By Steven Voser


While cannabis legalization is slowly spreading, most parts of the world still criminalise the cultivation, possession, use, and sale of weed. That means most smokers are buying their bud on the black market, rather than at a dispensary, and therefore are no strangers to finding a few seeds at the bottom of their baggie.

Bag seeds (i.e. stray seeds found in a bag of weed) strike joy in some inexperienced growers; after all, these are free seeds you can use to grow the same great weed you’re smoking right now, right? Well, not exactly. Growing bag seeds is a lottery of sorts, and might not be for everyone. Below we'll walk you through the pros and cons of growing bag seeds, and what to expect if you decide to do so.

Cannabis Bag Seed
Cannabis Bag Seed

Cannabis Genetics 101: Moms, Dads, Genotypes, and Phenotypes

To properly weigh up the pros and cons of growing bag seeds, it helps to understand cannabis genetics and the breeding work that goes into the creation of modern strains—all without getting too technical, of course.

In ideal natural conditions, cannabis plants reproduce when a male plant pollinates a female. However, in some cases, females can also self-pollinate—they do this by developing pollen-producing sacs, or stamen, in addition to their regular pistillate buds. Self-pollination usually occurs in response to stress, as a plant's final attempt to ensure the survival of their species. This phenomenon is known as hermaphroditism and is fairly common in cannabis.

When a male plant pollinates a female, the resulting seeds contain a mix of genetic information from both parent plants. This genetic blueprint is known as a genotype. The way a cannabis plant expresses that genetic information is known as a phenotype and can vary greatly from one seed to another (in much the same way that you might look very different to your siblings). Seeds descending from a female that has self-pollinated, on the other hand, only preserve genetic information from the hermaphroditic plant that produced them, and typically have a high probability of also sprouting into hermaphroditic plants.

The Complexities of Breeding Great Weed

So, all it takes to create a cannabis strain is a flowering female and some pollen, right? Unfortunately, no—otherwise, every grower on Earth would have their own seed bank. Cannabis breeders take great care when creating their strains and use special techniques like inbreeding, backcrossing, selfing, and more to hone in on particular traits related to a plant's morphology, bud structure, flowering time, aroma, cannabinoid content, and more.

In lay terms, the aforementioned techniques allow breeders to file down the genetic information produced by a particular cross, thereby creating seeds that consistently produce phenotypes with the same characteristics. This is super important, as it allows growers to cultivate plants with stable traits that consistently produce great harvests.

Hermafrodite cannabis

Bag Seeds — A Genetic Lottery

Today, most cannabis growers opt to grow sinsemilla—that is, seedless weed. That's because unpollinated female plants produce larger, denser, and more resinous flowers that make for a potent, aromatic, and flavorful smoke. Pollinated plants, on the other hand, produce buds that are riddled with seeds and of inferior quality. Hence, if you've found seeds in your weed, chances are that whoever grew it didn't intend for them to be there.

So, if you pop and grow bag seeds, what can you expect? Little more than a genetic lottery.

Bag seeds contain genetics from whatever parent plants produced them, and will likely express those traits with a high degree of variation. That's because the strain hasn't been subject to all of the processes that breeders use to define and stabilise certain traits. Hence, if you find multiple seeds in a bag, you might end up with one tall and lanky, slow-flowering phenotype growing next to a stocky, brawny, and fast-flowering one—even if the seeds came from the same cross.

When growing bag seeds, you can expect to find:

A mix of male and female plants
If the seeds you found were created from a cross of male and female plants, the seeds they produced will contain both male and female genetics. In this case, you'll be faced with a high probability of growing at least some male plants, and will need to take care to spot, separate, or cull them as soon as possible.

Hermaphroditic females
If your bag seeds stem from a female that has self-pollinated (in response to stress, for example), you may end up with plants with a high tendency to produce both male and female flowers. Hermaphroditism is passed down from one generation to another and is a real pain for growers, as a single hermie can produce hundreds of seeds and ruin entire harvests if not caught early.

Random traits
When growing bag seeds, you won’t have access to any information regarding flowering time, plant height, yield, and more. Instead, you'll have to adjust to the needs of your plants on the fly. While you might stumble on a diamond in the rough, you may also end up growing a complete dud with low yields, poor potency, or subpar aromas/flavours.
Failed germination
Forget about the germination guarantee provided by respected breeders and seed banks. When growing bag seeds, you may have trouble germinating your seeds depending on their age and health.

A Note on Cannabis Seed Diseases

When growers think of the diseases that commonly affect cannabis, most picture root or bud rot as well as powdery mildew; in other words, diseases that produce visual signs or symptoms on the foliage, flowers, or roots of cannabis plants. However, bacteria, fungi, and viroids like Rhizopus, Alternaria, or hop latent viroid can also infect cannabis seeds. Most respected cannabis breeders test for these pathogens as part of their quality control. However, bag seeds obviously aren't subject to such controls, and therefore have a higher risk of carrying these pathogens.

Consequently, growing bag seeds may increase the risk of these and other diseases entering your garden and potentially spreading to your other plants.

Tips for Growing Cannabis Bag Seeds

Are you ready to take on the challenge of popping a few bag seeds? Doing so can be a fun experience for hobby growers who know how to manage their expectations. Be sure to follow these tips for the best results:

  • Use proven germination methods like the paper towel technique to maximise germ rates. For old, hard, and dark seeds, consider using germination hacks like soaking them in water or hydrogen peroxide.
  • Monitor seedlings closely and cull any weak, sickly plants early. This will help you focus your efforts on healthy plants while simultaneously minimising the risk of bag seeds spreading diseases and pathogens in your garden.
  • Spot, separate, or cull males early. Remember that bag seeds are much more likely to produce male plants than feminized seeds from a breeder. With that in mind, make sure you know how to identify the sex of cannabis plants.
  • Be on the hunt for hermaphrodites. All it takes is a single hermie to ruin an entire grow, leaving you with piles of hermaphrodite seeds rather than delicious flowers. Hence, from the earliest days of flowering, make sure to inspect your plants regularly and remove hermaphrodites from your grow space, ASAP. Some telltale signs of hermaphrodites are bell-shaped pollen pods growing underneath pistillate female flowers, or yellow "bananas" growing out of the middle of female buds.
  • Avoid growing bag seeds together with seeds you've bought from a breeder. That way, if you run into issues with your bag seeds, you don't risk those issues comprising your pricier seeds.
  • If you're running an expensive grow-op, such as a large hydroponic system or indoor room, consider using a more simple and cost-effective setup for growing bag seeds (like a small indoor tent). Once you've culled your weak seedlings and males, you can transfer the remaining females to this space and monitor them, without the costs of running your more elaborate setup. Remember to take clones of any of the most promising specimens and, if the plants produce good final results, grow them out as you would normally to see how they fare.
Tips for growing cannabis

Is It a Good Idea to Grow Marijuana Bag Seeds?

To grow or not to grow bag seeds is a personal decision influenced by your own growing style and goals. That decision, however, is best made while being fully conscious of what bag seeds are and how they differ from properly bred seed stock. Remember:

  • Bag seeds may not germinate. Seeds bought from a breeder, however, guarantee high germination rates.
  • It's impossible to trace where bag seeds came from, so they may produce plants with very random traits. Breeders, on the other hand, can confirm the lineage of their strains and give you a good idea of what kinds of plants you'll be growing. This makes it a lot easier to source plants that suit your growing style and setup.
  • There's a good chance that your bag seeds will produce male or hermaphrodite plants. Feminized seeds, on the other hand, have a 99% chance of becoming female plants, guaranteeing a viable harvest.

In our experience, seasoned growers working with elaborate and costly setups tend to stay away from bag seeds unless they are really tempted by the idea of finding a unique pheno. Unfortunately, the risk of growing males, hermies, or females that simply aren't that good often isn't worth it for growers working with expensive equipment.

Instead, bag seeds are a fun experiment for hobby growers who tend to grow just a few plants at a time in a simple indoor tent or outdoors.

These growers typically don't have high overhead costs and can therefore afford to take a gamble on mediocre seeds. Keep in mind that nothing is certain when growing bag seeds, so the best you can do is go into the experiment lightheartedly and with few expectations. If you're serious about securing a top-shelf harvest every time, stick to strains by expert breeders, or better yet, choose F1 hybrids that produce guaranteed results.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: