FEMINIZED? Are they worth it?

[seaflo]

I would like the experts and "Joe/Jane the Growers" here to lend their opinions on whether they believe that buying Feminized seeds is worth the additional cost that breeders are charging. If so what are your reasons either for or against. Thanks to all in advance.

[stoneric]

I grow 1 plant at a time so they've been great for me. I've ordered 2 packets of 10 over the last 4 years and had 0 hermies and 3 seeds(out of 17 thus far)that didn't germinate. I grow NL and the potency has been great.

[seaflo]

Stoneric, THANKS man. I have had so many problems with seeds, either not germinating (Dutch Passion) or too few germing (Mila's) or all/most males that I am tired of pouring $s down the drain on males and stuff that is not producing. Which bank would you recommend for the fems? I too only grow 1 or 2 plants; enough for my med needs. I have heard of clones from Fems turning hermie; had any probs with that?

[farmergiles]

If you`re growing a small number of plants from seed I would think fems arn`t a bad idea.

I`ve never tried them myself because I like to grow from clones so I know exactly what I`m getting and so I don`t have to veg them too long.

I don`t know about the hermaphrodism issue- some say one thing others another. I don`t doubt people like Stoneric who say they`ve never had issues. Whose NL do you grow Stoneric?

If you were breeding you wouldn`t want to use fems. The feminisation process is used as a short cut by some breeders to produce a stable seed crop methinks.

As far as I can understand the process goes like this.
Take any female plant that exhibits desired properties.
Clone it.
Take two offspring.
Turn one into an hermaphrodite (there are a few ways silver nitrate being one).
Pollinate the regular clone with the herm.
This should (I believe- anyone who knows more about this please confirm/correct) give a crop of feminised seeds which are basically clones of the original plant.

To produce a crop of regular seeds which exhibit stable characteristics you`d have to do a lot of work back crossing with the original parent(s) across successive generations. Although this is more work the genetics should be much more stable- actually breeding a strain as opposed to just replicating a likely looking plant.

Really fems should be cheaper than regular seeds as any fool can make them. However they will save time, space, effort and lumens if you`re growing from seed on a small scale.

[seaflo]

Thanks Farmer; this is what I am leaning to as well. Larger investment less risk. Thanks again. Please if others have opinions or have had good/bad experiences with seed banks regarding feminized seeds it would be appreciated.

[Cerebro]

fg-your description of inducing herm sound right to me.
I'm no fan of fem seeds, I've never shelled out the clams for them either. Just too many good growers getting herms and seeding their whole crop because they missed a banana.
The process of stressing the plant to induce herm creates variable results in the stability of the resulting seed, as fg says, perhaps they should cost less than regular seed.
I think you're better off doing it the old way, myself.

[stoneric]

I haven't bought seeds for some time. I grow for personal use only, so I only need 3 plants a year. I bought from someplace in the UK. I had it on my computer but I lost my mother board and everything was gone. So I don't remember the name of the seedbank.

I don't clone and I don't know anything about how feminized seeds are produced. But for people like me who need simplicity, due to limited knowledge, they work.

[Dandaweedman]

Note on the femmed stuff. If you are using the silver crap you must try to force hermaphroditismistic ness. If it is quite hermie resistant then it may be a good candidate for the silver crap.

I won't run femmed in my rooms, no damn way.

I like to have a ratio. Procreation instead of consumerism.

OK, if you germ one only then fine, have your fun with unaturalism But for me, the whole point is to cross the best female to the best male and keep the resulting seed around for future grows.
And maybe pass some on to new growers so they don't have to worry about buying high priced seed to learn with.

psst seaflo?

[Peace seeker]

Originally Posted by Cerebro

Just too many good growers getting herms and seeding their whole crop because they missed a banana.

thats exactly what happened to me (as everyone knows). Femmed beans (due to limited space) and a bushy cannopy that prohibited me from lookin underneath for male flowers. When i "caught" it, t'was too late. Seeded crop.

When u r growin femmed, u gotta be very carefull and alwsy checkin for hermies. But if your temps go over 27C, then most chances are your plants will "turn".

I ve had my fan/temp controller at 25C but that doesnt mean anything in the summer time. Temps will rise anyway.


Like Dan said, its so much better to use regular beans. You can stress em like a mofo and most chances are they wont turn on you. Then u keep a mom and you re set for future grows Or better yet u grow a few males and have plenty of beans for the future.


Seaflo, since you mentioned DP. I ve used femmed from DP a few times. Never again. They re famous for going hermie (especially their blue line). Forget dutch seed banks. The future is in Canadian (or west coast) breeders

The only ones with a good rep for femmed are Paradise. They take 100 plants and stress them repeatedly to turn hermie. the one or two plants that dont "turn", those are the ones that make it for their femmed-beans production.

[seaflo]

Thanks Danda and Peace; great help. I have a high heat environment anyway and even regular seeds have turned hermie on me in the past. I agree with all you have said but for a small grower, just enough for their own med needs, having to fight with males is a hassle. I have had grows where ALL were males; that's a real drag. The cost of nutes, power, etc.. is enough to promote me into this femmed thing. I have tried to induce flowering early in the veg stage to determine the sex but that has led to lower yields. I appreciate the tip on Paradise, they are one that I am looking at.

I also agree that the future is Canada for those of us west of Europe. In whatever country you live, make your elected representatives understand that you oppose your government's lack of foresight in dealing with Cannabis. The medical community is starting to take notice of the growing med market, as well as researched benefits, and so are the bigger corporations. That is the catalyst, I believe to bringing reason to this issue.
Please excuse my political statement; it amazes me that most everyone learns as they get older except for most governments.

[seaflo]

By the way what is Paradise's web address? There seems to be 4 or 5 sites that named Paradise Seeds. THANKS

[Dandaweedman]

This is my link and I'll name it what I like.... paradise seeds-something or other

[Dandaweedman]

I looked at the price and almost made a mishap

[seaflo]

Why is that other vendors, Gypsy Nirvana being one of them, sell Paradise's products lower than Paradise's site does? Out of the last 3 in my res, one male merged and was summarily put to death (except for clones I will start to make seeds).

I agree Danda the prices these folks are asking and I guess getting for seeds, are outrageous.
Thanks for the Paradise info.

[Peace seeker]

70 and 130euros for a 5 or 10pack of femmed seeds?????

are they fo real?

[seaflo]

I agree but going though the time, expense, and frustration (one of the last 2 plants I have showed his balls today (motherf***** ) sol I am down to just one, the best looking one too) the cost seems a little less outrageous . I need good genetics anyway. Paradise's Delahaze sounds good and at $84 for 10 fems, that seems an OK price. shit

[Peace seeker]

delahaze huh?

hope they r as good as Delasoul

[Cerebro]

3 feet high, and rising.
awesome title.

[seaflo]

The Truth About Feminized Seeds | Cannabis Culture Magazine
I found this in my research yesterday; very intriguing as there are some breeders that do not want to do the femming of their seeds.:1pe ace:

[stoneric]

Cloning sounds great. Unfortunately I have a 2x3x6 grow room that I can't add to or add another room for keeping a mother plant. So feminized seeds are perfect for me. I grow the same way each time, I have my temps under control and total darkness during flower. I do LST everytime and my plant stays healthy throughout its life. I guess I've been lucky not to have hermies but I think you can control the stress for the most part.