Choosing the Right Plants to Grow
Starting from seeds offers several benefits. Seeds are more convenient to transport and store than cuttings (clones) from a nursery. Unlike clones, cannabis grown from seeds is not genetically identical, with the level of uniformity depending on the breeder's expertise. While plants of the same strain will be similar, only highly skilled breeders can achieve a completely uniform crop. Growing plants from seed often leads to less uniformity in the canopy, which can be a disadvantage in large-scale operations as it may lower overall yield. However, for home growers and those with smaller farms, the lack of uniformity might not be a significant concern.
Large-scale growers generally prioritize uniformity, making it beneficial to select varieties from nurseries that propagate plants through cuttings from mother plants or tissue culture, ensuring consistent genetics and a uniform canopy.
Whether you choose to grow from seeds or clones, selecting the right cultivar is crucial, as different strains vary not only in their effects but also in their growth characteristics.
Cultivar vs. Strain
The term "cultivar" comes from the phrase "cultivated variety." In common usage, cannabis cultivars are often called "strains," but technically, "strain" is more accurately used when discussing viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Nevertheless, "strain" is widely accepted and understood in the cannabis industry. This book uses "varieties" to describe groups of related plants, while "cultivar" refers to specific varieties that are either named landraces or products of intentional breeding efforts.
Cultivars that thrive in outdoor gardens typically require more light than those better suited for Indoor Growing. Some cultivars exhibit minimal branching, while others spread their branches and leaves widely. Certain cultivars produce heavy yields with large colas that may need support as they near full maturity.
The time it takes for a variety to reach harvest can vary greatly—some may be ready in just 50 days, while others could take up to 12 weeks. Selecting the right cannabis variety can be a challenging task, but it's often an enjoyable one. The ideal variety is the one that aligns with the grower's goals, whether those goals relate to the plant's medicinal properties, growth habits, flavor, aroma, or any other desired characteristic. Ultimately, the perfect variety of cannabis is the one that best meets the grower’s needs.
Selecting the Right Cultivars
Deciding which cultivar to grow is a crucial step in garden planning. The two key considerations are the quality of the effects and the cultivar's adaptability to the growing environment.
When choosing a cultivar, look for those that offer the desired flavors, aromas, effects, or medicinal properties. Each cultivar has a unique genetic makeup that dictates how it will respond to specific environments, meaning it will perform differently depending on the climate and garden setup.
The development of new cultivars is driven by intense competition among seed breeders aiming to discover the next breakthrough variety.
Breeding priorities for cannabis have shifted over time. In 1964, THC was isolated and identified as the primary compound responsible for the plant’s effects, leading breeders to focus heavily on maximizing THC content.
Over the years, cultivars have also been bred for various other characteristics, such as yield, flavor, aroma, medicinal benefits, plant size, and the length of time it takes to mature. However, no trait has been more emphasized than THC potency. In the 1960s and 1970s, popular varieties typically had THC levels ranging from 6% to 12%, with lower-quality cannabis testing between 2% and 4%. Today, most strains feature THC levels of 20% or higher.
Breeders have also selected for other desirable traits in new varieties. Initially, they concentrated on increasing potency, shortening ripening time, and improving the growth-to-yield ratio. Over time, there has been a growing interest in terpenes, which contribute to both the aroma and the unique effects of the high, as well as in other cannabinoids like CBD and CBG. With legalization, outdoor cultivation has gained popularity, along with the development of autoflowering varieties, genetic uniformity, and more scientific approaches to breeding for specific outdoor conditions.
Cannabis is particularly easy to breed due to its dioecious nature, meaning that plants are either male or female. This makes it simple to control pollination—by separating males from females and using pollen from selected males to fertilize the females. Since cannabis is wind-pollinated, a male plant near a female will pollinate it, but flowers can also be pollinated by hand. This ease of breeding allows growers to experiment with creating new strains.
Because breeding cannabis is relatively straightforward, there are now many companies offering seeds for commercial sale, making it easier than ever to obtain seeds. The top varieties from the best seed breeders are available here at Reeferman Seeds.
When selecting a cultivar for your garden, it's important to consider the height and spread of the canopy. This is especially crucial for both indoor and outdoor gardens. Sativa-dominant cultivars typically grow taller and stretch more than indicas. In an outdoor setting with ample sunlight and space for plants to spread out, robust varieties like Sour Diesel, Blueberry Jam, Ninja Star, Big Sur Holy Weed, Willie Nelson, Love Potion 1.1, or Chocolate Diesel are ideal. These taller cultivars flourish in outdoor environments without height limitations, where the intense direct sunlight prevents excessive stretching. If pruned early in their vegetative stage, these plants will grow bushier rather than taller, with the increased light intensity leading to shorter branches and denser buds.
Indoor gardens often face size constraints. Taller varieties can grow too close to the lights, potentially damaging the plants and resulting in light, airy flowers. For smaller indoor setups, shorter cultivars, typically those with indica-dominant genetics or many hybrids, are more suitable. Cultivars like Wakeford, Pie Crust, Ultimate Pink Kush, G-Force, Atomic Northern Lights, and Cereal Killer, which have indica traits, are well-suited for indoor environments. However, growing indoors doesn’t limit you to only indica varieties. Many sativas and hybrids, such as Sour Diesel and OG Kush, can also thrive in small indoor spaces, especially when using techniques like the Sea of Green (SOG) or Screen of Green (SCROG) methods.
Maturation Speed
Cannabis varieties mature at different rates once they enter the flowering stage, typically taking between seven and 11 weeks. The time it takes for a plant to reach maturity plays a crucial role in selecting a variety for a couple of reasons. Firstly, faster-maturing varieties enable more harvests within a year, making them ideal for growers aiming to maximize yield and streamline their production process. Secondly, late-maturing varieties may not be suitable for regions with shorter growing seasons.
Outdoor growers must consider maturation speed based on the autumn weather, which can be cold and moist, though it varies by region. In areas where the climate stays warm through the fall, varieties with longer flowering periods may be more suitable. However, finishing the flowering cycle during hot weather can result in less dense flowers and a loss of terpenes, affecting aroma and flavor. On the other hand, growing in cooler temperatures may slow down ripening. For growers in regions prone to early frosts, it’s best to choose cultivars that are ready to harvest early in the fall. Many autoflowering varieties mature quickly while retaining the qualities that make them so appealing.
Yield
After deciding on the size and maturation speed of your chosen varieties, the next important factor to consider is maximizing yield. High-yielding cultivars produce more product after harvest, providing more medicine. These varieties typically grow vigorously and often have higher cannabinoid potency as well.
There's generally an inverse relationship between maturation speed and yield: faster-maturing plants tend to produce lower yields, while slower-maturing varieties have more time to develop larger flowers, resulting in bigger harvests. However, a quick maturation time doesn't necessarily mean low yield. If a fast turnaround is essential, smaller plants can be densely planted to maximize the canopy space, resulting in more buds.
By carefully considering your needs, you're sure to find the ideal cultivars at Reeferman Seeds.