We are often asked about regular vs. feminized hemp seeds. What are they, and what’s the difference? When it comes to CBD hemp seeds, you have two primary options to choose from: feminized hemp seeds and regular hemp seeds.
Both seed types will grow hemp plants, but the two options will deliver very different outcomes. So, if you have been curious about starting your own hemp farm and you’re curious about the difference between regular and feminized hemp seeds, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll detail what feminized and regular hemp seeds are and which seed type is most suitable for hemp farmers.
What Are Regular Hemp Seeds?
When you grow hemp plants from regular hemp seeds, you have roughly a 50 percent chance of getting male plants and a 50 percent chance of getting female plants. Sounds good, right? Not necessarily.
In the hemp world, female plants are much more desirable, as these are the only plants capable of producing cannabinoid-rich flowers. And, if the females become pollinated by the males, the yield and potency of the plants will suffer. As a result, most farmers remove all male plants from the field before their pollen sacs open.
This means that approximately 50 percent of your crop will have to be removed to prevent the male plants from contaminating the female plants. And, you’ll need to constantly monitor your crops during the late-vegetative cycle and early-flowering cycle to identify and remove male plants.
The only real benefit of using regular seeds is that, if you plan to make seeds of your own, it is much easier to do so with males and females than using female-only plants.
What Are Feminized Hemp Seeds?
Feminized hemp seeds are 100 percent female. This means that you remove all the guesswork out of your new plants. It also means that when you plant 1000 seeds, there’s a 99.9 percent chance that all of those plants will ultimately become female.
If you’re growing hemp for cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD), then female plants are recommended because they contain higher amounts of cannabinoids compared to male plants.
Without male plants in the mix, you’ll increase the yield and potency of your female plants and save a lot of time trying to sex your plants.
Why Do Most Farmers Choose Feminized Hemp Seeds?
If you’re growing hemp to ultimately process the plant material to produce cannabinoids such as CBD or CBG, you’re looking for the plant that gives you the highest yield, and female plants do just that. Obviously, the more female plants you grow, the higher your yield and the better your profit margins will be at the end of the season. By growing feminized hemp, you can:
Save time and money by drastically decreasing the he number of plants needed to be removed.Use your field more efficiently, cultivating only the plants you want
Reduce your labor by omitting the de-seeding process
Maximize total yield and potency
Regular vs. Feminized Hemp Seeds: Conclusion
Now you have a very clear understanding of the difference between regular hemp seeds and feminized hemp seeds. But ultimately, which hemp seeds you choose is entirely up to you and your personal preferences, budget, and goals.
Zoë offers superior products, services, education, and resources to support hemp farmers around the world. If you have any questions at all about feminized or regular hemp seeds, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for more details. Our friendly and professional team is standing by to assist you.
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