There are many different types of cannabis seeds, from “Regs” to “Fems,” and “Autos” to “Photos.” It can be very confusing for new growers to understand what type of cannabis seed does what and which type of seed would be best for them.
So, in this guide, we are going to run through all the different types of cannabis seeds. We will break down what each one does, what the pros and cons are, and help you choose which type is going to be best for you.
It may seem like a lot of information at first, but really, it’s very simple. Just take your time going through this guide, and of course, if you need any help, just ask in the forum! Let’s begin by looking at the most common types of cannabis seeds.
Main Types of Cannabis Seeds
There are 4 main types of cannabis seeds that you will find in most seed banks:
- Regular Cannabis Seeds
- Feminised Cannabis Seeds
- Auto flowering Cannabis Seeds
- High CBD Cannabis Seeds
Here is a run down of what each of these mean
Regular Cannabis Seeds (Regs)
Regular cannabis seeds are simply that: regular, as nature intended. The plants grown from these seeds will basically have a 50% chance of being male or female. Most cannabis growers are growing to consume the flowers of the female plants, so males are discarded. Male cannabis plants are usually only kept around for breeding projects.
Pros:
- Genetic Stability: Plants grown from “regs” are said to be more genetically stable because they have the original genetic makeup of their parent strains.
- Breeding Potential: Growers would use “regs” if they are looking to breed a new strain by using male and female plants. If you want to breed cannabis, this is a good option.
- Natural Process: Regular seeds grow naturally and produce both male and female plants. This is how cannabis has grown for thousands of years.
Cons:
- Sexing Plants: You need to be able to identify male and female plants. Male plants will pollinate females during flower. If this happens, your buds will have seeds in them.
- Wasted Resources: You will have to grow a plant for a couple of months before you know whether it is male for female. If it’s male, it will be thrown away, this can be a huge waste of resources.
- Unpredictable Ratios: If you germinate 10 regular seeds, you may get 4 males and 6 females, or maybe 3 females and 7 males. It is very unpredictable.
Though the pros of regular seeds are good, the cons far outweigh them. As a result, most growers do not use them unless they want to breed cannabis and create new strains. The vast majority of growers will now grow “Feminised Seeds.”
Feminised Cannabis Seeds
Feminised cannabis seeds will grow into female plants 99% of the time. They are made by forcing a female cannabis plant to produce male flowers and pollen. That pollen is then used to pollinate another female plant. This essentially means both parents of the seed were female, so the seed will be female too.
Fems are by far the most popular type of cannabis seed. If you are new to growing and just want to grow some cannabis to consume, this is the type of seed you need to buy.
Pros:
- Most Likely Female: If you have purchased your feminised seeds from a reputable breeder, you can be close to 100% sure they will end up as female plants.
- No Wasted Resources: Feminised seeds will all be female, so you don’t waste resources by growing plants that you have to cull in the future.
- Makes Things Easy: With feminised seeds, you can plant them and grow them. There is no need to learn how to identify sex. However, if you do have any suspicions of an unintended male plant, feel free to ask for help in the cannabis growers’ forum.
Cons:
- Price of Fem vs Regs: Feminised cannabis seeds can be a little more expensive than regular seeds, but in most cases, it is worth spending that little bit more.
- Lack of Breeding Potential: Since feminised seeds produce only female plants, they are not suitable for breeders looking to create new strains.
- Potential for Hermie: While fem seeds are designed to produce female plants, they can sometimes develop hermaphroditic traits, especially under stress. This means a plant may produce both male and female flowers, causing seedy buds.
Fems are great and highly recommended by most growers. When you see the word “feminised,” it most likely means the plants grown from them will be female, and photoperiod:
What Does Photoperiod Mean?
Photoperiod means the plants grown from these seeds will go through their vegetative cycle with 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness. They will only begin to flower when they get around 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
To learn more about this, check out our guide on the Life Cycle of a Cannabis Plant.
Changing the light cycles and knowing when to do it can still be a little confusing for new growers. So sometimes, they may opt for the simplest of cannabis seeds, autoflowering.
Auto Flowering Cannabis Seeds
Auto flowering cannabis seeds will produce plants that flower under any light cycle. This means you just give them 18 hours of light per day, with 6 hours of darkness, all the way through their growth! They will begin to flower automatically when they are ready, usually around 5 or 6 weeks after germination.
Unless stated otherwise, auto flowering cannabis seeds are also feminised. It is very rare to see regular autos. They will only be used by people who are going to breed auto flowering cannabis plants.
Pros:
- Very Easy to Grow: Because auto flowering plants flower at a specific time, there is very little to do. You just plant the seed and keep the plant fed and watered.
- Quick Growth Cycle: On average, an auto flowering cannabis plant will go from germination to harvest in 10-12 weeks. They are very fast and can produce a great yield of quality cannabis.
- Seedlings with Flowers: Because seedlings and flowering autos can both get 18 hours of light, you can have autos at different stages of growth in the same grow room. This means you don’t need a veg room and a flower room!
Cons:
- Less Margin for Error: Because autos have a specified life cycle of 10-12 weeks, you don’t have time for errors. Any stress to the plant can reduce the final yield.
- Potentially Lower Yield: Unlike photoperiod plants, autos will only veg for 4-5 weeks before they begin to flower. This will cause lower yields compared to photoperiod plants.
- Less Suitable for SCROG: There is not a lot of time for low-stress training and other advanced growing techniques with autos. For Screen of Green Grows and complex training, it is best to go with photoperiod.
It is hard to recommend for new growers whether they should use photoperiod plants or autos. On one hand, autos are very easy to grow, but if you make a mistake and stress the plant, your final harvest will be reduced. On the other hand, growing photoperiod plants lets you decide when to flower. So you can overcome any stresses the plant has had before flowering.
Either one is good; pick which type is best for you, and if you need help, just ask in the forum.
High-CBD Cannabis Seeds
Unless stated otherwise, most cannabis seeds will be THC-dominant. If you are specifically looking for medical cannabis that should have some CBD in it, you need to look for CBD strains specifically. If it doesn’t say CBD on the title of the web page or on the packaging, assume it is THC cannabis.
You can also get cannabis seeds that have a percentage of both THC and CBD. They are great for medical use and for new consumers too due to the lower THC percentage. These plants will grow just like an auto or photoperiod, depending on what type you buy. There will be no difference in how it grows; only the THC and CBD percentage is different.
Pros:
- Not So Strong: The THC is reduced in CBD strains, so it isn’t so strong. This means you can consume it without getting too high.
- Medical Benefits: CBD has been growing in popularity as a medicine for a huge range of things. THC and CBD used together are very popular, but you can also get strains that have no THC in them at all. So you can get medicated but not high.
- Legal Considerations: In some places, THC is illegal, but CBD isn’t. So you may be able to consume CBD cannabis without legal ramifications. But check your local laws to see what they say.
Cons:
- Not as Much Variety: CBD-heavy strains are relatively new, so there isn’t as much variety as you would find with THC plants.
- Interaction with Other Medicines: CBD can have an effect on other medications you’re taking. If you plan to use CBD as a medicine but you’re on other prescribed medications, we recommended you speak to your doctor before using CBD.
- Unreliable Dosage: Sometimes the levels of THC and CBD can be misleading. They may claim a 50/50 THC/CBD ratio, but that may not be the case. The actual levels will differ from plant to plant.
There are some really good “1-1” strains out there. Those have equal levels of both THC and CBD. But as mentioned, their levels will differ from plant to plant. There are also other cannabinoids like THCV that are available in some strains now. There is so much variety; it’s hard to choose what is good for you.
If you need help or have any questions so far, please feel free to ask for help in our cannabis growing forum. You will most likely be choosing a seed from the four different types of cannabis seeds mentioned above. However, there are just a few more things we should look at so you can fully understand what cannabis seeds would be best for you
Specialty Cannabis Seeds
Along with the four types of cannabis seeds we have mentioned so far, there are a few more secondary categories you might see sometimes when buying cannabis seeds. I want to make sure nothing is missed out here, so we will briefly cover these different varieties too.
Fast Version Cannabis Seeds
Sometimes you will see seeds labeled as “Fast Version.” These can be both autoflowering and photoperiod plants. The big difference is the flowering time will be much shorter than the average cannabis plant.
This kind of seed is useful if you plan to grow outdoors towards the end of the growing season and need it done quickly. You can also grow these indoors, and they will finish faster, but they will not yield as much as their non-fast counterparts.
Landrace Cannabis Seeds
Landrace seeds are pure cannabis strains that have evolved naturally in specific regions around the world over many centuries. These seeds have adapted to the local climate, soil, and environmental conditions. As a result, they have unique genetic profiles. Landrace strains are typically named after their place of origin, such as Afghan, Thai, or Durban.
These types of seeds are great to grow, but not recommended for new growers. They have not been bred to suit indoor growing and will take more work than usual to grow successfully.
Hybrid Cannabis Seeds
Cannabis plants come in a few different varieties, the main two being Sativa and Indica. Sativa cannabis plants are known for growing tall, and Indica plants are known for growing short and bushy. In most cases today, the seeds you buy online will be hybrids, meaning a mix of Sativa and Indica. The percentage of Sativa or Indica should be displayed in the description of the strain.
If you plan to grow indoors, it is best to avoid anything that is too Sativa. They will grow tall and may be too tall for the standard grow tent. Also, Sativa plants tend to have longer flowering periods, sometimes up to 20 weeks. This isn’t ideal for many growers.
Indica plants, however, have a short flowering cycle of anything from 8-12 weeks. Lots of strains today are a mix between Indica and Sativa. So bear these features in mind when you’re considering what types of cannabis seeds to buy.
Choosing the Right Cannabis Seeds for You
Now you should be able to visit a cannabis seed bank and have a decent idea of what each type of cannabis seed does. All you have to do now is choose which one is going to work for you. You may already have an idea of what you’re going to choose, but here is a little more info and things to consider in case you haven’t made up your mind yet.
Growing Conditions and Environment
Before choosing what type of cannabis seeds you want to use, you should consider whether you are growing indoors or outdoors. When growing indoors, you can pretty much grow whatever you like, as long as it doesn’t grow too tall and you, the grower, have enough experience to deal with that particular strain. But when it comes to growing outdoors, you have less control.
For growing cannabis outdoors, you need to consider the growing season and weather where you live. Photoperiod cannabis plants will start to flower sometime around September in the northern hemisphere. They can take from 8-20 weeks to flower, depending on the strain.
If you have a short growing season with cold and wet weather, consider growing some autoflowering plants. If planted in April, May, or June, they should be done and ready for harvest before the cold weather sets in.
Grower’s Experience Level
Growing cannabis is fun! It’s a great hobby, but it comes with stress sometimes too, especially for new growers who are just starting to learn. Though you have all the help you need in the forum, for the first couple of grows, keep it simple!
Think about what type of cannabis seeds work best for you: auto or photo, regular or feminised. Then choose something that is Indica dominant. The flowering cycle is much shorter for Indica dominant plants than Sativa, and they won’t grow so tall. When you start getting the hang of things, expand on to other strains.
Why are You Growing?
If you are growing cannabis for personal use to enjoy recreationally, you have many choices! Just find a strain you like the sound of, then get the photoperiod fems, autos, or regulars, whatever you prefer, and grow them.
However, if you’re looking for cannabis to use as medicine, consider a high CBD strain or a 1:1 THC and CBD strain. You can, of course, use THC medically too, so you have to figure out what works best for you medicinally and then choose accordingly.
Desired Effects and Uses
What do you use cannabis for? As mentioned above, if you’re using cannabis medicinally, look for a strain with CBD in it. But if you prefer a strain that relaxes you, so you can unwind after work or a hard day, consider something Indica dominant. Indica is said to give a couch-lock kind of high.
On the other hand, if you prefer a strain that is uplifting and euphoric to enjoy as you go about your daily activities, consider something Sativa dominant.
Now, don’t forget, each strain works differently on everyone. What works for you might not work for someone else in the same way. Go out, try some different types of cannabis, different strains, different cultivars, and find something that works really well for you.
Once you have found the perfect strain, try to find the original breeder and buy their seeds. This way you may get a plant that is close to the one that works best for you.
Buying Cannabis Seeds
Cannabis seeds are easily available all over the internet; you just have to choose which one is best for you. Don’t worry, we have you covered. Check out our list of recommended seed banks! We only recommend the best: cheap, reliable genetics, great delivery, great service, and discount codes too!
Check out this article: Where to Buy Cannabis Seeds
You will find everything you need right there! Let us know what you buy over in the seed section of the forum! We love to show off our seed collections.
Conclusion
It may seem like a lot of info; there are a lot of different types of cannabis seeds. For most of you reading this, photoperiod or autos that are feminised are going to be the best pick for you. Personally, I love them both and grow both; you don’t have to choose just one or the other. Find something that works well for you and give it a shot.
Growing cannabis is much easier than you think. And you have all the help you need right there in the forum. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
I am still looking for a nice 1•1 Photo period strain to test out. Anyone have suggestions?
I’ve always grown autos but with some bad genetics recently I had a plant that was definitely photo and really enjoyed the grow. I’ve got some of monkey’s beans in storage at the moment so I’ll be running some of those on my next run I think.
This infos gold man,I didn’t know about it all when I first started out and the difference in grow cycles and all that great work @macky key for new growers this type of stuff
I am trying autos this time around
Thank you for the informative post Macky
I tend to grow autos now. They appear to be more reliable, give a decent yield and there is a lot of variety now.
So simple in coco, if you have the time.
Photos tended to outgrow the tent, but that was before all the advice I’ve gotten from Percys, so I may try a photoperiod SCROG in Coco.
Photos and autos so far for me, once I get enough product stockpiled going to order me up some DJ Short regs amd try to make some beans….. or just continue waiting on the waiting list for his regs lol
I’ve got Autos, Fast Photos, Photos, Regs and Triploids.
I favor Autos, Photos and Regs but man… I’ll take Regs over the lot. So many things can be done here for breeding.
Also, Macky… These guides are the tits! Great work brother! 🤟😎
Excellent and essential info!
Triploids are interesting…. the tech is long established in other areas of horticulture – bananas,grapes etc. Although at $30 a seed triploids from Humbolt didn’t go down to well …
We have the Mac1 which is a natural triploid – it will set a little seed when pollinated – but compared to other ladies – it’s negligible – I’ve yet to try germinating any – but others say most of the results are rubbish …. with only the odd diamond! …. Will have a peek – one day!
Laz
I got a bunch of fems and a bunch of regs. I’m saving the regs until I’m able to breed.
Here’s a good article on FAST seeds that I just got today in an email from Seedsman. Thought it might fit in well here. The fact that it’s part of a marketing effort doesn’t negate the value.
*Please stop posting links*
@happynpc
Thats interesting, I didn’t notice any difference in taste, but the FV and Std Photo were from different breeders, both produced nugs, as hard as cricket balls (grown indoors). I only usually go about 3 grows max clone from clone, unless it’s something very special. I think I only done 2 from the FV Black Domina and don’t remember any difference in yield.
This was about about 3 years ago and my memory is a bit spangled from over indulgence 🤘
Fast Versions are photoperiod and feminised, you can veg them for as long as you want, they just flower 1 or 2 weeks faster. They’ve had ruderalis bred in to them but not to the point that they autoflower.
@monty I tried growing Sweet Mandarine Zkittlez F1 Fast Version and Sweet Seeds Tropicana Poison Fast Version. The grow was okay, not too bad, but the taste didn’t measure up to autos or photos. I also had issues with airy buds, so I decided not to continue with FV seeds. Growing four autos or one photo in my 4×4 tent is easier for me. I gave FVs a shot because others had great results and were happy with them, but I think I’ll stick with photos and autos. How is the experience with taking clones of fast version, and how was the yield?
Photo fems are my wheel house. You get more time with your ladies.
Ive had mixed results with fast versions, I initially bought some for growing outdoors (uk)
I thought the shorter flowering period would be ideal for outdoor UK grows, i.e finishing before the bad weather sets in. It didn’t really work for me, they didn’t quite reach the finish line and the buds were quite airy. But I tried the same seeds inside and was impressed, Black Domina, finished in 7 weeks from the flip of 12/12. I yielded more off the fast version than I did off the std photo version I done the year before. To be fair they were different breeders and I vegged the fast version until she was fully mature, about 6 weeks I think it was, pre flowers all over her, she was begging to be flowered by the time I flipped her, so can’t really make a fair comparison between the two. But I think fast versions do have their place for the average hobbyist canna grower who prefers variety over massive yields. If a grower can squeeze 2 or 3 weeks off each grow, that’s 1 extra grow per year. Another benefit of fast versions is they’re not far off the start to finish time on an auto, but obviously the beauty is you can take cuts and clones off FV’s which you can’t with autos.
I think it’s also fair to say that when autos were in their early years, Lowriders and the like, a grower would be lucky to hit an Oz per plant, these days I see experienced auto growers pulling 10, 12 Oz or more, it’s still quite early days for FV’s
Out of interest what FV strains have you grew out?, diary’s on them are quite scarce on the grow forums.
Monty
@hoka-haze Well, kinda. I don’t know the specifics, but essentially, it takes a duoploid pollinated by a quadploid plant, or some such thing. I believe you can also create on by spraying similar to STS but with a different chemical. I want to look into it much deeper though.
@hoka-haze Yes sir, as Ed Rosenthal said during his interview here on PGR recently, he thinks that’s gonna be a big, if not the only, part of at least commercial cannabis farming. I think they’d be fun to try out, see if the rumors about increased yields and terps is true.
Wait, just realized how odd triploid seeds sound… I don’t know much about triploids but assume it would be clone only or something similar to STS where you apply to the plant and it changes.
After a few years you might have to add triploid
I started out with two Autos, and did OK with them. Despite all my mistakes. Knowing what I know now though, I would go with Photo Fems. I’m actually looking at the new(er) Photo Fem FAST because they are forgiving like a regular photoperiod but, once flipped to flower are quick(er) like an Auto but still resilient like a photo. Kind of the best of both worlds.