Navigating the terrain of the cannabis industry can be rocky for rookie growers, as they are usually overwhelmed with a lot of information. Amidst the truckload of information to be absorbed before commencing cultivation, knowledge of a variety of seeds is paramount. And this is because seeds are the building blocks of cannabis cultivation and a determinant of yields. Any grower who has in-depth knowledge of various seeds has mastered 50% of the cultivation process. And this is because they know what to expect and what to prepare for since they are armed with the knowledge of its genetics. In this article, we shall instruct growers on how to select the best cannabis seeds for beginners.
Tips and tricks on selecting beginner-friendly seeds
As a beginner, choosing a seed to grow is not a decision that should be made quickly or without much thought. Rather, it must be a decision based on several variables that must be weighed and ascertained. Below is a list of tips for choosing amateur-friendly seeds:
1. Keep it Cheap
A good tip to start with is to keep your seed options cheap. The goal of this decision is to cut down on losses at the end of the planting season. It is no news that every grower, whether rookie or expert, has a bias for top-shelf cannabis varieties. If you know a lot about growing cannabis, this may be a good buy, but if you don’t, it’s not a great idea to buy these seeds.
This is because, as a rookie, you are bound to make mistakes that may threaten the yields of your plant. Therefore, it is advisable to use super-affordable seeds as sort of a demo to test the waters of the cannabis cultivation landscape. After all, their costs can be easily ignored when the harvests turn out badly.
2. Select Indica Varieties
Another good seed selection tip for beginners is to select indica-dominant ones, as they offer several benefits. Firstly, indica-dominant varieties are more tolerant of mistakes, and trust us, you will be making a few of them.
Also, as a result of their bushy and short nature, you wouldn’t need to implement height management techniques like LST, super cropping, and pruning, which characterize the grooming of Sativa varieties.
In addition, its fast flowering cycle of 8–10 weeks makes it a good pick for beginners, which, according to Herbies, is because of the instant gratification most newbie growers often seek.
3. Choose Auto-flowering seeds
If you are seeking to simplify your cultivation trajectory as a rookie grower, then choosing auto-flowering seeds is a step in the right direction. Unlike photoperiod seeds, which require the technical know-how of lighting regimens, this seed does not need you to implement a 12/12 lighting schedule to initiate flowering. So, when grown outside, you can get good crops without having to worry about the technical side of lighting or how the seasons change.
Furthermore, choosing this strain means you get to save money that you would have spent on purchasing grow LEDs had you selected photoperiod seeds. Also, unlike photoperiod seeds, auto-flowering seeds bloom quickly, so you can get multiple harvests in one year. This applies especially if you reside in areas with shorter and colder summers, as your plants can be ready for harvesting in mid-July instead of September or late October.
Since their height barely exceeds 1–1.2 m, this strain is very suitable for small spaces and stealth growing. Thanks to their ruderalis genes, auto-flowering seeds can withstand a variety of temperatures while still maintaining their yields.
4. Request for Feminized seeds
In order to save money, most growers opt for regular cannabis seeds rather than feminized ones. While this may appear to be a wise choice at first, the high likelihood of a large proportion of your plants developing into males ruins all of your planting efforts. However, when you request feminized seeds, you can be confident of expecting potent and healthy buds in the months to come.
5. Search for Mold and Pest resistant seeds
Mold and pests can be a menace to experienced growers, let alone amateur farmers. Combating them requires a significant investment in pesticides, the use of other pest control techniques, and expertise. And this may be too hard for a newbie to handle. Thus, when searching for seeds to buy online, ensure you streamline your search options using this label. One advantage of selecting seeds like this is that the quality and quantity of your yields are preserved. Also, this choice of seeds eliminates every incident of toxin secretion triggered by mold, which can be harmful to the body when consumed.
6. Buy your seeds from a reputable seed bank
You can’t say enough good things about getting your seeds from a reputable seed bank that sells good seeds. In some cases, the reason most new growers get bad results is not because they aren’t good at what they’re doing or don’t care, but because the seeds they bought aren’t good. So, before you click that “buy now” button, ensure that you have no doubts concerning the standard of their services. Online reviews and feedback are a good way of ascertaining the quality of cannabis seeds sold at a seed bank.
Final Thoughts
It is important to note that all this well-meaning advice would dissipate into nothingness if growers did not carry out extra research. Also, rookie cannabis farmers are advised to seek the opinions and insights of experienced growers on beginner-friendly marijuana seeds before they commence. In addition, growers should keep in the back of their minds that the genetic quality and makeup of a seed contribute about 50% to the cultivation process. Therefore, they would still need to adopt other steps to make their plants thrive and produce good yields.
