After assuring that your soil is prepared to grow hemp for CBD, the next step is to find the proper genetics to plant. This is arguably the most influential factor towards the overall health and quality of your plants. Good genetics can produce below low-quality flower if grown with carelessness, but below-average genetics are incapable of growing the top-shelf buds we’re all aiming for. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection has a list of approved seeds for farmers to choose from.
There are multiple options to consider when choosing genetics, such as unfeminine seed, feminized seed, or clones. While unfeminine seed is the cheapest option, be aware that male plants will sprout and potentially seed out the female plant’s flower, drastically reducing the quality. The following option is to plant strictly feminized seed. Although this is option is nearly twice as expensive as unfeminized seed, it reassures that little to no male plants will be present within the crop. The third and final option is to find a nearby farmer in your area who is selling clones. Clones are a reliable way to find identical genetics that thrive in your area, all the while still maintaining a strictly feminized crop. Growing with clones nearly guarantees a high-quality harvest, but it’s by far the priciest choice with each acre of clones costing around $8,000 plus labor.
When deciding which genetics option to move forward with, you should always investigate who else is planning to grow hemp in your local area and which genetics they’re using. In the case that you were to invest thousands of extra dollars for a feminized option, there’s always a risk that your plants will still be pollinated by males from a different crop in the area via winds or bees. This step in the growing process is key for a quality harvest, which goes to show that planning months before and doing your research is absolutely vital when growing hemp for CBD.