First off, I have been diehard organic since I began working with plants, so feminized breeding used to turn me off because chemicals were sprayed on a plant.

Also, I had held steadfast to the belief that herms were not to be tolerated, unless we’re growing Cannabis for grain or on a mountain in some far-off land where having some seeds with mostly female flowers might have value.

I have always been passionate about roguing hermaphroditic plants, and, with ones used for breeding, have always watched for it deep into the cycle. Zero tolerance! 

Scouting for and eliminating intersex tendencies in the males as well, because it can happen.

I also theorized and believed that breeding with reversed females would create more herms in the progeny. I was wrong.

I have now seen enough reversed females (“males” when in action) used for breeding and the offspring that resulted, to see that, as with regular male and female breeding, the sexual stability of the parents is a main determining factor in whether or not there will be herms down the line.

Some plants, including many popular cuts, have a low threshold for environmental stress and can show intersex traits, especially in new environments, and often pass the trait down the line.

I still breed with true males and have always selected them carefully, hoping for superior traits to be passed on to the female offspring, the plants we care so much about. It’s ALL about the females with this plant! and feminized breeding is most important because it makes, statistically, when done right, all female offspring.

I see now that it’s easier to make improvements for certain traits, especially form, flavor, and resistance, being able to see both of the parents in female form first.

We can see in the offspring the value of parental lines and a plant used in breeding proves its combining abilities over time and crosses.

Trait heritability has always intrigued me and I have often noted, in the purple line I have worked with, that the anthocyanin trait has seemed to be more passed down by the male than the female. Where if there’s a purple female and a green male, it’s predominantly green offspring and if it’s a green female and a purple male, the color is expressed more often in the next generation.

I’m now making notes on this trait based on breeding position-whether the receiver or donor are purple, and not a y-chromosome.

Seeing now that this relates heavily to the specific lines coming together, but that in some crosses it does seem to be more passed on by the “male” (receiver) side.

At Canna Country Selections we’ve gotten to know the attributes of the females we’re using, as they are clones that we’ve seen through seasons and over years, selections we’ve made from crosses we produced.

Now we’re able to see which of their female traits are passed on and how the lines combine, specifically and in general.

Using feminized seed, the cultivator doesn’t have to water, transplant, eradicate, or deal with the rogue late-showing male. Though the phenotypic male can pop up in feminized seeds, it’s usually one out of 3000 or less it seems.

Again, if the parental plants are sexually stable and the reversal was done right, the offspring can be sexually stable as well.

With any genetics, new environments can be unpredictable, for regular seeds as well as feminized.

Still, questions remain.

What will happen over the long term if we never breed with the y- chromosome? It is the longer of the chromosomes and there are Male-specific molecular markers, making me wonder what they’re uniquely bringing to the table.

And just in case there is a difference between reversing a feminized seed female and a regular seed one, when doing a feminized seed run, I start with regular seeds, pull the males( gender ID testing is amazing!) and reverse regular females, not feminized ones.

Many long-time fem seed breeders tell me they don’t see an increase in intersex traits just because of reversing feminized females consecutively and often concur that it is all about the selection process of the parental lines. I’ve seen enough fields now to recognize this as well.

Time will tell and we’ll keep looking out. It’s hard to believe this won’t impact the gene pool or plant. I can now say I don’t know enough to have a stance.

I appreciate the newness when it comes to a lot of things with this plant. Out and in at the same time.

We’re testing the bounds of what we know.

As every season is, it’s been thrilling to watch the commingling of these different lines and seeing the expressions bursting forth.