by Greg Green
What to look for when choosing seeds
Okay, so now you have an idea of what type of plant you want and the seed-bank that you are going to use. The next step is too check if the seeds are for indoor or outdoor use. There is a saying that all cannabis seeds can be grown indoors and outdoor. This is true, but that is not what the breeder had intended. If the breeder had created a plant that does well indoors then it is suggested that you only grow these seeds indoors. If you grow outdoors and the plant does not produce that well, then you know that you should have followed the seed-banks advice. Next time take that advice. There is nothing stopping you from experimenting, and some growers have produced excellent results by putting outdoor seeds indoors or putting indoor seeds outdoors, but it is best if you follow the advice you are given, especially if you are new to growing.
You may also find that a number of similar strains have been produced by different breeders. When you look at the seed-bank list you may see 1 – 4 types of the same plant. What is going on here you ask? Well, let us take Skunk#1 for example. Skunk#1 is a mostly sativa plant but there are about 7 breeders who have provided a certain seed-bank with these seeds. Each seed breeder tries to develop the best plant possible for that strain type. You will find that some breeders are good and others are not so good. Make sure that you check with the seed-bank to see which breeder’s strains are the best. Always choose the best. The reason for choosing the best is that later you can PRODUCE YOUR OWN SEED from that strain! Welcome to the wonderful world of Marijuana growing.
The next thing to look for is flowering times. Each strain is a bit different on flowering times. In a nutshell flowering is the next cycle after your plant shows its sex. There are 3 main stages in plant growth. Germination, Vegetative growth and Flowering. It is towards the last days of flowering that you should begin your harvest. If the seed-bank says, Skunk#1 Flowering time: 7-9 weeks then you should be able to know roughly when your plant will be ready for harvest (in this case it will 7 – 9 weeks from the time your plant starts to flower).
Some plants have shorter flowering times and others have longer. This is a guide to help you understand how long it will take, after vegetative growth is complete, before you will have a chance to saviour your plant’s delights.
The last piece of advice is this. Always consult someone about your strain type. Who knows, they may be able to recommend something better…. Or maybe even have a private seed stash of their own.