The same argument that’s been going on for decades about the chicken or the egg coming first could also be had for the seed or the plant. The same way an egg produces a chicken – but it takes a chicken to produce an egg can – can be said for plants too. No seed means no plant to grow, but there’s nothing to produce a seed without the plant. Now that marijuana is legal in Canada, you can grow your own marijuana at home. Now, you can skip the evolutionary beginnings ponderings and get right down to it; You’re going to need cannabis seeds if you want to grow cannabis plants.
The availability of cannabis seeds in Canada is about to become a reality. While you would acquire them through more shady means in the past, you can now buy your marijuana seeds legally.
The array of choices between different strains is sure to appeal to anyone who ingests marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes. Growing a plentiful and quality yield of marijuana is just like any other crop.
There’s a lot of know how out there that can allow a novice grower to avoid the pitfalls that many fall into as they try to grow their own for the first time. As is the case with nearly any new venture or hobby, it’s best to become in the know before you start ordering marijuana seeds for sale.
So what exactly is the best, and most reliable way to buy cannabis seeds online? We consulted with a few experts and learned the following.
Resources
The best place to start is to ask questions that are more related to your infrastructure capacities and time / $ budget for growing.
Questions to ask in advance are:
- How much space do you have to work with for your grow?
- Are you looking to have a perpetual harvest?
- What’s your budget like for acquiring the hardware and materials needed for growing?
- Do you have a dedicated area for cloning and seedling germination, vegetative growth, and flowering?
- And perhaps the most important one – how much time and effort are you willing to put into your grow? And if it starts to demand more of your time than you planned for then can you find that time?
Next, we strongly suggest that you become knowledgeable about the ins and outs of growing marijuana on your own before ordering cannabis seeds in Canada. You should learn about Ph levels, nutrient needs according to different strains, growing medium choices, CO2 balance, ventilation needs, and floor coverings. And when your marijuana seeds finally do arrive, pay close attention to yield information on the seed bank repositories and in the ‘grower’ information that is sometimes also provided.
Practical Considerations
- Take your growing conditions into account
Growing indoors? Take greater chances of mould growth into account. Space limitations? Choose a strain that takes well to clipping so that it bushes outwards. Make sure you’re not ordering seeds that will grow into 6’+ mature plants. Plants that grow too large or their environment start to choke each other out. Plants that will top out at a height of 40 to 70cm are perfect for smaller rooms.
- Be ready to germinate as soon as you receive the seeds
Seeds are degrading in quality the entire time after they’ve dropped from a pollinated cannabis plant, and so for that reason have your supplies ready to go. This means all of your materials and other resources have been acquired and ready to put into place to accommodate and plant your sprouts.
- Have a firm understanding of what you want regarding flowering time
If you need a predictable and consistent timeline for your yield then you’ll want a plant that has been crossed with a cannabis ruderalis strain. However, these types of plants may yield less bud than ones on a photosensitive (lighting strength and duration) timeline.
Regular and feminized seeds are a better choice for those who can be patient and really want to learn the true art of growing marijuana. More strain and characteristic choices will appeal to people with discriminating tastes when it comes to their pot. In addition, these plants have the ability to become very large, bushy, and strong.
Plants predicted to produce anything more than 600 grams of marijuana per square meter and labeled as being ‘tall’ are ideal for extended vegetation cycles and cooler night time cycles. Lower yield varieties and with the label ‘medium’ or ‘short’ are best for garden or patio growing or growing indoors.
General Guidelines: What Makes ‘Good’ Cannabis Seeds
Good marijuana seeds have desired traits from both the male and female sides guaranteed, due to these traits being stabilized across previous seeds and producing a variety of different phenotypes for that strain. Buy cannabis seeds in Canada from a reputable and patient breeder to ensure A-grade seeds 90% of the time.
Good cannabis seeds must be:
- Fully mature before harvest
- Properly stored to prevent the development of mould or pathogens
- Not stored for any longer than 16 months
Healthy cannabis seeds will have:
- A fat, rounded, dark brown or gray exterior
- Tiger stripes or a mottled pattern on the exterior, plus a smooth, glossy finish
Unhealthy seeds will have:
- A small, brittle, pale green or white exterior
- Insufficient weight, and a very dry or cracked exterior
- No signs of mold or other potential pathogens
- The ability to sink rather than float within one of hour of being left in water
Types of Cannabis Seeds:
Feminized Cannabis Seeds – Quite common on the market, and their distinguishing characteristic is that they are in a hermaphroditic condition. This means they share qualities found in both male and female hemp plants. Feminized plants offer the grower reliable uniformity with his or her yields. This is because feminized seeds are often nearly identical to the self-pollinated female plant that produced them. Most growers, however, are pretty lax about ensuring the stability of the female lineage. As a result many of these seeds end up producing hermaphrodite plants that may or may not end up with seeds in the bud. For this reason, feminized marijuana seeds are not a popular choice for inexperienced growers.
Auto-Flowering Cannabis Seeds – Most cannabis plants begin flowering when the photoperiod (the length of time they have light each day) goes down to somewhere between 12 and 14 hours. An auto-flowering plant is of the cannabis ruderalis variety, and it will flower when the plant reaches a certain age and completely independent of periods of light exposure. This makes these seeds an excellent choice for those growing marijuana in Canada. Summers are shorter than elsewhere and wet, cool weather arrives early in the fall. In most cases they will flower during the longest days of summer in such areas and make the best use of the ideal light available.
