Feminized seeds- Do pro's use them?

Jumpingspider · Mar 18, 2021

Do top-shelf commercial/medical growers use feminized seeds?

Have any feminized seeds won a cannabis cup?

I know that most commercial growers are using clones, but many do pheno hunts. When they do, are they ever using feminized seeds?

I am old-school in that I don't really trust the whole feminized and auto category of seeds. I want to know if real deal growers actually use them, or are they just for small time people who want shortcuts.

Is there any quality difference between a feminized vs regular?

My instinct tells me there must be a drop in quality, but that's just intuition not based on any facts or statistics.
Does anyone know where I can look for data on this?

lvstealth · Mar 18, 2021

Just from reading, feminized cannabis seeds lack male chromosomes, whereas regular cannabis seeds contain the full set of genetics to be either male or female. So I think that makes them somewhat better for things like being a mother for clones, all the clones would have all the genetics. And it will matter for breeding. I think the fem and auto are for after they get their baby bred just so, and traits locked in, then make it fems and put it out there.

So for usage sake, no real difference in reg and fem, for breeding, yes a difference. For auto the genetics change when the auto part is added, so yes difference.

Clones would be my guess at what breeders use

elduderito · Mar 18, 2021

but still raises the questions -- are any commercial/pro grow ops running clones/mothers that came from feminized seeds?

Floppytops · Mar 18, 2021

I consider fem seeds to be mutants. The few that I've grown are not as vigorous as the m/f seeds I've planted right beside them. Watered down.

weed420420420420420 · Mar 18, 2021

I'd say that was somewhat coincidence. Your fem seeds must have just been not of the most vigorous lineage or phenos behind it. Or the seeds hadn't fully matured and so were a pain in the ass to get going.

Try something femmed from sensi seeds. Sk#1, NL5xSK1, Ersb, Super skunk, Hindu kush, Nl5xhaze, Let me know if they are anything but vigorous.
I've read good feedback on here about grizzly purple kush from blim burn seeds And also godberry from freedom of seeds producing good smoke.

mysticepipedon · Mar 18, 2021

elduderito said:
but still raises the questions -- are any commercial/pro grow ops running clones/mothers that came from feminized seeds?

Probably. One breeder even uses a fem as a parent for one of his strains (Irie genetics — the fem Lemon Jeffrey is the mother of another strain, Lemon Sunrise). Lemon sunrise is very stable, so far, in two grows — no nanners, no balls.

From his podcasts (Rasta Jeff — the Irie Genetics guy), it seems commercial growers in Colorado are not put off by the notion of using fems.

oregonized · Mar 18, 2021

Csi has Trainwreck, Chemdog 91 and Chemdog D s1s as current releases. I know places in Oregon and Calif grow his gear for sure.

If you are worried about fems, you will flip when tratraploids are brought to market and bred to diploids creating truely seedless and sterile cultivars, lots of veggies have this.....

Fem seeds are great for not having to weed out a boy but usually by default have a narrower gene pool, a fem is basically a selfed reversal. This could be why some complain in regards to plant fitness....but most do it. They narrow the pool for a certain traited that isnt linked, then outcross to a regular male or female after inbreeding.

Elites like sour d, chems, ogs, gorilla glue, cookies all came from potential fems....its not better or worse, its different!

bluntmassa · Mar 18, 2021

elduderito said:
but still raises the questions -- are any commercial/pro grow ops running clones/mothers that came from feminized seeds?

Gorilla Glue#4!! Came from an accidental pollination do to a hermaphrodite, it truly is a special plant though. Clones are widely available and many breeders have bred some decent weed with them genetics.

Regulars are a little better IMO, but lots of people keep fem mother's, I just wouldn't really want to breed a fem to a fem to a fem for several generations. But even that, I'd love to see someone try it because what's the worst that can happen? You end up with a plant like Freakshow. Lol

Certainly won't hurt the gene pool too much, plenty of breeders keeping old school genetics alive and many breeders working to improve the many amazing new clone onlys.

Homesteader · Mar 19, 2021

I would think most use clones due to ease and uniformity but many of those cuts probably came from feminized seeds. Not sure if any states require commercial to use seed though. Seed to sale tracking like they do. Not sure if that is figuritive though. What a stupid concept if so.

mysticepipedon · Mar 19, 2021

oregonized said:
Fem seeds are great for not having to weed out a boy but usually by default have a narrower gene pool, a fem is basically a selfed reversal. This could be why some complain in regards to plant fitness....but most do it. They narrow the pool for a certain traited that isnt linked, then outcross to a regular male or female after inbreeding.

Not all fems are selfed, though that's what you're getting when you buy fem seeds of some famous, clone-only plant.

A lot of breeders cross unrelated females. I have a selfed fem in my grow now, and two fems made from unrelated parents. The selfed fem was a poly hybrid to start with, and I think various grandparents are making themselves known. The non-selfed fems are more like F1 crosses.

Fuckingatodeaso · Mar 19, 2021

Define a "pro"

Kanzeon · Mar 19, 2021

lvstealth said:
Just from reading, feminized cannabis seeds lack male chromosomes, whereas regular cannabis seeds contain the full set of genetics to be either male or female.

Just gonna pop in to clarify this. Female seeds are female because they have no Y chromosomes, not because of feminization. No female cannabis seed has a Y chromosome.

Functionally, there's no difference between pollinating a female with pollen from a true male or a female hit with STS except for the lack of males in the offspring. It's all on the breeder.

MIMedGrower · Mar 19, 2021

elduderito said:
but still raises the questions -- are any commercial/pro grow ops running clones/mothers that came from feminized seeds?

of course. Any clone only plant made into a cross will be from a sexually reversed mother. Has to be if only the female clone exists.

Think about all the gorilla glue crosses for example.

And I use fem seeds to keep in my space and plant count.

LetItGrowFarAndWide · Jan 27, 2024

lvstealth said:
Just from reading, feminized cannabis seeds lack male chromosomes, whereas regular cannabis seeds contain the full set of genetics to be either male or female.

Then how would you explain Feminized seeds that turn out to be male?

Feminized seeds- Do pro's use them?

Feminized seeds- Do pro's use them?

Jumpingspider

lvstealth

elduderito

Floppytops

weed420420420420420

mysticepipedon

oregonized

bluntmassa

Homesteader

mysticepipedon

Fuckingatodeaso

Kanzeon

MIMedGrower

LetItGrowFarAndWide

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