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Feminized Seeds Meaning: What Is a Fem Seed?

December 20, 2021

If you browse through an article about marijuana seeds, you’re likely to see the term “feminized seeds” after the name of a cannabis strain. You might also notice people typing “feminized seed meaning” when doing searches.

What do those terms mean? Aren’t all seeds the same?

If you’ve got these questions on your mind, join us as we explore the three types of seeds you can cultivate. You're going to learn the difference between regular, autoflower, and feminized marijuana seeds.

You'll also find out more about feminized seeds and why they're popular among cultivators. Finally, we show you some of the best feminized seeds to grow and where to buy them.

Let's get started!

Feminized cannabis flower
Feminized cannabis flower

Feminized seed: meaning 

What are feminized seeds? It's only in recent years that you hear growers ask that question because breeders began to modify seeds genetically to create feminized seeds. They're not naturally bred like regular seeds are.

The simplest answer to the question is that feminized marijuana seeds only produce female plants. Not 100% of the time, but at least 99% of your crop will be female. Comparatively, natural or regular seeds have chromosomes of both genders, so they give you males and females at a ratio of almost 50:50.

Before we look at how to feminize seeds, let’s find out more about male and female marijuana plants.

Male vs. female cannabis plants: what’s the difference?

One of the main reasons growers prefer to use feminized marijuana seeds is to avoid having male plants. Most males have little THC content, so they’re worthless to cultivators who want buds for recreational and medical use. Males pollinate and cause female plants to produce seeds instead of nugs, which makes them useful for breeding.

The female crops you get from feminized marijuana seeds give you the buds you want without the risk of pollination. When there are males, you need to identify and remove them before they fertilize the females and shatter your hopes of a bountiful harvest.

Do feminized plants produce seeds?

Newbies often ask: do feminized plants produce seeds? Typically, they don’t. Female plants give you the buds marijuana users love.

There are exceptions, though. Female crops produce seeds if they’re pollinated, which is why cultivators who need nugs don’t want male plants in their grow room. The seeds produced will give you both male and female crops when you plant them.

Are feminized seeds always female?

Another question people often ask us is, are feminized seeds always female? Yes, they are—you only use female pollen to fertilize other female crops. You get it from pollen sacs that you stimulate female plants to produce. With no male pollen involved, you always get female seeds.

Cannabis Seedling
Cannabis seedling

How to feminize seeds

Now, let’s learn how to feminize seeds. The process involves stimulating female plants to produce female pollen, which is then used to fertilize a female plant that’ll produce only female seeds. Some breeders may use hermaphrodites that ultimately result in seeds with male and female chromosomes. 

If you want to learn how to produce feminized seeds, here are two common methods you can apply. 

Rodelization

Rodelization is easy to perform. You stress your female plant by keeping it in the flowering stage beyond the harvest time, so it creates pollen sacs. You then use that pollen to fertilize other female crops. 

The only setback to this natural method to create feminized marijuana seeds is that it’s not reliable. Cannabis plants don’t respond to stress the same way, and there may be some that don’t produce pollen sacs in this manner.

Spraying Colloidal Silver

The other way to produce feminized marijuana seeds is to spray a silver thiosulphate or colloidal silver solution on your flowering plants. The purpose is to disrupt bud development and force the female plant to produce pollen sacs.

When the sacs open, you have female pollen to pollinate another female plant. The best time to do this is two weeks into the flowering phase. It’ll give you feminized marijuana seeds after about six weeks.

Spraying colloidal silver is a very reliable method. Treating your cannabis plants with a silver thiosulphate solution results in feminized marijuana seeds almost 100% of the time.

What is the difference between regular, autoflowering, and feminized seeds?

There are two other seed variants besides feminized marijuana seeds—regular and autoflowering. Each of the three types has traits that suit different cultivators

Here are brief explanations of the three variants and their differences:

Regular seeds

Regular seeds are those pollinated in nature without human manipulation, unlike feminized marijuana seeds. As these seeds contain male and female chromosomes, you have a 50% chance of getting plants of both genders. These are perfect for breeders. 

Autoflowering seeds

Autoflowering weed seeds produce plants that begin flowering once they reach maturity. The process is natural and isn’t set off by changes in the light cycle. You can have regular auto seeds or autoflowering feminized marijuana seeds.

Feminized seeds

You get all-female plants that produce lots more buds than those grown from regular or autoflowering seeds. Without males, you save time and effort sorting and removing them. There’s no wastage. You get yields from 100% of your plants.

Each seed variant has specific traits that suit different cultivators. The choice of regular, autoflowering, or feminized marijuana seeds depends on the cultivator’s objectives. 

Let’s look at which is the preferred seed and why.

Feminized cannabis seeds
Feminized cannabis seeds

Are feminized seeds better than others?

Whether feminized marijuana seeds are better than regular or autoflowering seeds depends on your purpose. If you’re a breeder, regular seeds are better for you. Otherwise, it’s best to avoid them.

However, if you’re looking for high yields, you should opt for feminized marijuana seeds. Growing weed from regular seeds results in a lot of wastage. Roughly 50% of the resulting plants could be males, which are worthless to you. You have to get rid of them, or they could pollinate your female plants and ruin your crop.

When you use feminized marijuana seeds, you get all-female crops. You maximize the yield from your grow space because 100% of your plants produce buds. These plants are generally bigger than those cultivated from autoflowering seeds. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all seed. You have to choose the variant that suits your goal.

Why grow feminized marijuana seeds

If you want the most bang for your buck, then cultivate feminized marijuana seeds. That’s the short answer. Let’s look at the reasons in detail.

When you use regular seeds, you need to grow twice as many plants to get the yield you want. 50% of your crops develop into males from these seeds, so you only get buds from half of your grow space. Feminized marijuana seeds give you only female crops, so you’re growing at full bud-production capacity. 

This benefit is critical because state weed laws usually restrict the number of plants that cultivators can have on their premises. You don’t want crops that only make up the quota but don’t give you any buds.

Your plants from feminized marijuana seeds also produce more buds than those from other seeds. More nugs from your full crop mean a bigger stash of smokeable weed.

You save time during the growth process because you don’t have to look for male plants to remove them. More importantly, you eliminate the risk of pollination, which can destroy your hopes of a decent harvest.

5 best feminized seeds to grow

Due to the expanding popularity of feminized marijuana seeds, cultivators are spoilt for choice. However, the vast number of strains to choose from can make it challenging for many beginners.

It’s best to select cultivars that are easy to grow when you embark on your cultivation journey. Here are some of the best feminized seeds on the market. They’re beginner-friendly and will give you a bountiful harvest of buds.

Granddaddy Purple feminized

A favorite of cultivators is Granddaddy Purple feminized. The legendary indica-dominant cultivar is famous because of its high-THC content and the numerous medical benefits it offers. It’s the perfect evening companion if you want to unwind, relax, and have a good sleep.

Also known as GDP, these feminized marijuana seeds are suitable for cultivation indoors and outdoors. The crops you get are robust and resistant to mold and pest infestation. You can expect an abundant harvest of huge juicy-flavored purple nugs.

Granddaddy Purple feminized
Granddaddy Purple feminized

Pure Indica feminized

Pure Indica feminized, as the name suggests, is a 100% indica cultivar. These feminized marijuana seeds are perfect for first-time cultivators because the plants are easy to manage. They’re hardy and resilient to pests, mold, and diseases.

You don’t need a massive growing area as they’re not tall plants. They grow up to 3ft and 5ft, indoors and outdoors, respectively. Growing these feminized marijuana seeds rewards you with about 18 oz./m2 indoors. Outdoor crops produce up to 21 oz per plant.

Pure Indica feminized
Pure Indica feminized

Dos-si-dos feminized

Dos-si-dos feminized is another cultivar that’s suitable for beginners. When you cultivate the feminized marijuana seeds, you get highly potent buds with minimal growing effort. The plants are easy to manage, and you don’t need to give them lots of TLC.

This strain is best grown indoors and offers up to 17 oz./m2. Outdoors, you can harvest as much as 18 oz. per plant, if you use these indica-dominant feminized marijuana seeds.

Users love it because it’s the ideal strain to consume after a tiring day as it releases all your tension and stress. Sleep will come effortlessly. 

Dos-si-dos feminized
Dos-si-dos feminized

Shishkaberry Kush feminized

Touted as the tastiest strain in the feminized marijuana seeds category, Shishkaberry Kush feminized has a large following of cannabis cultivators. Its indica heritage has brought it success in the High Times Cannabis Cup, coming in second place.

These feminized marijuana seeds are perfect for new growers as this strain can thrive anywhere. Molds and pests aren’t an issue as the plants are resilient. Be prepared for a bumper yield as your crops will produce as much as 16 oz./m2 of buds from your indoor grow space. If you cultivate outside, you’ll enjoy up to 21 oz. of delicious nugs per plant.

Shishkaberry Kush feminized
Shishkaberry Kush feminized

Granddaddy Bruce feminized

Cultivators looking for beginner-friendly feminized marijuana seeds must consider Granddaddy Bruce feminized. Due to the indica hybrid strain’s genetics, it’s resilient and versatile. A high yield is also on the cards.

Plants from these feminized marijuana seeds mature very quickly. The flowering phase only lasts 8–9 weeks, after which you can collect 21 oz./m2 of buds indoors and 17 oz. per outdoor plant.

Granddaddy Bruce feminized
Granddaddy Bruce feminized

Final word on feminized marijuana seeds

A critical element in achieving your weed cultivation goal is starting with the right type of seed. If you want loads of buds, choose feminized marijuana seeds over regular and autoflower variants.

An all-female crop means all your plants will produce nugs. Not having to deal with male plants saves you time usually spent identifying the genders and separating them. Feminized marijuana seeds also deliver more buds than other seeds.

Seed quality matters. Low-grade seeds will affect your cultivation experience and give you disappointing yields. So, learn how to tell if a weed seed is good and be sure to buy your feminized marijuana seeds from reputable seed banks like Homegrown Cannabis Co. to avoid wasting money and time on the cultivation process.


About the author: Parker Curtis

Parker Curtis has around a decade of cannabis-growing experience, specialising in soil-less and hydro grows. He’s mastering outdoor, greenhouse, and indoor grows.

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