Cannabis use is not a recent phenomenon. In fact, the National Institutes of Health assert that people have been using cannabis as a natural therapy and treatment for various medical conditions for almost 3,000 years. Today, cannabis is becoming increasingly popular, with various significant benefits attributed to it. The idea of feminizing seeds with the intention of growing high-yield cannabis plants is a crystal-clear indicator of the importance associated with cannabis.
There are three classifications of the cannabinoid plant, based on sex, including: male, female, and hermaphroditic. It’s of great value to delve deeper into the cannabis plant to understand the major differences between the three classifications. In the same vein, understanding the growing cycles, composition, and the value of these plants is highly significant. In this article, you will get to learn more about the cannabinoid and the fundamental aspects related to its growing.
Male, Female and Hermaphroditic Cannabis Plants?
It’s vital to know the difference between the different sexes when growing cannabis. The male and the female cannabis plant grow separately. The male cannabis plant is the one that produces pollen. It also produces small amounts of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on its leaves.
For people growing cannabis, the male plant is not as valuable as the female because of it has small amounts of THC. The female plant, on the other hand, is the most valuable since it produces buds that have high amounts of THC, which has medical benefits. However, it’s worth noting that these buds will only appear if the male plant does not pollinate the female. Thus, keep the male plant away to avoid the pollination of the female. Additionally, a female cannabis plant has more branches and leaves and it looks healthier than the male or the hermaphroditic plant. A hermaphroditic plant is the one that has both male and female characteristics. The value of the female cannabinoid plant is that it produces a high amount of the cannabis component that is beneficial to consumers, particularly the medicinal benefits.
The Growth Cycles
The cannabis plant has four growth cycles namely: germination, seedling, vegetative, and flowering. It’s after the fourth growth stage that harvesting happens. Seed germination takes around 5-10 days. When leaves begin to grow, it moves to the seedling stage. The seedling stage takes 2-3 weeks. You will know that a seedling is healthy if it is green in color. The next stage of growth is the vegetative stage that takes 3-16 weeks. This is where growth takes off. At this stage, a cannabinoid plant requires more water to support the increment in growth. The last stage in the growth cycle of a cannabis plant is the flowering stage. It takes 8- 11 weeks. It’s during this stage that you are able to know whether a cannabis plant is male or female. It’s prudent that you separate the female from the male so as to avoid pollination.
Composition of a Cannabis Plant
A cannabinoid plant has five major components. The first component is Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). Studies reveal that this component of cannabis has benefits on the endocannabinoid system and it helps to treat issues like insomnia. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is also another component of the plant, which, experts say, has medical effects to help with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, depression, and others. Also, Cannabidiol Acid (CBDA) is present in cannabis and studies show that it can help with medical conditions like nausea. Moreover, there is Cannabidiol (CBD), which has continued to attract attention for its medical benefits. Lastly, Cannabichromene (CBC) has the potential of being an anti-acne treatment.
Feminizing Seeds and Its Growing Demand
Due to the increased benefit associated with cannabis, there is a growing demand for feminized seeds. This is a concept that helps in growing high-yield cannabis plants. What happens is that, breeders and seed banks work towards reproducing seeds with female genetics only so as to increase the yield of cannabis plants. Since it’s the female cannabinoid plant that produces the beneficial component of cannabis, feminizing seeds ensures that only the female plant grows. A successful way of feminizing seeds is by treating female cannabis plants with silver thiosulfate. This treatment makes it possible for the reproduction of seeds that only have female genetics; hence, facilitating the growing of high-yield cannabis plants.
Can I grow cannabis plants?
Indeed, if its legal in your country or your Canadian. Cannabis is growing in popularity; based on recent trends and developments on the plant, its medicinal benefits on patients and consumers will increase its consumption significantly. Just like any other plant, you need adequate information for you to derive maximum benefits from the cannabinoid plant – whether consuming from or growing yourself.
Click right here for more information regarding how to safely, legally and securely grow cannabis plants in Canada for your own medical purposes.