What are F1, F2, S1 seeds?
For many people, hemp seeds are simply hemp seeds. Most home growers typically don't delve too deeply into terms like F1 hemp seeds, F1 hybrid hemp seeds, etc. If seeds contain reliably quality genetics, few people worry much about the terminology used. However, for many hemp breeders, understanding sometimes subtle but fundamental differences is critically important.
With a little help, anyone can become a grower. But becoming a breeder is something entirely different. In this overview, we'll explain what these terms mean and exactly what they reveal about the hemp seeds they describe.
Hemp Genetics Basics for Breeders
What does F1 hybrid mean? Hemp seeds are created when pollen from a male plant pollinates a female plant. Male genetics cross with female genetics to create F1 hemp seeds, which means it's a first-generation cross. If the parents came from two different strains, the result would be F1 hybrid hemp seeds.
Notice that male pollen easily spreads and pollinates all nearby female plants. Therefore, professional breeders have isolated, dedicated breeding rooms that prevent random pollen spread. Pollen can be applied with small brushes, for example using painting brushes, which allows pollinating specific branches with pollen from different males if needed. Or male and female plants can share the same room, with pollen spreading simply through air circulation fans.
Anyone involved in breeding typically showers and changes clothes to prevent unintended cross-contamination between different areas of their breeding facility. Once the female plant is pollinated, it concentrates most of its energy on seed production (rather than producing buds).
What are F1 Hemp Seeds?
F1 hemp seeds simply mean they are the first generation of offspring from parent strains. Hybrid vitality is a term often used when discussing hemp seeds, along with the question "Can F1 overcome hybrid vitality?". Hemp hybrid vitality manifests when different strains are crossed in F1 breeding.
If the parent strains were completely different indica and sativa strains, then the seeds would be called F1 hybrid hemp seeds, which might exhibit vigorous growth that is faster than usual. This extraordinary growth vitality appears when different hemp genetics are crossed, creating an F1 hemp hybrid.
Different Types of F1 Hemp Seeds
You can buy F1 autoflowering hemp seeds or photoperiodic F1 feminized hemp seeds.
F1 fast hemp varieties are also available, such as Think Fast varieties. These strains have recessive autoflower genetics that cause F1 fast hemp strains to grow from seed to harvest several weeks faster than traditional strains. For some outdoor growers, this could mean the difference between a harvest that ripens before unfavorable weather arrives and one that does not mature.
Many experts prefer purchasing true F1 hemp seeds to have the best chance of consistent quality results most similar to mother strains. A good example is F1 White Widow seeds from Dutch Passion. Many repeated White Widow growers know that using F1 White Widow hemp seeds provides the best chance of producing original A-class White Widow flowers.
What's the Difference Between F1 and F2 Hemp Seeds
F1 hemp seeds are created by crossing two parents. When you see F1 hemp seeds for sale, you typically expect them to exhibit properties closest to the original varieties. When F1 hemp seeds are grown and subsequently crossed, the resulting seeds are labeled as F2 hemp seeds.
The topic of F1 and F2 hemp genetics can be complicated, raising questions like "is F1 better than F2 hemp?". Whether you achieve better results with F1 and F2 hemp seeds depends on individual phenotypes grown and your definition of "better". It's probably safest to say that F1 hemp seeds are more likely to exhibit results closer to the original parents compared to F2 seeds.
Growing and crossing F2 hemp seeds would create F3 hemp seeds.
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