once they produce mature seeds. So, these are at the beginning and end of the plant’s life cycle.

Cannabis plants grown directly from seeds are stronger, produce a higher yield, grow faster, and even have better quality plants than clones.

The seeds form in female plants; once pollinated, they take 45 days to fully mature.

b) Roots

The roots are essential to the cannabis plant as they nourish the plant and keep it stable. The upper part of the root system is known as the root clown, where tissue begins to form the stem.

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Changes in the vascular system make these roots tougher, stronger, and larger. This is also a result of absorbing air and oxygen.

c) Stem

The stem connects the other plant parts with the roots. It also gives the plant structure and stability as it grows and becomes more elongated.

d) Nodes and Internodes

Nodes are where the branches extend from the stem and other branches, while internodes are the spaces you see between individual nodes.

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Indica-dominant plants have narrower nodes, while sativa-dominant ones have larger internodes.

e) Stipule

Stipules form at the nodes in pairs and look like tiny, thin leaves; you can often mistake them for pistils.

f) Branches

Branches work with the stem to form the whole structure of the cannabis plant. They are covered in leaves and form a canopy, and the plants will have more or less branching later, depending on their genetics.

g) Leaves

The most recognizable features of the cannabis plant are its distinctive serrated leaves. Their primary job is to store sugar and produce other plant food through photosynthesis.

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The leaves of this plant are divided into finger-like lobes extending from the base of the leaf.

i) Sativa

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In contrast to indica leaves, which are bigger, darker, fatter, and often have fewer blades, sativa leaves are lighter and thinner and tend to have more leaves or fingers. But, again, this is merely a genetic manifestation of the two strains.

ii) Fan Leaves

The largest section of the cannabis plant is often its fan leaves. In contrast to sugar leaves, they do not have as many trichomes or cannabinoids, or terpenes. Fan leaves, however, are a crucial component of any cannabis plant.

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These leaves indicate the plant’s health as diseases always show up first on them. The leaves also store water and other nutrients.

iii) Sugar Leaves

Sugar leaves grow from cannabis flowers and get their name from trichome glands. They contain a higher concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes.

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Their function is the same as that of other leaves. However, they are thinner, have fewer blades, and are shaped like a spear.

h) Pre-Sexual Structures

Pre-sexual structures, often known as “pre-flowers,” start forming as the cannabis plant ages and gets closer to flowering.

i) Flowers/Buds

Most people grow cannabis plants for their flowers or “buds,” which are the sections of the plant that contain the most cannabinoids. Their primary job is to gather pollen and make seeds.

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The majority of growers wish to prevent this. The quality of the blossoms would be ruined by pollination, which would redirect the plants’ energy toward creating seeds.

j) Bracts

Bracts are tiny, modified leaves that resemble teardrops that, along with bracteoles, envelop and guard the seed pod. They appear just before blossoming and are found at the flower’s base.

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The bracts transform into an early form of the ovary or a seed incubator once the female plant is pollinated. They safeguard the seeds while they develop, ripen, and eventually separate.

k) Calyx

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A female marijuana plant has calyx cells, but it is not well-defined. Calyx cells are a section of the perianth, a layer of delicate tissue that partially covers the ovule.

l) Pistils and Stigmas

The female sex organs of the plant are stigmas and pistils. The stigmas are two hair-like structures that grow at the tip of the pistils, which are oval formations with only one ovule covered by bracteoles and bracts. The stigmas catch pollen during pollination.

m) Cola

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The full bloom on the main stalk, or “cola,” is the plant’s main bud. Cola is a collection of several floral shapes gathered together and is the plant’s biggest and heaviest flower of the cannabis plant.

n) Trichomes

Trichomes, which resemble tiny crystals and are little resin glands in the form of mushrooms, coat the buds and sugar leaves. Although the buds have most trichomes, the stems, branches, and leaves also have them.

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Trichomes are present in both female and male cannabis plants. They create the plant’s phytochemicals, including flavonoids, terpenes, and cannabinoids.

Hermaphrodite Cannabis Plants

Hermaphrodite cannabis plants occasionally grow with others. Plants that are hermaphrodites develop both male and female reproductive parts.

Cannabis plants that have both sexes develop due to genetics. However, this is less common than when a plant is stressed. Some stressors leading to hermaphrodite plants include excess heat, root rot, and malnutrition.

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True hermaphrodite and mixed-gender hermaphrodite marijuana plants are the two varieties. Cannabis plants that are true hermaphrodites produce male and female sex parts but on distinct parts of the plant.

Cannabis plants with mixed genders produce anthers, yellow sex organs that develop from female flowers. Anthers release pollen, which fertilizes adjacent flowers.

Hermaphrodite plants discharge pollen. So, if you want your female plants to stay seedless, you should rapidly remove the hermaphrodite plant from the vicinity. However, if you want to have both sexes, you can get the male and female marijuana seeds and plant them.

Using a hermaphrodite plant to pollinate your female plants is usually not a good idea, even if you want them to produce seeds. However, if you do, there’s a good chance you’ll get hermaphrodite seeds.

How to Differentiate Male and Female Plants

When the cannabis plant is around six weeks old, you can see the difference between male and female plants. Look at the nodes where the plant’s leaves, branches, and main stem meet to determine the sex of the marijuana plant.

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Male weed plants will generate pollen sacs, which at first resemble little balls before expanding into larger clusters of oblong-shaped sacs. On the other hand, a female weed plant will generate pistils, which first resemble thin hairs before developing into more definite ovules and stigmas.

It is important to distinguish between female and male marijuana plants because only female plants produce flowers. However, male plants only produce pollen sacs, so they don’t produce any buds you can harvest for consumption.

Frequently Asked Questions on Female Weed Plants

1. Can you grow male and female marijuana plants together?

Male and female weed plants shouldn’t be grown together, even if they can technically coexist. If you want to harvest buds from your female cannabis plants, separate the male and female plants.

Male cannabis plants aren’t useless, though; they contribute significantly to a grower’s harvest but growing them separately allows the female ones to grow well and develop.

2. Is it possible to tell if a marijuana plant is male or female before it flowers?

The first and most noticeable indicator is the presence of both male and female buds on the same plant. The presence of anthers, which growers refer to as “bananas” or “nanners,” is the second indication. Finally, anthers emerge among buds, have a curved appearance, and are often yellow or lime-green.

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It’s one of the largest cause for confusion, as it’s not always clear whether some auto-flowering seeds are feminized. Auto-flowering seeds grow without relying on light cycles. Feminized seeds grow like regular seeds (relying on light cycles) and only contain female genetics, hence only producing female plants and buds. If an auto-flowering seed is not feminized, then there is a 50/50 chance that you’ll get male plants as well as female. And those male plants can cause quite a hassle.

So, are all auto-flowering marijuana seeds feminized? These days, yes, most auto-flowering varieties are feminized. Since auto-flower seeds are designed to streamline the process, it makes sense that they’re feminized to even further speed things up and make things as straightforward as possible.

Before getting your hands on the best auto-flowering and feminized seeds on the market, keep reading to discover more about the two most popular varieties.

What are Auto-Flowering Marijuana Seeds?

It’s pretty much all in the name. “Auto-flowering” refers to the ability of these seeds to flower in an “automatic” sense. This means that they don’t require regular light cycles to grow, in comparison to other seeds which need these light cycles to develop.

You can also refer to regular seeds as photoperiod seeds, if you want to get a little fancy. Photoperiodism is the response to changes in daylength, which allows plants to adjust to seasonal environmental changes.

So, rather than reaching their final form thanks to light, auto-flowering seeds grow and flourish once the plant reaches a certain age. These seeds do need some light to help them on their way, but certainly not as much as feminized or other seeds. In other words, they aren’t light-dependent.

You may have heard a myth floating around that all auto-flowering seeds are less potent than feminized. Due to new research and advancements, you can find auto-flowering varieties with just as much THC potency as regular seeds. THC is a cannabinoid within the marijuana plant that makes you high, whereas CBD has no psychoactive effect.

Pros

• Ideal for beginner growers
• Fast harvest period
• Short and compact for easy growing indoors
• Not reliant on light cycles
• High in CBD
• Strong genetics

Cons

• Unable to clone (or at least very difficult)
• Reduced yield
• Can be less potent in THC

Are All Auto-Flowering Marijuana Seeds Feminized?

When it comes to the feminized or non-feminized topic, you’ll find that most auto-flowering seeds are in fact feminized. Due to the existing user-friendly nature of auto-flowering seeds, it makes sense for most of them to already come feminized. This makes the growing process even easier, as you don’t need to potentially account time for removing male plants from the mix.

What are Feminized Marijuana Seeds?

Feminized seeds are seeds that only produce female plants, and hence are hugely popular among experienced cultivators. They produce huge yields with strong, potent buds, and are much easier to clone. This means that growers don’t need to purchase new seeds each time, and can instead clone their existing seeds that produced the best plants. You know, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

Essentially, feminized seeds eliminate that 50/50 chance of having female or male plants. Male plants are undesirable because they grow pollen sacs instead of buds. It’s these pollen sacs that make the male plants pretty useless (to put it lightly).

Not only can you not smoke male plants, but they can also pollinate the female plants. Once pollinated, the female plants will produce seeds, not buds, so you can’t harvest them to make them into the bud you know and love. This should be left to the real expert growers, as removing the males can be a delicate process.

Pros

• Ideal for experienced growers
• Potent yield
• Stronger genetics
• Only produces female plants
• Cost-effective
• Ideal for cloning

Cons

• Slightly slower harvest period
• Possibility of hermaphrodite plants

Male plants do have some uses. For instance, they can be harvested to make a soft hemp fibre, used for clothes or other homeware pieces.

So, feminized is pretty much the way to go if you want a smoother growing process. That is why most people are looking for an auto-flowering variety that is already feminized. If you’re not sure, make sure to always check the strain’s details to ensure that it’s feminized.

Best Way to Store Marijuana Seeds

No matter which kind of seed you’re growing, you need to know how to store it to ensure it stays fresh and survives in time for the germination process. Seeds can be used for up to 10 years if they’ve been stored properly. You should really be using fresh seeds, but that’s to give you an idea of just how important storage is to the viability of your seeds. It’s best to plant your seeds within a year of storage.

• Keep seeds away from any form of light.
• Store them between 4.4 °C and 8.3 °C.
• Control humidity levels between 5% and 9%.
• Keep them in a clean environment to prevent contamination from insects, bacteria, and mould.
• Use Mylar bags or glass containers with an airtight seal. Do not use plastic jars or bags, as these are more porous.

Buy Auto-Flowering and Feminized Marijuana Seeds Today

Now you know that most auto-flowering seeds are feminized, it’s time to grow these babies yourself. Make the process easier with some of the best auto-flowering varieties, as well as the best feminized if you’re a little more experienced. To be safe, we suggest always checking each individual strain of seeds to see if they are labelled as “feminized”.

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Auto-flowering marijuana seeds automatically grow without relying on light cycles. Feminized marijuana seeds grow like regular seeds, relying on light cycles, and only contain female genetics that produce female buds. Female buds are the only buds that you can smoke, unlike their male counterpart, which you cannot consume.

Both types of seeds have their advantages, which is why it’s important to understand each one. A better understanding means a stronger, healthier yield, which is the ultimate goal of every grower. And before you buy either auto-flowering or feminized seeds from your favourite online seed retailer, you should be setting yourself up for the best chance at a prosperous yield. Keep reading to uncover more about these two popular seeds.

Auto-flowering Marijuana Seeds

Auto-flowering seeds (also known as Cannabis ruderalis) get their name from their autonomy. While you still need to give them the basic necessities – water, nutrition, and of course a few loving words of encouragement – these seeds do not need regular light cycles.

This is quite different from other seeds, especially feminized, as they will only reach the flowering process if they receive a certain amount of light. In other words, they are photoperiod plants. Photoperiodism is the response to changes in daylength, which allows plants to adjust to seasonal environmental changes.

So, instead of flourishing into their final form thanks to light, these plants actually flower once the plant reaches a certain age. You should still use some light to help these seeds on their way, but they are not as dependent on it as feminized or other types of seeds.

Auto-flowering marijuana seeds are fast-growing and produce short plants with thick stems. This all makes sense when you consider their origins close to the North and South Pole. With such extreme, cold conditions, these plants have had to adapt to survive. They’re short to retain heat better, and buds grow quickly to reproduce before they get exposed too much to the cold and die out.

Just starting out? Auto-flowering seeds are most likely the way to go for you. Beginner growers often find these seeds significantly easier to grow than others. You don’t have to worry about constant surveillance, and there is a lot more room for error. Plus, you can account for more harvests in one period since these seeds flower at a faster rate. This means more weed than other seeds, in the same amount of time.

Pros

• Ideal for beginner growers
• Fast harvest period
• Short and compact for easy growing indoors
• Not reliant on light cycles
• High in CBD
• Strong genetics

Cons

• Unable to clone (or at least very difficult)
• Reduced yield
• Less potent in THC

Most Popular Auto-Flowering Strain

If you’ve found yourself to be a fan of the auto-flowering variety, or are simply curious to try it out, then you should give the best-of-the-best a go. There are countless auto-flowering seeds that are fan-favourites, but there’s one in particular that finds itself at the top.

Candy Kush is the best-of-both-worlds as auto-flowering feminized seeds. They have all the advantages of auto-flowering – easier to grow and faster yield – as well as the feminized genetics. This means the growing process is streamlined, plus they are already feminized, so you don’t need to remove the male plants.

Here are some key things to know about Candy Kush:

• Heavily crystalized buds
• Sweet and spicy flavours
• Rapid flowering time between 6 and 8 weeks
• Short plant stature ideal for indoor growing

Why is this the most popular? Candy Kush is loved for its potent flavour and effects. It offers sedative and euphoric effects, making it the perfect afternoon or evening strain to kick your feet up and relax.

Feminized Marijuana Seeds

Feminized seeds are seeds that only produce female plants, and hence are hugely popular among experienced cultivators. They produce huge yields with strong, potent buds, and are much easier to clone. This means that growers don’t need to purchase new seeds each time, and can instead clone their existing seeds that produced the best plants. You know, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

Essentially, feminized seeds eliminate that 50/50 chance of having female or male plants. Male plants are undesirable because they grow pollen sacs instead of buds. It’s these pollen sacs that make the male plants unsuitable.

Not only can you not smoke male plants, but they can also pollinate the female plants. Once pollinated, the female plants will produce seeds, not buds, so you can’t harvest them to make them into the bud you know and love. This should be left to the real expert growers, as removing the males can be a delicate process.

To be fair, male plants do have a couple of uses. For instance, they can be harvested to make a soft hemp fibre, used for clothes or other homeware pieces.

Pros

• Ideal for experienced growers
• Potent yield
• Stronger genetics
• Only produces female plants
• Cost-effective
• Ideal for cloning

Cons

• Slightly slower harvest period
• Possibility of hermaphrodite plants

Most Popular Feminized Strain

If you think you’re more of a feminized seed kind of gal or guy, then give the best strain on the market a go: Allen Wrench. High in THC, this strain offers some great earthy, woody flavours, and it won’t knock you out on the couch like some other THC-dominant varieties.

Here are some key things to know about Candy Kush:

• Rich, earthy flavours
• Fast flowering time between 10 and 11 weeks
• High THC concentration of 24%

Growing Allen Wrench should be done by fairly experienced growers. You can grow it inside or out, but if you do grow indoors then we suggest you install an odour-control system, as its aroma is pretty potent.

Which One Should I Choose?

Looking at the difference between auto-flowering and feminized marijuana seeds will help you in deciding which is best for you. We suggest going for auto-flowering if you’re just starting out, as these seeds are simpler to grow and leave greater room for error. Feminized seeds remove the risk of growing male plants, which can contaminate the females, making them grow seeds instead of buds. If you still can’t decide, try out both seeds if you have the means.

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