gardening - horticulture - landscapingimage1-4 - Cannabis Seeds

Published on May 17th, 2024 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

How to Choose the Right Cannabis Seeds for Cultivation

When choosing cannabis seeds for cultivation, you need to think about whether the strain you want to grow is better suited for indoor or outdoor growing based on your environment’s climate. This means that what is possible to grow outside in a place that has long, hot summers may have to be cultivated indoors in an area that sees shorter and/or cooler summers.

As such, you must take things like the exact cultivation and environmental needs of the strain you’re interested in growing into consideration when selecting the seeds. That said, if there’s a strain whose potency and effects seem to be a perfect match to your desires but the climate in your region is too cold or too hot and humid for it, you can always grow it indoors as this allows you to have complete control over its environment.

The purpose of this guide is to help you gain insight into the different factors you need to be mindful of when selecting a strain and deciding if you will cultivate indoors or out to achieve the biggest, healthiest yield possible.

Tips For Choosing Cannabis Seeds for Growing Outdoors

Read on to learn more about how to pick the cannabis seeds that are well-suited to the outdoor growing environment where you live.

Know Your Surroundings

Climate is a central consideration in selecting cannabis seeds for outdoor cultivation. Various strains exhibit different degrees of resilience to changes in temperature, humidity, and weather conditions.

Cool Climates: If you live in a part of the world with short, cool summers, you want to purchase seeds that can thrive in a cooler setting and that have a faster flowering period so that your cannabis plants will be ready to harvest before the first frost of the year. As a general rule of thumb, feminized indica photoperiods and several autoflowering strains are good candidates as they tend to be hardier with shorter flowering times.
Warm Climates: Landrace sativas and sativa-dominant feminized strains tend to grow better in warmer climates as they generally thrive in more tropical or Mediterranean-like settings.
Variable Climates: Autoflowering seeds are a good choice here as they tend to be hardy enough to adapt to unexpected changes in temperature and humidity levels, and can provide multiple harvests in a year.

Tips For Choosing Cannabis Seeds for Indoor Cultivation

Assess Your Indoor Space

When you find the perfect marijuana seeds for sale online, you’ll likely be tempted to buy them right away. However, before you hit “purchase” make sure to check your space.

For example, if you don’t have a lot of space in your indoor grow setup then indicas tend to be the best option as they rarely exceed 3-4 feet in height, whereas sativas can reach as high as 12 or more feet. That said, there are plenty of sativa-dominant hybrid strains that can be grown indoors as their indica genetics result in shorter plants.

General Considerations for Indoor and Outdoor Growers

Understand Growing Mediums

Depending on where you grow your cannabis crops, there are numerous growing mediums that you can use, such as soil, coco coir, and hydroponics.

Some strains will thrive in almost any medium, others will do better in one specific type, and others prefer one medium indoors and another outdoors. This is why it is of utmost importance that you always read the product description of any given strain and find out what medium it prefers.

Lastly, if, for example, the strain you are drawn to requires indoor growing in a hydroponics setup and you don’t have or even know how to use a hydroponic system, then this will immediately eliminate the strain as a viable option. Conversely, if the strain you want to purchase says it will do well in almost any growing medium, including soil, you’re golden!

Check its Natural Resistance

Suppose you are new to the world of cannabis cultivation. In that case, you will probably want to choose varieties that are naturally resistant to molds, mildew, pests, and diseases to make things that much easier for you.

If a strain’s description says it is prone to mold and mildew and you live in a part of the world that gets a lot of rainfall or humidity during the warmer months, you will want to grow indoors and will need to be conscious of not overwatering your plants. Always make sure they are getting all of the air and light circulation that they need.

Know Your Desires

While it may seem like an obvious statement, it is still worth saying that when you are selecting cannabis seeds for growing, it is imperative that you know what it is you want from cannabis plants in terms of THC content, CBD content, recreational and/or medical effects, flavor, fragrance, ease of growth, yield sizes, etc.

For example, are you looking for something to help you sleep at night? A pure indica landrace or indica-dominant hybrid is going to be your best bet. Looking for something to perk you up and lift your spirits? Then a pure sativa landrace or sativa-dominant hybrid is likely to be your best option. Looking for a bit of both? An evenly balanced hybrid is an excellent option.

In short, every strain has its unique genetic makeup, cannabinoid and terpene content, cultivation needs, yield potentials, and so on. This is why it is so important that you know what you are looking for and read the strain descriptions provided.

Source Your Seeds Responsibly

Lastly, never compromise the quality of seeds by buying them from unreliable manufacturers. Seed banks that offer a germination rate guarantee, have earned the trust of their customers, have an extensive selection of feminized and autoflowering seeds, and that provide helpful information not just about a strain’s genetics, but also free and informative blogs on how to grow cannabis are going to be a solid choice.

Final Thought

Choosing the perfect cannabis seeds for your particular needs comes down to getting familiar with your environment and the specific strengths of the marijuana strain you are considering cultivating at home.

By correlating these seed features with where you will be growing your cannabis crops and your actual cultivation skill level, you should have no problem achieving a successful harvest and reaping (or combusting) the fruits of your labor.

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.