What are sativa cannabis seeds?
We understand that all this talk of genetics, strains, heritage, and phenotypes could become overwhelming for nearly anyone. Let's take a look at some of the traits and some reasons you may want to add sativa cannabis seeds to your next purchase.
To put it simply, sativa origin plants are much taller and more slender than indicas or hybrids. The leaves themselves are also larger, with thinner “fingers.”
As a general rule, sativa thrive in more equatorial climates, and many sativa-dominant strains do well as “heat resistant” options for growers in such regions. As a slow-grower, sativa are also known for larger yields than other variants.
Sativa offers an uplifting and energizing head-high. THC heavy strains like Amnesia are also known for delivering a potent buzz, accompanied by a strong sense of euphoria.
Growing your cannabis from sativa seeds is a great way to break into horticulture with a plant that’s generally quite easy to look after. A few strains do exceptionally well outdoors, and a few hybrids may prove rewarding as first-time indoor grows.
What other seeds are there to consider?
At Homegrown Cannabis Co., we have a vested interest in helping our buyers make informed decisions when they’re choosing their next batch of cannabis seeds to grow.
Let's have a look at some of the most commonly sold cannabis seed variants and what their merits are before you buy sativa seeds.
“Regular” Seeds
Before the cannabis industry evolved into what we have today, all seeds used to be considered “regular seeds”. This naming convention refers to seeds derived from female plants which a male has pollinated.
These seeds are considered “purer” than other variants, as they are produced through traditional plant breeding methods. You can of course buy regular sativa seeds.
Regular seeds tend to be cheaper than feminized or autoflower seed variants. Still, they have an additional caveat: half of these sativa marijuana seeds may end up producing male plants.
Male plants may not be a problem for big-time cultivators looking to produce seeds for future grows. However, for a home grower seeking three or four plants that’ll carry buds down the line, it may not be worth rolling the dice on a pack of seeds and hoping for the best.
Feminized Seeds
Feminized sativa seeds are the go-to standard for growers wanting a beautiful plant, full of delicious flower.
These cannabis seeds are produced by selectively breeding cannabis plants to eliminate male chromosomes from the line. Feminized seeds have become the de-facto industry standard for small-time growers and commercial operations alike.
You get all the benefits of a regularly sized photoperiod weed plant that you’ll be able to prune and train. You’ll also produce the very best harvest down the line, without having to uproot a bunch of males in the early stages.
Autoflower seeds
If you search online, you might find a string of now well-experienced growers that started their journey with an autoflowering sativa strain. These plants tend to be some of the easiest cultivars to grow.
They’re not photoperiod sensitive, so you can blast them with light for up to 24 hours a day. This will maximize growth until they automatically flip into the flowering stage.
There are some additional considerations when it comes to autos, though. You won’t have time to do much pruning and training on some of these; their clocks are set way ahead of schedule.
Late pruning and an early flowering stage lead to a significant decrease in yield with auto sativa seeds. The shorter vegetative stage means these plants tend to be much smaller overall, with an average height of around 24 inches.
A smaller overall stature also means that autoflower sativa seeds yield less than their regular or feminized counterparts, even under the best growing conditions.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, these crops are hardy, easy to grow, and you can count on harvestable buds in as little as seven weeks - a far cry from the six months some sativa plants require.
Where can you find sativa seeds for sale in the USA?
Online seed banks have become a recognized standard. Rather than trying to grow your own from seeds you picked out while cleaning weed, start your sprouts from proven genetics.
When choosing a seed bank, aside from them stocking your favorite strain, there should be some other considerations. Homegrown Cannabis Co. brings years of industry experience, independent lab work, and a germination guarantee to the table.
Discreet shipping in the USA helps to further ensure that you get your seeds on time and without concerns about your privacy.
Our range boasts a huge variety of sativa seeds for sale. You get to order with the peace of mind you deserve and focus on the fun part, like smoking your first batch of weed grown from sativa seeds.
Top five sativa seeds
You’re spoilt for choice if you’re looking for a sativa that delivers on all your expectations. What remains is simply picking sativa seeds that suit your particular growing conditions.
- Steve’s Dream Queen Feminized - Previously known as Green Crack, partly due to its 20%+ THC content, Steve DeAngelo sought to re-name the strain to better align with the legalized cannabis movement.
- Diesel Feminized - With the trademark aroma of fuel and a light cerebral buzz, Diesel features in many top 5s for a good reason. It’s also a hardy plant to grow.
- AK-47 Feminized - Named after what has often been described as the most reliable firearm in history, its lower THC levels of around 18% leave users feeling euphoric and relaxed. While these sativa seeds aren’t beginner-friendly, this strain remains one of the more rewarding to grow.
- Amnesia Feminized - THC Levels of around 22% and some tales of short-term memory loss are commonly (and perhaps exaggeratingly) associated with this strain. Intended as the ultimate chill-out weed, these sativa seeds are also a cinch to grow.
- Bruce Banner Feminized - Cerebral smash! With one of the industry’s highest reported THC levels, around 27%, this one’s got a kick to it. Excellent for pain management and near-instant relaxation, the Hulk’s alter-ego lives up to all expectations.
What are landrace seeds?
Humans have been growing cannabis for more than two thousand years, with some historians dating its cultivation back to 500 BC in Asia.
While hybridization and selective breeding have led to some amazing strides in the varieties, sizes, flavors, and options, some growers may want to go back to their “roots” and pursue the cultivation of landrace sativa seeds.
To some, this may seem like purist “snobbishness” but, there are seed collectors who pride themselves on their authentic African sativa seeds.
Authentic sativa landrace seeds play an important role in preserving region-specific traits and genetic diversity. These seeds are sourced directly from their native countries of origin and often present unique challenges to the home grower.
If you’re up for the challenge, growing landrace strains from seeds may introduce you to a wholly different part of the cannabis community, and the peers you meet may prove to be mentors and students alike.
What are the typical effects of sativa cannabis?
With plants grown from sativa seeds generally being high-THC seed strains, all the euphoric, intoxicating, and energizing effects associated with this cannabinoid are to be expected.
Here are some common effects you may expect when you partake in a sativa-dominant strain:
- Creativity boosting - Coupled with boosting their focus, many sativa users have praised it for curing their writer’s block.
- Increased Serotonin - Regular users have reported healthier sleep cycles, improved general mood, decreased anxiety levels, and improved appetites.
- Stress Relief - Users have also found that the head high helps them break away from their daily trains of thought, leading to decreased general anxiety levels.
- Munchie Suppression - While many weed users enjoy a classic case of the munchies, for health reasons or otherwise, some may not enjoy this trait. Sativa seed strains tend to have higher levels of THCV, which leads to fewer users experiencing that urge to finish a whole sleeve of Oreos. Interestingly, scientists have been looking into potential appetite suppressant side-effects and metabolic changes connected to THCV specifically.
As with any form of self-medication, moderation is key. It’s technically impossible to overdose on cannabis, but the side effects of partaking in too many hits are less than comfortable.
Many regular users also stress the importance of taking occasional “tolerance breaks” to experience the full reward offered by many weed strains.
How to choose the best sativa seeds for you
Sometimes the problem with being spoiled for choice is that you can have a tough time zeroing in on which particular thing you’d like to try first.
Check our expertly written strain descriptions, including pertinent strain information like THC/CBD levels, terpenes, and yield information.
You’ll also want to pay close attention to the grow and climate information to help you decide on the best sativa seeds for your setup. Bear in mind that if you’ve got your heart set on a specific strain, you may need to make special provisions, like an indoor grow space.
Is it easy to grow sativa cannabis seeds?
If you ask any experienced grower, they'll most likely tell you that sativa are generally the more difficult strains to grow.
The primary reason for that opinion is that sativa is generally a larger, slower-growing strain. Ultimately, this slow process leads to a plant that’s tougher, taller, and could potentially yield a surprisingly large amount of weed come harvest time.
As with any new endeavor, if you’re picking up some sativa seeds, it’ll pay to do your research on their growing conditions.
Investing the time into training techniques and setting up a properly structured feeding schedule pays dividends when it’s time to start drying the fruits or, rather, flowers of your labor. You may also want to begin your own Homegrown Diary to keep track of how your crop is doing.
What is the average flowering time for sativa seeds?
We’ve already touched on how sativa is generally a slow-growing strain, but how is this time divided?
Sativa tends to have a shorter vegetative stage, accompanied by very fast growth, but it has the longest flowering time of all the strains by a large margin.
Around 10-12 weeks is considered the average time most sativa-dominant strains spend in flower, with some taking as long as 16 weeks to reach full maturity.
Pure sativa seed strains can take as long as six months from seedling to harvestable buds. If you’re an impatient grower, sativa-dominant strains may teach you this virtue through the reward of huge yields and awesome THC levels down the line.
Dominant hybrids and pure sativa seeds for sale online
It’s no secret that many growers have taken to sativa-dominant hybrid marijuana strains as their seeds of choice.
While honing in on the high THC levels and general biomass offered by sativa seeds, cultivators can breed in the fast-flowering traits that indica brings to the table.
Sativa hybrids are often a great choice for indoor growers, as they’re smaller overall but offer sturdy growth to work from when practicing super cropping and training techniques.
These plants lend themselves to the principle of growing “low and wide,” maximizing potential bud sites and promoting even light penetration.
Growers seeking the best of both worlds may be inclined to opt for an autoflower sativa seed strain. Great THC levels, hardiness, and ease of care combined with a flowering time you can set your clock to are synonymous with autos.
Granted, you may not be able to take clones from an autoflower but, if you’re looking to get your first harvest as soon as possible, sativa-dominant autos are an excellent beginner crop.
Cannabis sativa vs. cannabis indica seeds
We’ve spoken about the various traits associated with sativa, from the effects to the physical appearance. Let’s see how it stacks up against its sister, Indica.
|
Sativa |
Indica |
|
Flowers in 60-90 days |
Flowers between 45-60 days |
|
Stimulating, energizing effect |
Relaxing, sedative effect |
|
Best for daytime use |
Best for nighttime use |
|
Tall, skinny plants, light green leaves |
Short and bushy plants, short fat and dark green leaves |
|
Best adapted to warmer climates |
Somewhat cold-resistant |
Apart from the differences above, flowers from sativa strain seeds usually offer a head high, while the effect from indica tends to be more of a body high.
These differences are the primary reason why most seed banks market sativa seed strains as uplifting and stimulating. Accordingly, they consider indica-dominant seed strains more calming and great for winding down at the end of a long day.
Thanks to the magic of genetic engineering, hybrid strains do an excellent job of bridging the gap between the two variants.
Looking for a rush of creativity but can’t get yourself to sit still and focus for more than five minutes at a time? Sour Cookies is well-known for its physically calming effect, while it does a great job of jump-starting the synapses.
Facts about sativa marijuana seeds and plants
You need to keep Cannabis sativa seeds in a cool, dry place unless you want to run the risk of your seeds germinating unexpectedly. A sealed container placed in a refrigerator door is a great option.
You can store sativa seeds for surprisingly long periods. You may experience a lower germination rate after a few decades. If stored correctly, you can keep some seeds preserved for two decades or more without much disappointment.
The size of the seeds doesn’t determine the size of the plant. The average size for sativa seeds is similar to that of a match head, but some seeds could be as large as peas. Similar to Giant Redwood seeds, the smallest sativa seeds could end up turning into the tallest trees if cared for properly.
Cannabis will most likely survive the apocalypse. You may have heard about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which lies deep under the ice between Norway and the North pole.
Well, among the many valuable crop seeds we may one day need to kick start civilization again, you’ll find no less than 21,500 cannabis seeds from more than 17 countries.
Cannabis plants are great at absorbing radiation. Through the process of phytoremediation, cannabis plants that were sown at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster were found to absorb latent radiation from the soil far better than other plants.
Why buy sativa seeds from Homegrown Cannabis Co.?
As one of the largest seed banks in America, you can rely on Homegrown Cannabis Co. to deliver quality sativa weed seeds discreetly. Take advantage of our years of experience and our huge variety of strains, and start your cannabis growing journey today.
After you’ve read through some of our in-depth strain descriptions and picked one that’s perfect for you, take advantage of our seed pack options.
While you’re at it, join our Homegrown Forum to meet like-minded growers who are all eager to help you on your way to growing from sativa seeds in the USA.