What to do with cannabis bag seeds?

When some people find a cannabis seed in their bud their first thought is to grow it. After all, it is free and cannabis seeds bought online might average around €/$/£7 each. And if the weed seems good quality, then surely the seed should produce similar quality bud too?
However, the complexities of cannabis genetics/breeding means that bag seed carries inherently higher grow risks than normal. Below we explain why…

What are cannabis bag seeds?

Cannabis bag seeds are any stray seeds found in your weed. Typically, the name refers to street-bought bags of weed. For some growers, finding a marijuana seed in their weed brings a sigh of disbelief as they question why the buds were seeded and whether they will find any more. But to others, especially less experienced growers, finding some bag seed can be the highlight of their day as they figure out how they will grow their free bonus seed.

The pros and cons of growing cannabis from bag seed

Most growers spend far more on their electricity, nutrients and grow medium than they do on their cannabis seeds.

Even the world’s best cannabis growers can’t get high THC results from poor quality or unproven/unstable genetics.

Most home growers only grow around 2-3 times per year, often with just a few autoflower seeds/feminised seeds. The cost of cannabis seeds is a small fraction of the value of a high-quality harvest. Why compromise and take risks with 3-4 valuable months of your grow time just to produce an ‘average’ (or worse) result.

The cash savings from using a bag seed, rather than buying one, would be barely enough to buy you a couple of coffees. That isn’t just self-interest rhetoric from a cannabis seed company. Do your own online research and look for any top growers that routinely use bag seed to deliver epic harvests - it’s rare to see.

Pros of using a bag seed

• It’s free and, you never know, it might work!
• It’s an adventure that you may consider worth trying if you have a spare spot in your grow room and can keep a close eye on your bag seed plant health & progress.

Cons of using a bag seed

• You can’t be sure how long bloom will take (or even if it will produce a female plant).
• Germination rates on bag seed can be unpredictable.
• If the bag seed arose from a hermaphrodite cannabis plant, there are increased risks of the bag seed also exhibiting hermaphrodism. That risks pollination of your other plants and is one of the main reasons why experienced growers won’t risk growing from bag seed.
• Deformed growth can result at any time from seedling to bloom if the seed genetics were poor. Likewise, if the seed wasn’t fully ripened, poor growth is always a strong possibility.

Germination rates:

Professional cannabis seed breeders work hard on several aspects of their craft. One key area is germination rates. When buying cannabis seeds from a reputable source most buyers expect 90%+ germination rates. High germination rates are a sign that the pollination was performed at the right time AND that the seeds were given sufficient time to fully ripen before the plant was harvested. Bag seeds are something of a lottery, germination rates could be lower due to the random timing of pollination and plant harvest.

Growth patterns:

Some bag seeds will grow into healthy plants, but not all. Some will struggle to develop as they should. Sometimes this is due to poor seed health - remember the seed got there by accident rather than as a result of professional seed production.

The conditions for optimized seed production (plant care, timing of pollination and harvest) take breeders many crops to fine-tune. Bag seeds offer a genuine lottery of uncertainty for the grower from germination to harvest. You could get lucky, but many don’t.

There are very few growers that routinely grow bag seed, for good reasons.

Male or hermie plants:

Some growers, admittedly a minority, still grow with regular cannabis seeds. If your bag seed came from conventional pollination (male & female plants) then the bag seed could give rise to a male plant. Definitely NOT what you want in your grow room.

Hermies (Hermaphrodite plants):

Hermaphrodite cannabis plants are not uncommon when growing feminised cannabis seeds. Although hermies are generally few and far between, they can happen. Especially if the plants are stressed or if the breeding was badly performed.

If your bag seed was produced as a result of a hermie self-pollination incident, then the bag seed is also more genetically pre-disposed to show signs of hermaphrodism. That isn’t to say that you are guaranteed to get a hermie from the bag seed, but the chances of it are definitely increased.

Bud quality when growing from bag seeds:

Bud quality from bag seed could turn out to be epic, but most of the time it won’t. The problem is that bag seed genetics contains a large number of unknown variables which mean there is a higher possibility of problems.

Experienced growers want to feel confident about the quality/consistency and genetic heritage of their cannabis seeds and tend to research their suppliers & genetics carefully.

Most home growers don’t grow that many cannabis seeds each year. Why invest 3-4 months of your time, effort, electricity, grow medium, nutrients and grow room space on bag seed that can’t ever promise the same performance as proven cannabis seed varieties from a solid supplier.

Cannabis seed diseases

Although not an issue which usually bothers those that buy seeds from a solid supplier, cannabis seed diseases can be a serious issue. Especially when the cannabis seeds haven’t been bred according to the usual strict protocols used by professional breeders.

Cannabis seeds can be infected with bacteria and fungi which can significantly reduce plant vigour. Pathogens such as Alternaria, Rhizopus and Hop Latent Viroid (which causes Dudding Disease) can also damage cannabis seed performance. Use of cannabis bag seed risks introducing these issues to your grow room.

Key factors to watch when growing bag seeds

If you do succumb to temptation and grow your bag seed, it’s worth labelling the plant and monitoring it carefully:

• Use a proven cannabis seed germination method. This is especially important since bag seed typically has lower germination rates than professionally produced cannabis seed. Germinating cannabis seeds with the damp cotton pad method is especially recommended.
  
  
• Be ruthless with weak looking plants or seedlings. Remember the bag seed was free. There is a greater chance of tortured growth, dwarfism and other issues with bag seed. You may get lucky and grow a beauty, but don’t waste grow room time with struggling plants if they came from bag seed. They may never achieve optimised growth, no matter how much care they are given.
  
  
• Watch out for hermies. If hermaphrodism afflicted the parent plant and caused/produced bag seed, there is an increased risk that the bag seed may also produce a hermie. Look out for the male flowers which look like miniature yellow ‘bananas'.
  
  
• Male plants should be a low risk but watch out just in case the bag seed manages to produce one.

Beware of untrustworthy cannabis seeds sellers

Buy cannabis seeds online from a proven supplier and you have the greatest chances of success. A few cannabis cups (Dutch Passion have 100+) is always a good sign that your breeder takes their craft seriously - not every breeder has the confidence to pitch their strains against the best of the competition.

Beware of unproven or new vendors, research them carefully. The cannabis seed industry has an unfortunate track record of small seed companies that appear and disappear quickly.
It’s also a good idea to check out some of the online grow forums to see some reviews of the seeds you are considering. If you’re considering Dutch Passion seeds, then you may want to check out the hundreds of customer grow reviews in our grow review archives.

And if you’re planning your next grow on a strict budget then check out the Dutch Passion cannabis seed sale. Many cannabis cup winners are on offer at half-price or below. Why grow bag seed when you can get some quality strains at genuine bargain prices!

And with 35+ years of experience and outstanding customer support (if you ever need it) you are guaranteed quality service and great grow room performance.