Every web site that legally sells marijuana seeds offers a curious option to buy so called feminized seeds, typically at 2 or three times the price for a similar quantity of standard seeds. But what are feminized marijuana seeds? And why do people buy them if they cost much more?

What are they?

Marijuana plants are either female or male - the male produces flowers that fertilize the female plant, which develops buds and seeds. A standard pack of inexpensive marijuana seeds will produce a mixture of masculine and feminine plants in a roughly 50/50 proportion.

Feminized marijuana seeds are produced by cloning and "shocking" female plants by spraying them with a silver solution. This stops them from developing as males. The seeds from plants that have been treated in this manner will only produce female plants - therefore they're called feminized marijuana seeds.

Why do people buy them?

There are variety of reasons why many experienced growers choose to buy feminized marijuana seeds. Most male plants have very low levels of THC, so they can not be cropped for marijuana. Additionally, if a crop has a mix of sexes it is necessary to identify and separate the male plants as quickly as possible to be certain they do not fertilize the females - unfertilized female plants produce bigger, riper buds, while fertilized females produce smaller buds that are crammed with marijuana seeds. Good growing can still be done with ordinary seeds and mixed sex plants, but it can take a lot more effort, and yields can alter greatly.

Feminized marijuana seeds will produce all female plants. This saves this bother of identifying and separating the male plants in a crop before they can fertilize the females, and it also suggests that out of a pack of ten seeds it is possible to produce 10 plants that may be harvested for marijuana rather than ( on average ) 5 plants. Most growers will naturally have a restricted limited amount of space, and a warranted all female crop can help to make the best of a smaller growing space.

Of course, growers need to produce more plants without needing to regularly buy marijuana seeds, but it is possible to do that without breeding plants - more experienced growers prefer to clone their plants by taking a good cutting from a grown up plant and then replanting it. Not only does this allow them to maintain unfertilized females and maintain a high yield from all their plants, the clone will maintain all the characteristics of its "parent", implying that the highest quality plants can be reproduced precisely.

They cost buyers more. Inexpensive marijuana seeds can be produced extraordinarily simply, but it takes some significant effort and time to supply feminized marijuana seeds. Since these seeds produce more valuable plants, they are accordingly more expensive. But they remain popular among growers. They save growers the trouble of identifying and separating the male plants, and also give a warranted female from every marijuana seed that is bought, leading to more buds and higher yields.