What are feminized seeds?

Feminized seeds are nothing more than a product of genetic engineering and a beautiful fruit of the scientific advancement of the cannabis industry. While traditionally, seeds grow to become either male or female plants, feminized seeds are genetically manipulated in such a way that results in them growing into female cannabis plants only.

If you don’t understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to female cannabis plants and why everybody wants them rather than male cultivars, the answer is simple: only female cannabis plants, when unpollinated, develop so-called sinsemilla, which are the buds people love to smoke and turn into various concentrates and ointments.

Why should you buy feminized cannabis seeds?

While seeds that have been feminized tend to be more expensive than regular cannabis seeds, they’re just too convenient not to buy them. First of all, they free the grower from the need to sex cannabis – a process that takes time and plenty of experience to perfect. If you buy feminized seeds, you don’t need to worry about male plants appearing in your garden and ruining your harvest. You can just sit back and relax!

Despite the difference in price, buying feminized cannabis seeds will actually help you save money. If you choose seeds that are feminized, you won’t have to buy ten or fifteen regular ones in the hopes that at least five of them will grow into females. Instead, just get yourself five feminized seeds and in return, you’ll have five perfect female plants. Simple weed math!

Pros and cons of feminized seeds

Despite providing mostly advantages to growers, feminized cannabis seeds have certain disadvantages as well. Let’s take a look at both the pros and cons of growing feminized cannabis seeds.

Pros of feminized seeds:

• No need to buy extra seeds, as is the case with regular cannabis seeds
• No need to sex the growing plants, hence feminized cannabis seeds save you time
• No risk of accidental pollination of your crop by male cultivars
• Feminized cannabis seeds grow into cannabis plants with the highest cannabinoid content
• Perfect for beginner growers due to the easier cultivation process

Cons of feminized seeds:

• Not suitable for people attempting to breed cannabis
• Feminized cannabis has limited cloning abilities

If you’re a seed collector, there won’t be much of a difference between choosing feminized or another seed type. Just like with Indica, Sativa, and Ruderalis seeds looking the same, in this case, it’s impossible to say what seed type is in front of you based solely on its appearance.

How to germinate feminized marijuana seeds

Seeds that have been feminized are no different from any other cannabis seeds when it comes to germinating them. Herbies always makes sure to store their cannabis seeds in perfect conditions to ensure a quick and easy germination process. Most growers tend to germinate feminized weed seeds using the classic paper towel method, which has been used by generations of cultivators. Here’s what you need to do to germinate female marijuana seeds:

• Place your cannabis seed on a clean paper towel
• Fold the paper towel in half so that it covers the cannabis seed from the top and bottom
• Lightly spray the paper towel with clean water to moisten it
• Place the paper towel with the seed on a clean plate, and cover this with another plate to create an airtight, dark, and safe germination space
• Wait for 1-2 days until the seed germinates (older seeds can take longer, up to a week or even 10 days, so be patient). Make sure the paper towel remains moist.   

Where to grow feminized seeds

Feminized cannabis is perfectly suited for growing both indoors and outdoors, and even in greenhouses, so the deciding factor will mostly be your preference, or else conditions outside your control such as the climate or cannabis laws. Growing indoors will help you keep every condition such as temperature, lighting, and humidity under control. On the other hand, growing outdoors is cheaper because we have the sun, the most natural and powerful light source for cannabis. Growing feminized cannabis in a greenhouse will allow you to benefit from sun power as well as prolong the season with controlled temperatures. Greenhouses also tend to be more discreet for growing marijuana than the outdoors.

Recommended temperature and humidity for growing feminized marijuana

When it comes to comfortable living conditions, people and cannabis are very much alike – both prefer moderate climate conditions. Feminized cannabis thrives best in temperatures ranging between 21-24 C (69-75 F). It’s advised to keep plants in this range to avoid cannabis health problems. However, some cannabis plants love to experience “freeze shock” closer to the end of their cycle. Usually, this is done to boost its potency and reveal blue and purple hues. However, before doing so, be sure to read the breeder’s recommendations.

As for humidity, the recommended level for feminized marijuana will depend on the plant’s lifecycle stage. Normally, seedlings and cannabis in veg prefer humidity levels around 60%. On the other hand, the flowering stage usually requires air humidity levels of 40-50% to reduce the risk of mold.   

Which soil is best to use for growing feminized seeds?

Feminized cannabis plants will feel the best and yield the most in nutrient-rich, light, and well-aerated soil. Store-bought soil mixes are normally well-suited for growing cannabis. However, if you want to give your marijuana plant some special treatment, prepare a home-made mix from the following ingredients:

• 3 parts organic starter soil
• 1 part perlite
• 1 part worm castings
• 64g (2.2oz or 1/2 cup) greensand
• 43g (1.5oz or 1/3 cup) guano
• 64g (2.2oz or 1/2 cup) dolomite lime

Mix everything together and soak it for two days in pure water, keeping the soil mix wet constantly. Make sure your soil is mostly dry before transplanting your plant.

Note: this homemade soil is super nutrient-rich and shouldn't be used for seeds, seedlings, or clones – keep it for mature plants in the vegetative or flowering stage. If you use autoflowering seeds, this mix can be nutrient-sufficient for the whole cycle.

Lifecycle of female seeds

The lifecycle of feminized cannabis consists of six main parts, which are:

• Germination. The feminized seed pops and becomes a sprout, which is then planted in the soil.
• Seedling. In the soil, the feminized seed becomes a seedling. It will soon shed its husk and grow its first pair of leaves.
• The vegetative stage. This is the period of the weed plant’s most potency and growth. Week by week, it’s going to become bigger and more mature, until it’s finally ready to procreate and grow buds.
• The flowering stage. During this period, which begins when the plant starts receiving 12 or fewer hours of light per day (most female seeds are photoperiod), the feminized plants will stretch a little more. Thanks to feminization, all of them will be female and will form smokable sinsemilla buds.
• Harvest. When trichomes on the buds turn from milky-white to amber, it’s time to harvest your feminized weed! Do it on time to reap the best quality and potency.
• Drying and curing. Freshly harvested buds will need some time in a dark, dry area to rest, amplify the flavors, and make the smoke smooth on your throat.

Required amount of light

With some feminized varieties being autoflowering cannabis, most feminized seeds are still photoperiod, meaning they will need 14-20 hours of light during the vegetative stage and 12 during the flowering stage.

While the sun is a perfect resource of light for growing marijuana, indoor cultivation can yield great harvests under artificial light as well. In perfect conditions, each Watt of light energy will bring you 0.5-1g of bud. Use this equation to count the perfect light wattage for your indoor grow op – yield satisfaction guaranteed!

Nutrients for cannabis

N-P-K: these are three very important letters to anyone who wants to grow pot successfully. They stand for nitrogen. phosphorous, and potassium – the three macronutrients essential for pot, the feminized kind included. It’s also important to know that during the vegetative stage, weed plants require more nitrogen, while during the flowering stage, they become especially hungry for potassium and phosphorous.

Besides N-P-K, feminized cannabis also requires a list of certain micronutrients such as iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, etc. We recommend using cannabis-specific nutrients. These usually come in different packages for the vegetative and flowering stages, guarantee the best results, and are easy to use.

Feminized seed yields

The yield size of feminized seeds is in no way inferior to that of regular seeds. Here, everything is going to vary greatly from plant to plant because of several attributing factors, including:

• Genetics. For bigger harvests, choose a feminized strain that yields more. At Herbies, each feminized marijuana strain comes with a yield estimate.
• Light. This variable directly converts to yield size. The more light your weed plant receives, the bigger yields it will bring. In good growing conditions, 1W = 0.5-1g of bud.
• Nutrients. In order to grow bigger buds, your feminized cannabis plants need to eat well. Make sure to provide all essential nutrients and look out for signs of nutrient deficiencies.

Best female seeds

Honestly, it’s impossible to make a wrong choice of female seeds at Herbies, because they’re handpicked from the world’s top breeders to be the best. However, considering there are easily hundreds of strains, you might find some guidelines helpful. So, when choosing feminized seeds at Herbies:

• Pick Indicas or shorter-sized cannabis strains for growing indoors
• Pick large Sativas for growing outdoors and reaping the biggest harvests
• Pick quicker hybrids or Indicas if you grow outdoors and live in colder regions
• Pick feminized strains with up to 20% THC if you’re an inexperienced toker

How to buy feminized seeds online

It’s never been easier to buy feminized seeds online! In our Feminized Collection, there are hundreds of high-quality feminized strains suited for every growing space, experience, and budget. Filters will make it a matter of seconds to find the cannabis seed that matches any and all of your needs. Our Reviews section is present on every strain’s individual page, where you can read about the experiences of fellow growers. Besides this, if you need any assistance in navigating Herbies’ website or choosing feminized weed seeds, you can always chat with our Support Team. They’ll be more than happy to help you with your order and guide you through the choice of feminized seeds for sale and variety of payment and delivery methods available at Herbies.

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Feminized Cannabis Seeds: FAQ