As easy as we order or buy feminized cannabis seeds, it does not mean that creating it is as simple as you think. Making feminized cannabis seeds requires a lot of effort through using either two methods. Likewise, the Colloidal Silver vs Gibberellic Acid.
Before the era of technology had ascended through the course of history, cannabis seeds exist only on a single type, the regular one. However, this type is unstable and promotes uncertainty in the growth of cannabis buds. Moreover, it lowers the production rate of cannabis, making it a more expensive commodity in the community.
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Comparison Between Colloidal Silver VS Gibberellic Acid
That is why researchers began to find ways in order to decrease the risk of losing their investment in the cannabis business. They alter the seed’s genetics in order to make sure that it will produce only buds and not those little balls appearing on the calyx or stalk of the plant. These type of seeds are referred to as the feminized seeds.
Generally, there are few ways to produce feminized cannabis seeds. However, on this page, we’ll be able to discuss only two types, through the use of colloidal silver vs gibberellic acid. Other than that, we’ll compare these two types and assess what’s best for you or not.
What are Feminized Cannabis Seeds?
As said, there are two types of cannabis seeds. The regular and the feminized ones. The regular cannabis seeds (non-feminized) are those seeds that are produced through the natural process. Thus, the seed’s reproduction happens by the fertilization of the ovule or egg to the pollen or the sperm. These pure genetics bred from male and female plants have equal genetics for both genders.
However, as we know, only female plants produce buds that we use during smoking cannabis. Male plants are undesirable and are often cut down during the process to prevent any seed production or developing to any hermaphrodite varieties.
That is why feminized cannabis seeds are assured that only strictly female plants will grow during the cannabis planting. These seeds are genetically modified using several methods. As compared to regular ones, the feminized seeds are more expensive and purchased by a lot of customers for its bud validity.
Why Cultivate Cannabis from a Feminized Seed?
Though this type of seed is quite costly, it promotes numerous advantages during the course of cultivation. It will help you secure that you’re growing a female plant at the end of cultivation. A female plant that will produce buds that you need during drying and smoking.
However, regular cannabis seeds require careful monitoring, taking chances on its gender. Moreover, for a cannabis plant, it will take you until the vegetative stage to determine its gender. By then, you have to directly remove any male plants to avoid undergoing seed reproduction which prohibits flowering of the female plants.
Overall, growing feminized seeds will help you save time, money, and effort as well. It’s a practical choice for someone who wants to grow cannabis to later use and smoke its buds.
Methods of Feminized Seed Production
We are all curious as to how seeds are genetically enhanced to produce only the feminized ones. But nonetheless, there are multiple methods that you could employ in order to do this. Two of the known methods are done through the use of the Colloidal Silver VS Gibberellic Acid. In this part of the article, we’ll get to know these two methods and find out more.
The Gibberellic Acid (C19H22O6)
Also called Gibberellin A3, GA, and GA3, this is a naturally occurring hormone in some plants and fungi. It was discovered in Japan during 1926 in research conducted through a rice plant pathogen. This compound was found as a metabolic by-product during its study. After then, the GA was identified as one of the major culprits on height increase and cell elongation in plants. It’s an important compound on stimulating mitotic division and seed germination as well. Later on, it was found that it should be kept at low concentrations about 0.01 mg/L to 10 mg/L to take into effect with plants.
As years pass by, scientists had learned to extract these compounds in plants for use on various applications on agriculture and medicine. It has been used in the grape industry to produce a bigger and better grape yield. Aside from that, it has been sprayed into Clementine Oranges to prevent getting bad and undesirable seeds.
Gibberellic Acid and Cannabis
As this plant hormone regulates growth, it affects also the flowering and sex expression of plants. In a study conducted using a tomato plant, deficiency of this hormone promotes sterility of the female species. Likewise, the deficiency could cause abnormality to its flower, altering the petal, sepal, and pistil sizes.
A separate study was also conducted to fully determine the effects of GA to a cucumber plant. However, the reverse method was done, spraying and adding out GA to it. It has shown that supplementing this hormone promotes hermaphroditism. Thus, a female plant will instead produce male buds. Further studying through self-pollination these male-turned buds, results have shown that the plant expresses femininity continuously. It was observed that self-pollinating those GA sprayed female plants will have an offspring with suppressing male characteristics.
Furthermore, this experiment was repeated to a cannabis plant. Unexpectedly, the results have shown significance and favorability to the previous experiment.
How do you make feminized seeds using the Gibberellic Acid?
This method is quite simple and easy yet takes time and patience. Here are the steps to be followed;
STEP 1. Purchase a Gibberellic Acid
You could get this compound in powdered form through local agriculture stores or online as well. It somehow costs at least $15.
STEP 2. Creating the Gibberellic Acid Mixture
Dilute the powdered gibberellic acid into distilled water. The solution should have a 100 ppm concentration. This means that for every 100 mg of this hormone, you’ll fill it with a liter of water.
STEP 3. Spraying the mixture to the plant
Transfer the solution into a spray bottle container. Spray once a day a female plant until the succeeding 10 days from its flowering phase. By then, you’ll observe that male flowers will be produced.
STEP 4. Pollination in Female Plants
Using these turned-male flowers, apply its pollens into a female plant. Doing this way, the seeds that it produces will be assured to be feminized.
The Colloidal Silver
This solution refers to a microscopic suspension of silver particles into water. It’s created by electrolysis through flowing of electrical current by mixing silver electrodes with water. This product often sold in liquid form is used for its therapeutic benefits. Moreover, through the course of history, colloidal silver is mainly used as a topical antibiotic for various illnesses during the Great Depression. Upon the discovery and spread of penicillin in the 1930s, the utilization of this solution has further declined though still prescribed by few doctors during that time. However, as the development of medicine on the 1970s occur, the colloidal silver was found to cause harmful effects in the body. Thus, it was entirely removed in the official drug guidebooks to any forms of illnesses.
Upon the ban of colloidal silver to medicine use, it has been using as dietary supplements to provide a cure for eliminating bacteria and viruses. Aside from that, it was used to treat HIV and cancer as well. With the spread of these supplements, the FDA issued a notice to manufacturers in order to prevent any health claims are related to the drug.
By then, the colloidal silver has taken its way to other non-human consumption uses. Among its uses includes feminizing cannabis seeds.
Cannabis and Colloidal Silver
The colloidal silver works in cannabis plants through molecular diffusion. As small as the silver molecules, they pass through the plant’s cells. These silver molecules bond through the copper molecules into the cell. Likewise, copper is used to producing the hormone ethylene which is used to induce female reproductive characteristics such as pistil and calyxes. Thus, when the colloidal silver bonds through copper, this inhibits the appearing of female reproductive characteristics. Nonetheless, pollen sacs likely develop later on.
Because of this female to male transition, seed reproduction could undergo using a female plant. As you self-pollinate this ‘turned male’ and a female cannabis plant, there’s no chance of it becoming male. Nevertheless, these seeds are produced through two female plants, then it will only generate feminized seeds.
How do you make Feminized Seeds using the Colloidal Silver?
STEP 1. Buy a Colloidal Silver
Since colloidal silver exists as a solution, you don’t have to do mixing or combine anything with it. Moreover, you could purchase a colloidal silver in any local pharmacies or online.
STEP 2. Spray it to Female Plants
Transfer the colloidal silver solution into an empty spray bottle. Then, spray this solution every three days prior to turning on/off the grow lamp. Continue spraying until you’ve noticed male flower traits.
STEP 3. Pollination of Cannabis Plants
Using the pollen sac from the transformed flower, then you could put the pollens into the flowers from the female plants. By then, after the reproduction, then you’ll be able to produce feminized seeds.
What’s the Best Method?
Both colloidal silver vs gibberellic methods are suitable for use on producing feminized cannabis seeds. These two methods are all-natural, easy to use, and efficient. However, it has found that the colloidal silver works better than the other. It’s most effective and readily accessible as compared to gibberellic acid. Aside from that, studies show that seeds induce through colloidal silver will be taller and stronger upon growing up.
