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Writer's pictureJim Jones

What are feminized seeds?

Feminized seeds differ from regular seeds because they only produce female plants. They are the ideal seed type for growers who cultivate marijuana plants just for their buds. How is it possible for seeds to only grow female plants? We answer those and other things people ask about feminized cannabis seeds in this article.

Do feminized seeds grow buds?

Yes, feminized seeds produce plants that grow smokable buds. Cannabis is dioecious; it produces male and female plants with different sex organs. This sexual dimorphism in cannabis also influences the amount of cannabinoids present in males and females. Males have less, and females have more.

That difference in cannabinoid content is why many growers only want female plants– that, and also to avoid the male plants from pollinating their females. And that’s the beauty of feminized seeds; they only produce female plants. Not only does it save you the hassle of culling male plants, but it also guarantees that a bag of 10 feminized seeds will produce 10 female plants that all grow buds instead of 10 regular seeds with a 50-50 split.

Our founder, Robert Bergman, has written a free grow guide with tips for new and experienced growers alike. Be sure to download his free Marijuana Grow Bible today!

How are marijuana seeds feminized?

The way to create feminized seeds is much simpler than you might think. It involves breeding two female cannabis plants together, which is done with the help of silver thiosulfate (also known as colloidal silver) or other chemicals that induce male flowers on a female plant. You only have to induce male flowers on one of them while pollinating the other.

You induce male flowers by applying colloidal silver as a foliar spray to the plant. Preferably, you’d want to use clones of a mother plant. That way, you would already know your future feminized seeds’ characteristics, such as their resin content, growth, and flowering.


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Are feminized seeds always female?

Yes, feminized seeds produce only female plants. This is because the process that involves producing feminized seeds only involves female cannabis. Even if they’re induced to produce male flowers, the pollen released from the sacs is genetically female– meaning they only contain XX chromosomes. To produce a male plant, you need an XY chromosome.

How can you tell if a seed is a female?

It’s impossible to tell just from the seed whether it will produce a male or female cannabis plant. It’s also rather difficult even for growers to tell the gender of their marijuana plants while they’re still juvenile because the features aren’t well-documented(1).

The best way to tell female and male cannabis plants apart is once they’re in their pre-flowering stage. Here, you’ll see the difference between male and female flowers.


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Pros and cons of feminized seeds

Like every seed type, feminized seeds have their list of pros and cons. By highlighting the benefits and downsides, you, as the grower, can decide whether feminized seeds are best suited for your needs.

Benefits of feminized seeds

The main advantage of feminized seeds is that they are guaranteed only to grow female plants. For growers just looking to cultivate cannabis for their buds, this saves them a lot in resource cost and space that male plants would’ve consumed had they grown from regular seeds.

Other benefits of feminized seeds include:

  1. Better quality bud since without males pollinating your females, the buds of your cannabis will focus their energy on producing more cannabinoids and terpenes

  2. Higher yield as opposed to regular seeds since you don’t have to take out the plants that turn out to be male.

Downsides of feminized seeds

Feminized cannabis seeds do have their downsides. The biggest being their genetics. Creating feminized seeds involves stressing the plant to induce male flowering. And in many cases, it also involves using clones. So, while the resulting seeds are guaranteed only to grow female plants, they’re also more likely to turn hermaphrodites when stressed.

Besides their genetics, feminized seeds also have other disadvantages, such as:

  1. Breeding since their unstable genetics makes for poor plants. Growers use regular seeds for breeding since they possess stronger genetics

  2. Not producing seeds for the next season since no male plants pollinate seed-producing females.

What is the difference between feminized seeds and autoflowers?

The main difference between feminized and autoflowering seeds is that autos don’t need to adjust their light cycle to flower as they flower automatically over time. But with feminized seeds, they produce plants that require a change in the light cycle to initiate flowering.


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Are feminized seeds better than regular cannabis seeds?

It depends on the type of cannabis cultivation that you plan to do. If you just want to grow weed, then feminized seeds are easier and less taxing on resources. But if you’re a breeder or at least want to try breeding cannabis, then regular seeds are your only option. For a complete guide to different seed types, we suggest checking out our article explaining different cannabis seed types.

Can feminized seeds produce seeds?

The only way that feminized cannabis plants will produce seeds is if a male was deliberately introduced or if one of the female plants turned into a hermaphrodite due to stress. Otherwise, feminized plants will go through their life cycle without being pollinated and producing seeds. In fact, that’s why they were developed in the first place, to produce seedless buds that were more potent and made for a smoother smoke.

Can you pollinate a feminized plant?

Yes, because feminized plants still produce flowers that can be pollinated and produce seeds. But, the only way for a feminized plant to get pollinated is by deliberately introducing a male plant since feminized seeds only produce females. Your feminized plants can also get pollinated if one of them hermied.

Can you make a mother plant from a feminized seed?

While you can use feminized seeds to grow a mother plant to take cuttings from, it’s not ideal. Because feminized plants are genetically more unstable, there is a risk that the cuttings taken from a feminized plant will turn into hermaphrodites due to stress.

Can you clone a feminized plant?

Yes, as long as the mother plant was grown from feminized seeds with good genetics and is a strain known to handle stress well. Otherwise, the clones may turn into hermaphrodites.

Should you buy feminized seeds?

It depends on what seed type suits you best. Feminized seeds offer many benefits for growers that just want buds or don’t want to waste resources on undesired male plants. They have a considerably higher yield than regular seeds by number alone since all of the plants will be female. That also helps with the hassle of sexing your cannabis because if all your plants are female, you won’t have to worry about culling males to avoid pollination. Lastly, feminized plants yield way more than standard autoflower seeds, but at the cost of being much taller.

If you want to create a mother plant for cloning or if you want to breed cannabis, then you’re better off using regular seeds. They possess stronger genetics and are less prone to becoming hermaphrodites.

If you want the easiest option, we highly recommend growing from autoflower seeds. The plants this seed type produces are short and easy to tend to. Their main appeal is their autoflowering trait, which allows them to flower regardless of light hours.

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How to choose the right feminized seeds

You only need to consider three things: climate, experience, and personal taste. Pick a strain with the flavor and effects you like, but make sure you’re experienced enough to grow it and have the right climate for that particular strain to thrive.

Where to buy feminized seeds

Buy feminized seeds from a trusted seed bank that takes care of its product as well as its customers and is always willing to help when problems arise. At ILGM, our policies ensure you receive the best high-quality cannabis seeds and an excellent customer service team that will guide you through the steps of replacing any seeds that didn’t germinate.

Want to purchase feminized marijuana seeds guaranteed to germinate? Shop at ILGM today.





Shop Feminized Seeds

  1. Female plants for healthy bud

  2. Quality genetics, high yields

  3. All popular cultivars



Tips for growing marijuana from feminized seeds

Growing cannabis is easy to do but hard to master. With feminized seeds, the main thing to consider is light management. Since feminized seeds produce photoperiod plants, you must provide the right light cycle for each growth stage. You can learn this by reading our Beginner Guide to Growing Marijuana.

All seeds in our seed store are feminized plants, even our autoflower versions, so you never have to bother with pollinated flowers or seeds in your weed. Be sure to try your hand at growing yourself. It’s easier than you think! Robert’s free Weed Grow Bible will help you get started quickly.

Learn more about cannabis seeds

There are more types of cannabis seeds out there. Learn all about them so you know exactly what types of seeds are best for you. Quick tip: Autoflower seeds are great for new growers.

Happy growing!

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