Cannabis Seeds: Regular vs Feminized vs Autoflowering vs CBD

Cannabis Seeds: Regular vs Feminized vs Autoflowering vs CBD

Learn the difference between cannabis seed types.

Contents:

Use the guide below to learn what makes each type of cannabis different. By the end, you'll know which type flowers the fastest, which makes the best clones, and which variety to use for breeding.

CANNABIS: A DIVERSE SPECIES

Cannabis seeds are available in four primary categories: regular, feminized, autoflowering, and CBD. Each type features its own unique advantages and disadvantages and appeals to different cultivators depending on their goals.

If you’re looking to enter the world of breeding—or perhaps you want genetically sturdy clones—then regular seeds are the way to go.

You’ll want to start off with feminized seeds if your only aim is a canopy full of colas. These seeds minimise the chances of a male turning up in the growing room.

Many growers value speed above all else. If you want to harvest in as little time as possible, autoflowering seeds fit the bill.

CBD strains offer a wide range of benefits and provide a clear-headed effect without a high.

Let’s take a dive into each of these four types of cannabis seeds. We’ll explore the pros and cons of each variety, whether they’re right for you, and the best strains in each category.

REGULAR

Regular cannabis seeds have a 50% chance of emerging as either males or females—just as nature intended.

Because they produce males, regular seeds are popular among breeders creating new strains. Males produce pollen that breeders use to fertilise female flowers, creating the next generation of seeds.

Regular seeds are available in many different forms. You’ll find indica-dominant, sativa-dominant, high-THC, and high-CBD varieties.

PROS CONS
Required for breeding and creating new strains Can be unpredictable; germinating seeds is a gamble regarding sex
Even chance of producing male and female plants Growers might misidentify males and females
Produce vigorous cuttings ideal for making healthy clones Accidental males in the grow room can lead to the fertilisation of flowers
Breeders can create a pollen bank using male plants Requires growers to set up separate grow tents or greenhouses for male and female plants
Wide variety of different strains available—both classic and modern genetics -

HOW ARE REGULAR GENETICS MADE?

Regular genetics are completely natural. They are the result of how cannabis emerged in nature. There’s no tampering or tweaking involved.

Purebred regular genetics stem all the way back to landrace ancestors found all over the world, from the mountains of India to the beaches of Jamaica.

Breeders have also created regular hybrids by combining the genetics of two different subspecies. This results in a progeny that expresses the traits of both parent strains.

ARE REGULAR GENETICS FOR YOU?

If you want an even mix of male and female plants, then regular cannabis seeds are for you. Having both sexes at your disposal will enable you to create your own strains.

You'll be able to select plants with the traits you like and use them to create your own customised varieties. You can modify anything—the terpene profile, cannabinoid content, productivity, and size.

You’ll also want to grow out regular seeds if you plan on taking cuttings. Cloning will allow you to skip the germination phase and create an exact genetic copy of a selected plant. Only regular plants produce fully viable and vigorous clones.

Cannabis regular

FEMINIZED

Feminized seeds were created to maximise the chances of germinating female plants. To be precise, the chances of a female emerging are around 99.9%. The odds are in your favour if you’re seeking flowers over pollen sacs!

PROS CONS
Almost guaranteed to produce female plants Aren’t suitable for breeding purposes
Eliminate the 50:50 genetic gamble Produce less viable clones; growers need to start from seed in most cases
Ideal for growers looking for nothing but dank buds Can sometimes turn into hermaphrodites due to bad genetics or environmental stress
Streamline the growing process and are cost-effective -

HOW ARE FEMINIZED GENETICS MADE?

Feminized genetics are made by essentially crossing one female with another. Breeders use two techniques to force female plants to produce pollen. They then fertilise another female, whose flowers produce a generation of feminized seeds.

We know what you’re thinking; how on Earth can a female suddenly grow balls?! Well, there are two different ways to achieve this.

By stopping the production of ethylene levels in plant tissues, breeders can force female plants to produce pollen sacs. Various chemical agents can be used to catalyse this process—colloidal silver being the safest option.

The second method involves relying on nature's deep desire to procreate. If female cannabis plants are left unfertilised, they sometimes take matters into their own hands.

Occasionally, they’ll flip sexes in an attempt to fertilise themselves. They produce oddly shaped pollen-producing structures known descriptively as “bananas”.

Breeders collect this “female pollen” and use it to fertilise female flowers to produce feminized seeds.

ARE FEMINIZED GENETICS FOR YOU?

If you want nothing but resinous flowers from your grow, then feminized seeds are for you.

You’ll save a tremendous amount of time not having to sift males out of your growing space. You can rest easy knowing that your grow tent or garden will remain pollen-free.

Feminized

TOP THREE FEMINIZED STRAINS

Do feminized strains tickle your fancy? If so, check out these three top-quality specimens below.

Royal Gorilla produces outrageous levels of THC.

Royal Gorilla
Sour Dubb x Chem Sis x Chocolate Diesel
500 - 550 gr/m2
90 - 160 cm
8 - 10 weeks
THC: 27%
Sativa 50% Indica 50%
550 - 600 gr/plant
130 - 170 cm
Middle of October
Calming, Clear

Buy Royal Gorilla

Sweet ZZ will pump out a rewarding indoor yield.

Sweet ZZ
Grape Ape x Grapefruit
550 - 600 gr/m2
80 - 140 cm
7 - 9 weeks
THC: 22%
Sativa 20% Indica 80%
500 - 550 gr/plant
160 - 200 cm
Late September
Calming, Stoned

Buy Sweet ZZ

Fruit Spirit will set your taste buds on fire.

Fruit Spirit
Blueberry x White Widow
375 - 425 gr/m2
80 - 120 cm
9 - 10 weeks
THC: 18%
Sativa 30% Indica 70%
475 - 525 gr/plant
175 - 220 cm
Early October
Clear

Buy Fruit Spirit

AUTOFLOWERING

Autoflower strains get their name from their ability to flower without a change in the light cycle. They are easy to grow, fast to flower, and maintain stealthy sizes.

PROS CONS
No need to change the light cycle Lower yield
Small and compacte Typically less THC; not as potent as most photoperiod strains
Usually higher in CBD Difficult to clone
Rapid flowering times -
Hardy genetics make them easy to grow and beginner-friendly -
Ideal for guerrilla growing -

HOW ARE AUTOFLOWERING GENETICS MADE?

Breeders create autoflowering seeds by using Cannabis ruderalis genetics—the subspecies that contains the autoflowering trait.

Cannabis ruderalis adapted to the shorter growing seasons and colder climates of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia. The shorter summer in these regions forced the subspecies to begin flowering on its own accord.

Ruderalis doesn’t have time to mess around. These plants need to reproduce before the short summer comes to an end and the freezing temperatures of autumn grip the landscape.

They developed the ability to flower based on time and age, instead of a change in light exposure.

In contrast, indica and sativa subspecies are photoperiod varieties. They require shorter light cycles to trigger flowering—an environmental cue that signals the imminence of autumn and colder days ahead.

Growers rarely cultivate pure ruderalis plants. They are shrubby, small, low in THC, and produce low yields.

However, they are like gold for breeders. They use these plants to infuse well-known photoperiod strains with the autoflowering trait.

ARE AUTOFLOWERING GENETICS FOR YOU?

You’ll benefit from autoflowering seeds if you want a harvest as soon as physically possible. Maybe you want to boost turnover, or set up and take down your growing operation within a small window of time.

They’re also ideal if you have limited space. You can still achieve a good yield in a small tent by growing several plants and utilising the sea of green (SOG) method.

Autoflowering strains are well-suited to discreet growers. You can grow these small plants in modified buckets and boxes, and even conceal them among companion plants outdoors.

Autoflowering

TOP THREE AUTOFLOWERING STRAINS

Autoflower growers enjoy a variety of options. The RQS catalogue features many different tastes, potencies, and varieties. Here are the top three.

Green Gelato Automatic provides incredible levels of THC.

Green Gelato
Sunset Sherbet x Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies
500 - 700 gr/m²
80 - 120 cm
8 - 10 weeks
THC: 27%
Sativa 45% Indica 55%
800 gr/plant
150 - 200 cm
Early October
Clear, Physically Relaxing

Buy Green Gelato

Royal Cheese Automatic develops a productive canopy.

Royal Cheese Auto
Cheese x Royal Critical x Ruderalis
425 - 475 gr/m2
60 - 100 cm
7 - 8 weeks
THC: 15%
Sativa 30% Indica 50% Ruderalis 20%
160 - 210 gr/plant
60 - 120 cm
11 - 12 weeks after sprouting
Physically Relaxing, Stoned

Buy Royal Cheese Auto

Sweet ZZ Automatic produces a delicious terpene profile.

Sweet ZZ Auto
Sweet ZZ x Diesel Auto
350 - 400 gr/m2
70 - 120 cm
6 - 7 weeks
THC: 18%
Sativa 35% Indica 60% Ruderalis 5%
90 - 175 gr/plant
100 - 120 cm
9 - 11 weeks after sprouting
Stoned

Buy Sweet ZZ Auto

CBD

CBD strains offer high levels of cannabidiol—a molecule that provides a clear-headed and lucid effect. CBD offers a range of benefits that have made it popular among all sorts of users.

Both medicinal and recreational users enjoy high-CBD strains for their calming and clear effects.

Some CBD strains contain almost no THC at all, whereas others contain an equal amount of THC and CBD in a ratio of 1:1. And then there are creations with extraordinary CBD:THC ratios beyond 20:1.

To learn more about how CBD works, explore how the molecule interacts with the endocannabinoid system.

PROS CONS
Holistic benefits Not ideal for users seeking high levels of THC
Calming effect without a high Don’t provide much of a psychoactive effect
Can be used during the day without compromising functionality -
Some strains contain enough THC to provide a minor and pleasant high -

HOW ARE CBD GENETICS MADE?

Breeders create strains high in CBD by crossing CBD-rich varieties with each other, increasing the trait over subsequent generations.

CBD appears as the second-most abundant cannabinoid in many modern cultivars, but mostly in small quantities. We have scientists to thank for kick-starting the CBD revolution.

Researchers from the United Kingdom—along with the hard work of several breeders from the Netherlands—began identifying and isolating CBD-rich strains.

The trend soon spread to the West Coast of the United States, where more high-CBD strains began to emerge. Now there are plenty of high-CBD cultivars to choose from!

ARE CBD GENETICS FOR YOU?

You’ll love high-CBD genetics if you use cannabis for more therapeutic or holistic purposes. Many users experience great benefits with high-CBD strains, and others see success with strains that offer THC and CBD in equal quantities.

Individuals that find themselves sensitive to too much THC will also enjoy cultivating and smoking CBD strains. Smoke them during the day to set your mind at ease, or alongside high-THC flowers to take the psychoactive edge off.

Medical CBD

TOP THREE CBD STRAINS

The Royal Queen Seeds range features a variety of high-CBD strains: both photoperiod and autoflowering! Discover the top three below!

Solomatic CBD produces sky-high levels of CBD.

Solomatic CBD
Diesel CBD x Asia CBD Auto
150 - 200 gr/m2
50 - 100 cm
7 - 8 weeks
THC: 1%
Sativa 20% Indica 70% Ruderalis 10%
30 - 80 gr/plant
60 - 100 cm
10 – 11 weeks after sprouting
Clear, Light

Buy Solomatic CBD

Medical Mass provides a huge yield indoors and outdoors.

Medical Mass
Critical Mass x CBD dominant plant
500 - 550 gr/m2
60 - 100 cm
10 - 11 weeks
THC: 10%
Sativa 40% Indica 60%
500 - 550 gr/plant
120 - 150 cm
Late September
Calming, Physically Relaxing

Buy Medical Mass

Tatanka Pure CBD oozes scrumptious terpenes.

Tatanka Pure CBD
Elixir Vitae x Medical CBD
400 - 450 gr/m2
80 - 100 cm
6 - 8 weeks
THC: 0,15 - 0,25%
Sativa 30% Indica 70%
400 - 450 gr/plant
100 - 160 cm
Early October
Calming, Clear

Buy Tatanka Pure CBD