I recently noticed that I have been seeing some viable seeds in some of the cannabis that I obtained. I was fairly surprised, as it has been many years since I have found any viable seeds (except for a very rare one, every now and again).
My first thought was that someone (or a lot of someones) wasn’t paying attention to their grow. However, that didn’t make complete sense, why now?
So, what changed? The legalization of hemp. In December of 2018, growing hemp was made federally legal. During 2019, large scale cultivation of hemp was begun, throughout the entire US. We went from a country with virtually zero cannabis pollen, in the air, to one with a detectable pollen count.
Hemp farmers do not have the same concerns as growers that are producing high THC plants. The farmer will plant an enormous number of seeds, without concern for their sex. As a result, there are now very large numbers of pollen producing male hemp plants, pumping cannabis pollen into the air, all across the USA.
The general effect is that seeds are now showing up in high THC cannabis. The seeds are unavoidable, unless extreme air filtration is used. It should be expected that more seeds will be encountered, as the cultivation of hemp expands even further.
Sad thing is, the seeds will be a hybrid with the super low THC hemp genes, making any plants grown from them, way less desirable.
While this may be true for some situations but most of the time you see full formed seeds is because of stress that causes the plant to hermie or it was a hermie to begin with. I just notice my plants that have random seeds in the nugs were stressed out in some way or another.
I have/had a nice Fire OG that came from bag seed. Guys neighbor had a farm and the pollen came over and seeded his plants. The nugs were filled with seeds. That one doesn’t hermie even when stressed, super hardy plant. But typically if you find just one or 2 it’s from stress.
I was growing a strain called kong a few years back that always popped a few sterile nanners towards the end of flower. After that I never got too concerned if a FEW showed up after week 5 or so.
People that live in areas that are even near significant hemp production should have a source for pollen information. Something that should be included as a regular part of any pollen count.
It is a guaranteed reality that cannabis pollen has increased significantly, since large scale hemp production began.
In oregon this happens all the time . I remember when there was no hemp just all weed . Now with all the hemp a lot of people have issues with seeds because you have a hemp farm next to a weed farm . There have been lawsuits over it with legal farms . Its one of the downfalls of the hemp industry blowing up . It really just shits on outdoor cannabis production because there is no way to stop the pollen unless you have a property high up on a mountain . This is just gonna cause even more of an increase in greenhouse / light dep cultivation as well as indoor. In my opinion regular full term outdoor is best for fresh frozen or extracts there is just not enough control to guarentee a great harvest you are relying on the weather on the end of the year anyways . But i also feel turning anything else into whole plant Fresh frozen is wasteful and i love my live resin lol . When growing on a commercial scale light dep is a better option so you can control and plan your harvests. That way your not crossing your fingers hoping for good weather at the end of the season .
Anyone who runs a greenhouse that depends on opening the roof for humidity control are going to be doomed because of this. I generally think it’s stupid in the first place but people keep building em like that.
I would suggest that there is a strong business opportunity here, at least to help small-time indoor growers.
Grow tents seem to all be equipped with air ports that are a similar size. It should be fairly simple to design slip on HEPA filters.
Another fairly easy helper would be to install a needlepoint bipolar ion generator inside the building’s air conditioning system. These are not the same as a negative ion generator. Bipolar ion generators do not produce a lot of ozone and cost less than $400.
Another advantage of the bipolar ion generator is that is also effective at clearing viruses, mold, smoke, etc., out of the air.
Sealed rooms are the best option
No air exchange means no air filter unless of equipment failure then use dust shroom or equivalent hepa to duct in air and vent via fan and carbon filter. This should be standard practice for anyone wanting top shelf clean material
Sucks. Hemp was supposed to save the planet. Instead it’s enriching chads and ruining weed. Boo. Boo, to hemp. Sorry jack herer. Cool book but turns out capitalism won’t be stopped from ruining everything.
The one scientific study of cannabis pollen that I was able to find concluded that almost all of it went no more than about 100 yards. The magic pollen that flies 50 miles off a mountain is theoretically possible, but very highly unlikely.
Fiber and seed oil growers are the hemp farmers putting pollen into the air. Anyone growing seeded cbd bud is not doing it right.
A sealed room is just not realistic. There would need to be some sort of air exchange somewhere.
I suggest that a “positive pressure” room would make more sense. A “positive pressure” room is constructed so that the ventilation system forces more air inside than can bleed away through leaks. The air pressure inside the space is greater than outside, so air is always leaking outward, preventing the entry of pollen.
This concept is used in research facilities. The one part that would still be needed would be an exceptional air filter.