# Regular, feminised, autoflower or clone: choosing your starting material

> Regular seed gives about half males and is what breeders need; feminised seed gives nearly all females and suits growers who want flower; autoflowers flower by age; clones copy one known plant but can carry pests and viroids. Each choice changes what you can do next.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/seed-types-regular-feminised-auto-clone.html
- Category: Basics · Level: Beginner
- Evidence: Supported · Status: Draft: awaiting expert review
- Stage: Any stage · Systems: Any system
- Updated: 2026-10-31 · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay Knowledge Base (genetixbay.com/knowledge)"

## Questions and answers

**Should I buy regular or [feminised seeds](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/feminised-seed.md)?** Buy feminised seeds if you just want flowers: nearly every plant is female, which saves space and time. Buy regular seeds if you want to breed, hunt phenotypes or preserve a line, because they give roughly half real males. Regular seed means sexing plants and removing males before they shed pollen. Either way, choose a breeder who can show grow-out data for the batch.

**Are feminised seeds more likely to [hermie](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hermaphrodite.md)?** Well-made feminised cannabis seed should not hermie more. The GenetixBay breeder position is that [herm-prone](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/herm-prone.md) seed is mainly breeder error: seed from a female that hermed on its own, from S1-on-S1 stacking or from untested '[pollen chucker](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/pollen-chucker.md)' batches carries that tendency. Seed from a stable female reversed with [silver thiosulfate](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/sts.md), then grown out and culled, is different. Ask for the batch's grow-out [herm rate](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/herm-threshold.md).

**Are clones better than seeds?** Clones are not simply better than seeds; they are a different tool. A clean, tested clone is the only way to get one known cannabis genotype exactly, with uniform crops. But cuttings can carry [hop latent viroid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hop-latent-viroid.md), mites, thrips, aphids and [powdery mildew](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/powdery-mildew.md), so ask for a recent negative viroid test and quarantine every clone for 2-3 weeks. The same named cut from two sources can also differ slightly.

**What does a seed pack's GB-PKG code mean?** A GB-PKG code is unique to one GenetixBay seed pack, and scanning it activates that pack to your account. The pack links to a GB-BAT record for its batch, showing parent plants, pollination date and whether it is feminised or regular, and to a GB-GEN record for the line. Check the line's evidence level, from L0 to L4, before trusting its stated parentage.

**Can I breed with feminised seeds?** You can breed with feminised seeds only in a limited way, because they give no real males. Any cross must use pollen from a sex-reversed female, which makes more all-female seed, and repeated selfing such as S1 on S1 is a main source of herm-prone lines. For proper breeding, pheno hunts or preserving a line, start with regular seed. Buying feminised seed for a breeding project is a common mistake.

**Short answer.** If you want flowers, feminised seed saves space and time. If you want to breed, you need regular seed (real males), or you need to plan for feminised-only work. If you want one known plant exactly, a clean, tested clone is the only way. [Autoflowering](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/autoflower.md) is a separate choice about flowering, and it comes in both regular and feminised seed.

## The options

| Material | What you get | Best for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular seed | ~1:1 males to females, real genetic males | Breeding, pheno hunts, preserving a line | Must sex and remove males |
| Feminised seed | Nearly all females, made with pollen from a sex-reversed female [1][2] | Flower production | No males to breed with; only as sex-stable as the reversed donor and the breeder's culling |
| Autoflower (regular or feminised) | Flowers by age [4] | Speed, small spaces, high latitudes | Can't usefully clone or keep mothers |
| Clone (cutting) | A copy of one genotype | Known performance, uniform crops | Pests, mildew, hop latent viroid (HLVd) [3]; somatic mutations accumulate in long-kept mothers [5] |

## Do feminised seeds hermie more?

Well-made feminised seed shouldn't. The GenetixBay breeder position: cannabis is [dioecious](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dioecious.md) and stable, and herm-prone seed is mainly breeder error. Feminised seed from a female that hermed on its own (or under stress), from S1-on-S1 stacking, or from a "pollen chucker" who never grew the batch out carries that tendency into every seed, because seed from hermaphroditic flowers is female [1]. Seed made by controlled reversal (silver thiosulfate) of a female proven stable over several runs, then grown out and culled, is a different product. Controlled data comparing intersex rates between well-made feminised and regular seed are scarce, so judge the breeder: ask for the batch's grow-out herm rate. See [feminised seed and sex reversal](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/feminised-seed-sex-reversal.md) and [diagnosing hermaphrodites](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/diagnosis/hermaphrodites.md).

> **Buyer's check.** A breeder who meets the GenetixBay breeder's standard can tell you how many plants of the batch were grown out and how many showed intersex flowers. No grow-out data is a warning sign.

## Clones: the hidden costs

- **HLVd** spreads through cuttings and contaminated tools, often without symptoms; disinfectants like ethanol and [hydrogen peroxide](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hydrogen-peroxide.md) were reported ineffective [3]. Ask for a recent negative test.
- **Somatic mutations** build up as a mother is kept for years, so "the same cut" from two sources can differ slightly [5] (*Supported*).
- **Pests** (mites, aphids, thrips, [root aphids](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/root-aphid.md)) and powdery mildew travel on cuttings. Quarantine every clone for 2-3 weeks.

## How to read a GenetixBay seed pack

- **GB-PKG** on the pack is unique to that pack; scanning it activates it to your account.
- The pack links to a **GB-BAT** (the batch: parent plants, pollination date, feminised or regular) and a **GB-GEN** (the line).
- Check the line's **evidence level** (L0-L4) before trusting its parentage. See [documenting lineage evidence](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/documenting-lineage-evidence.md).

## Common mistakes

- Buying feminised seed for a breeding project, then discovering you have no males.
- Keeping a feminised plant that hermed as a mother, or saving its seed.
- Accepting clones without quarantine.
- Trusting a name instead of a source: the same "strain" name from two sellers is often two different genotypes. See [why strain names are unreliable](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-strain-names-are-unreliable.md).

## Evidence

- Feminised seed mechanism: *Established* [1][2].
- HLVd transmission by cuttings: *Established* [3].
- Somatic mutation in long-kept clones: *Supported* (one genomic study) [5].
- Herm-prone feminised seed comes mainly from careless feminising and selfing, not the method itself: GenetixBay house position (breeder experience); controlled comparisons are scarce.

## Sources

1. Punja ZK, Holmes JE. 2020. Hermaphroditism in marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) inflorescences: impact on floral morphology, seed formation, progeny sex ratios, and genetic variation. Frontiers in Plant Science 11:718. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00718
2. Flajšman M, Slapnik M, Murovec J. 2021. Production of feminized seeds of high CBD Cannabis sativa L. by manipulation of sex expression and its application to breeding. Frontiers in Plant Science 12:718092. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.718092
3. Adkar-Purushothama CR, Sano T, Perreault JP. 2023. Hop latent viroid: a hidden threat to the cannabis industry. Viruses 15(3):681. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030681
4. Toth JA, Stack GM, Carlson CH, Smart LB. 2022. Identification and mapping of major-effect flowering time loci Autoflower1 and Early1 in Cannabis sativa L. Frontiers in Plant Science 13:991680. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.991680
5. Adamek K, et al. 2022. Accumulation of somatic mutations leads to genetic mosaicism in cannabis. The Plant Genome 15(1):e20169. https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20169